[sims] Census Autumn 2015

[timbo343]

Our lot are on the ball this year and have tried to run a test census return but we have got an error. The message says:

 

The DfE has not yet provided the XSLT file to generate the DfE. Im not sure why i got this email as it clearly states what the problem is but does anyone know when this file will be released and will it be a case of importing the patch just so i can let the admin team know.

 

Thanks

[Seb1780]

Our lot are on the ball this year and have tried to run a test census return but we have got an error. The message says:

 

The DfE has not yet provided the XSLT file to generate the DfE. Im not sure why i got this email as it clearly states what the problem is but does anyone know when this file will be released and will it be a case of importing the patch just so i can let the admin team know.

 

Thanks

 

Fileset 205 is the latest one available, get it from My Account or your SIMS support people. I did mine yesterday and got in excess of 3500 errors!

[CAM]

That dwarfs my 2000 errors.

 

I think they added some new stuff? Had one school ask me about adding GCSE grades but I have no notes yet.

[Bromcom_John]

Version 1.5 of the XSLT was released on Monday.

Not sure how quickly the SIMS team check and distribute them, but the DfE do distribute these files with the caveat that..

 

"We are aware at this late stage that some suppliers may not be in a position to implement these changes; please be assured that these will be included in the ‘known issues’ document sent to local authorities and non-maintained schools."

 

The "prior attainment" data on GCSE Maths and English is indeed now part of the new census data.

 

You would have to talk to your specific support team for any guidance though.

I could tell you how to do it in our MIS but that information would be about as useful to you as a chocolate fireguard.

 

A link to the government website that contains their guidance though, https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-census

Bit more useful. Look to page 90 of the census guide for more information.

[CAM]

I just noticed, the census has generated a missing GCSE error for a student who left the school in 2014. Is the DfE really expecting us to contact students over a year after they leave to collect their GCSE results???

[Seb1780]

I just noticed, the census has generated a missing GCSE error for a student who left the school in 2014. Is the DfE really expecting us to contact students over a year after they leave to collect their GCSE results???

 

Oh, you betcha they are.

 

We're lucky insofar as we've collected GCSE results from "new" entrants to our Sixth Form for the past few years to use with our forecasting, so all I need to do is populate SIMS with Maths and English data for 300 students - yeah

[LosOjos]

I just noticed, the census has generated a missing GCSE error for a student who left the school in 2014. Is the DfE really expecting us to contact students over a year after they leave to collect their GCSE results???

 

Oh, you betcha they are.

 

We're lucky insofar as we've collected GCSE results from "new" entrants to our Sixth Form for the past few years to use with our forecasting, so all I need to do is populate SIMS with Maths and English data for 300 students - yeah

 

...is this certain? If so, this is going to be a major headache! How on Earth am I supposed to know where those student's are now?!

 

There is a tool to populate your own students' PA from the exams module if you've been using it - "Tools > Statutory Returns > Update Prior Attainment"

[Seb1780]

If I'm understanding this correctly, yes it is certain. Some aspect of funding (beyond my pay grade) is dependent on students taking GCSE Maths and/or English if they have not obtained this at the end of KS4.

 

Some people are resorting to using LRS to find out the results; there will always be those (foreign) students for whom we have no data, and I believe these can be accepted in the census even though they throw up errors.

 

I'm off to a briefing from County this afternoon - if anything crops up I'll post here later.

Edited September 23, 2015 by Seb1780
Added ref to briefing

[CAM]

I've already passed the bad news to the Exams Co-Ordinator who is going to pass the bad news on to the KS5 Manager.

 

Not that any of the leavers have any requirement or incentive to respond, let along pick up the phone. Yes it should be collected on registration, but reality says otherwise (especially those that come and go before you even see their data).

[Seb1780]

Well, an afternoon spent in the company of County has produced nothing more that I already knew, quelle surpise.

 

Speaking to fellow DMs it seems the LRS route is popular. There is also an organisation called UK National Academic Recognition Information Centre (UKNARIC) who publish lists of which foreign qualifications count as equivalent to GCSE English / Maths. There is an "exception" listing on the census for those not in receipt of English and Maths GCSEs who are not taking these subjects in post-16 education.

