1 - Introduction ~5 mins
Welcome
A long report without page numbers or a contents list forces the reader to guess. Today you finish the professional shell of your Something Real multi-section table document ({{code:sm1_doc3_table_document.docx}}).
You add two finishing pieces: page numbers that stay correct when pages move, and a linked table of contents built from Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles so a reader can jump straight to each section.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Add clear page numbers to a multi-page document
- Insert a linked table of contents built from heading styles
- Update the TOC after structural edits so titles and page numbers stay accurate
Warm-up
Think for ten seconds: would a reader trust your multi-section project document faster with only a tidy cover page, or with a contents list they can click? Watch the classroom screen — your teacher will click one TOC entry on the sample so you see the jump, not only talk about it.
2 - Key Concepts ~6 mins
These three ideas turn a long project document into something a supervisor, examiner, or community contact can navigate without hunting.
| Concept | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pagination — page numbers that the software keeps up to date as content grows or shrinks | Readers and assessors cite "page 4"; without numbers, feedback and printing fall apart | A Work Experience report printed for your supervisor with 1, 2, 3… in the footer so they can say "look at page 4" |
| Linked table of contents (TOC) — an auto-built list from Heading 1 and Heading 2 that jumps to the right place when clicked | Saves the reader scrolling and proves your structure is intentional. Bold typed by hand does not feed the list | Click "Contact list" in the TOC and land on that table in your enterprise pack |
| Update field / refresh TOC — after you rename a heading or move a section, you refresh the TOC so titles and page numbers match reality | An out-of-date contents list looks unfinished and confuses anyone marking the document | You rename "Budget" to "Cost summary", then update the TOC so the new title appears |
3 - Step-by-step Task ~16 mins
Follow the steps for your word processor on your live project file {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document.docx}} (or {{code:sm1_doc3_practice_toc}} if you do not have the project file yet).
Guided phases today (finish these in this block):
- Apply headings — Heading 1 / Heading 2 on real sections
- Insert TOC — Contents label + linked list near the start
- Page numbers — clear Arabic numbers in the footer
Phase 4 (Rename + update) and the v4 filename save happen in independent practice — do not rename the file to {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v4}} yet.
If you open {{code:sm1_doc3_practice_toc}}: three Heading 1 titles (Introduction, Schedule, Contacts) are already applied. Skip inventing new section titles now; you will personalise one title later when you rename a heading in independent practice. You will still save the finished copy into {{code:09_specialism/sm1}} as the agreed v4 filename.
4 - Common Issues ~4 mins
Common Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| My table of contents is empty or only shows "Contents" | Select each section title and apply Heading 1 or Heading 2 from the styles menu. Bold or a bigger font size alone does not feed the TOC. Then update or refresh the TOC. |
| "Contents" appears as a line inside the TOC list | Select the Contents label above the list and change it to Title or Normal (not Heading 1 or Heading 2). Update or refresh the TOC so the label drops out of the auto list. |
| The TOC links do not jump, or page numbers look wrong after I moved a section | Click inside the TOC and use Update table (Word for the web, on the References tools for the field) or the refresh icon (Google Docs). Do not retype the list by hand. |
| Page numbers are missing on some pages, or the first page looks odd | Re-open Insert, Page numbers and confirm a footer style is applied to all pages. Standard numbers on every page are enough for today; different first page is optional. |
5 - Independent Practice ~19 mins
Independent Practice
- Check the success criteria below. Finish any missing piece from the guided block (heading styles, linked TOC near the start, Arabic page numbers). Do not hand-type a contents list — fix styles, then update or refresh.
- Rename one Heading 1 in the body to a clearly different title (at least two words different — for example change {{code:Budget}} to {{code:Cost summary}}, or on the practice file change {{code:Schedule}} to {{code:Weekly plan}}). Do not edit the TOC text by hand.
- Update or refresh the TOC so the new title and page numbers match (Word for the web: click inside the TOC and use Update table; Google Docs: click the TOC then the refresh icon).
- Prefer Rename so only one file remains: save the document exactly as {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v4}} in {{code:09_specialism/sm1}}. If you must make a copy instead, put the copy in that same sm1 folder, rename it to the exact v4 name, and leave or remove the old name so your teacher can see the v4 file clearly. Practice-file users: make a copy into {{code:09_specialism/sm1}} first if needed, then rename to the exact v4 filename.
- Show your teacher the path {{code:09_specialism/sm1}} / {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v4}} before reflection.
- Body pages show clear Arabic page numbers in the footer
- A linked table of contents lists at least three real project sections from Heading 1 / Heading 2 (and the word Contents is not listed as a TOC entry)
- After one clearly different heading rename, the TOC was updated and matches the new structure
- The file is saved as exactly {{code:sm1_doc3_table_document_v4}} inside {{code:Project_Portfolio}} / {{code:09_specialism/sm1}}
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