Teams

Teams

Teams is Microsoft’s collaboration software. It allows you to bring conversations, content, assignments, and apps together in one place. 

You can use Teams to:

• build collaborative classrooms
• connect in professional learning communities
• manage staff departments with colleagues

Microsoft Teams brings Microsoft 365 for Education into a single digital hub. You can use Microsoft Teams to live-stream lessons and for video conferencing.

If you intend to use Teams with learners please read our guidance on Live-streaming safeguarding principles and practice for education practitioners.

Creating pre-populated Microsoft class team in the User Management Portal

School staff or Hwb administrators can create a Microsoft Class Team for timetabled classes in a school’s MIS.

1. Log in to Hwb and go to User Management.
2. Click Administration: View Groups.
3. Use the Filters to display the required class by selecting the year, group type, teacher or academic year. Hwb administrators will see all classes in the school. Teachers will only see their own classes.
4. Click on a class to display information for that group. This will include an overview and a list of all learners in that group.
5. Click Add Microsoft Class Team + to create the Microsoft Class Team.

It can take up to 3 hours for your Microsoft Team class to be created with the correct and fully populated staff and learner accounts. Once the Team has been created, other teachers can be added as joint owners in the Teams app.

What to consider before using a Microsoft class team

As with every virtual online learning space, you must always add another education practitioner for safeguarding purposes.

It is important that the Team owner takes responsibility for adding and removing other staff members as appropriate.

Adding owners to a pre-populated Microsoft Class Team in the User Management Portal

Hwb administrators have the option to add themselves as joint owners of a pre-populated Microsoft Class Team.

1. Log in to Hwb and go to User Management.
2. Click Administration: View Groups.
3. Use the Filters to display the required class by selecting the year, group type, teacher or academic year. Hwb administrators will see all classes in the school. Teachers will only see their own classes.
4. Click on a class to display information for that group. This will include an overview and a list of all learners in that group.
5. Click Manage Microsoft Class Team.
6. Click Add as Owner, then OK.

The owner of a team can also add other teachers as joint owners in the Teams app.

Restoring or re-creating a deleted pre-populated Microsoft Class Team in the User Management Portal

Hwb administrators can restore a deleted Microsoft Class Team from the User Management Portal if it was deleted in the last 30 days. This will restore the team exactly as it was before it was deleted, including files, documents, assignments, membership and name.

How to restore a Class Team teams deleted in the last 30 days

1. Log in to Hwb and go to User Management.
2. Click Administration: View Groups.
3. Use the Filters to display the required class by selecting the year, group type, teacher or academic year (Hwb administrators will see all classes in the school however, teachers will only see their own classes).
4. Click on a class to display information for that group. This will include an overview and a list of all learners in that group.
5. Click Manage Microsoft Class Team.
6. Click Restore, then OK.

Restoring a Team can take up to 48 hours. 

Re-creating teams deleted over 30 days ago

If a Team was deleted over 30 days ago, then it cannot be restored. It must be re-created using the same process as the initial creation.

Re-creating a Team will build the Team from scratch. Any files, documents, assignments or changes to membership or name cannot be recovered.

Restoring a pre-populated Microsoft Class Team from a previous academic year

All Teams created via the User Management Portal are automatically archived at the end of the academic year. Hwb administrators and staff are able to restore their archived Teams, from a previous academic year, by following the simple steps below.

1. Login to Hwb and go to User Management.
2. Click Administration: View Groups.
3. Use the Filters to display the required class by selecting the year, group type, teacher or academic year. Hwb Administrators will see all classes in the school, but teachers will only see their own classes).
4. Click on a class to display information for that group. This will include an overview and a list of all learners in that group.
5. Click Restore Microsoft Team.

The restored Team will appear in the Hidden Teams section.

1. Open Microsoft Teams.
2. Select Teams from the menu on the left hand side of the screen.
3. Expand Your Teams (click the downward arrow).
4. Click on the Hidden Teams section.
5. Any restored Team will no longer be linked to the schools MIS.

Although restoration is often much quicker, during busier times it can take up to an hour before you are able to see the Team again.

Further support with Teams

• Free educators courses are available at Microsoft learn Educator centre
• "You Can!" quick tip videos (Youtube)
•  Microsoft Teams for Education video playlist (YouTube)
•  Microsoft Teams help & learning (Microsoft support)
• Live lessons (Hwb)
• Using chat within Microsoft Teams (Microsoft)
• Using Class Insights in Microsoft Teams (Microsoft)
• Using OneNote Class Notebook in Microsoft Teams (Microsoft)

Reflect 

This check-in app allows learners to share and be heard. Reflect can help broaden learners' emotional vocabulary and deepen empathy for their peers. It can also provide feedback to practitioners for a healthy classroom community.

Reflect allow learners express their feelings in an engaging and playful way. It supports social and emotional learning. It can complement your whole school approach to learner well-being.

You can find information on how to use Reflect in Teams on the Microsoft Support website.