 

More on the funding issues can be found in the link below. NOTE - English Lit GCSE counts too, so the census should have the highest of English Lit or English Lang recorded.

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/16-to-19-funding-maths-and-english-condition-of-funding

[CAM]

How do I go the LRS route?

[Seb1780]

How do I go the LRS route?

 

The Learner Records Agency holds all the results for any given individual. Someone at your school should hold an account so that you can get the ULN (Unique Learner Number) for pupils over 14 every census. As well as providing that service, the LRS portal allows you to look up the prior achievements of anyone provided you can supply their ULN.

[CAM]

Thanks, just got myself set up on LRS. Already got one student who refuses to be found in personal details search, gah! >.<

[CAM]

Looked on SupportNet and this attainment thing is causing absolute uproar amongst the DMs on there. It doesn't help that we can't print or export a the list of missing students and it generates 2-4 errors per student on Create and Validate making a giant unwieldy list. :/

[Seb1780]

Looked on SupportNet and this attainment thing is causing absolute uproar amongst the DMs on there. It doesn't help that we can't print or export a the list of missing students and it generates 2-4 errors per student on Create and Validate making a giant unwieldy list. :/

 

Take a deep breath and remember, it'll all be over by this time next week

[CAM]

Take a deep breath and remember, it'll all be over by this time next week

 

That's the census date, not the deadline.

[CAM]

Right, for LRS to work you need LRB Online, LRB User and Learning Record roles on your account. Just been on the phone to support.

 

BUT

 

If the student's privacy notice hasn't been seen or has been refused, you cannot view the grades full stop. Tough luck, don't pass go.

[LosOjos]

The whole thing is a huge waste of time - the DfE already has the results! The ULN/UPN/UCI are all present and accounted for in our census returns, they could automatically pull the data they need (and I reckon they probably do anyway rather than take our word for it)

 

I'm convinced it's somebody's job somewhere to come up with a new random, mundane, pointless task to set us on the census every year. Some sort of professional DfE troll!

[howartp]

Has anyone got patch 21904 showing on their SOLUS 3?

 

I know nothing about Census, and my colleague who has recently taken it on has asked me to put on 21904, but it's not there.

 

Why do SIMS KBs/newsfeeds say "now available on SOLUS" when they never are?

 

I've raised a major-priority support call for it but I'm fed up of requesting patches that are supposedly available.

 

Peter

[matt40k]

I'm convinced it's somebody's job somewhere to come up with a new random, mundane, pointless task to set us on the census every year. Some sort of professional DfE troll!

 

Isn't @GREED helping the DfE -

[GREED]

I only wish I had anything to do with the setting of policy for the Census - unfortunately that is at ministerial level. I've been helping/researching on the what where when and how for Data Exchange mk2

[matt40k]

Hopefully all that common sense you've been injecting will set, like not asking for data you already have

[GREED]

How about asking for the data you need once and transpose that across several collections? Coupled with requesting information on a more sensible timescale for the data item - why collect all person demographic every single time? Any many more classics like that (all on a 3 disc set )

[MauriceAtSchoolLook]

How about asking for the data you need once and transpose that across several collections? Coupled with requesting information on a more sensible timescale for the data item - why collect all person demographic every single time? Any many more classics like that (all on a 3 disc set )

 

Absolutely! BTW, this is my maiden post, so hi everybody and conviviality to all.

 

I do share all other posters' alarm about the whole GCSE malarkey. It is malarkey, given we're being asked for data they already have, or they wouldn't be able to produce Raise. Dare I say it, but perhaps the existence of three - and counting - UNIQUE primary keys for students is partly to blame. Any DBA at the DfE could knock up a query in SQL to find exam results for a kid linking to our submissions. But no - thousands of schools going through the same trauma. Quite ridiculous.

 

I'm very grateful for the tip about the LRS; I didn't realise school users were able to try to look at kids' grades.

[Seb1780]

This is my maiden post

 

Welcome

 

malarkey

 

Word dejour

 

I didn't realise school users were able to try to look at kids' grades.

 

I'm not sure we're supposed to; but we can, and we will if it helps beat bureaucracy