Seb1780

@mark80 - glad to hear yours look good; I'm was wondering if we had a dodgy QAN or something but it all seems to check out. I've now raised a query with the EFA so we'll see what that says. @CAM - I got it via the EFA Document Exchange (which I get to through Secure Access). I was notified via the EFA Bulletin https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/efa-e-bulletin-04-february-2016-issue-117/efa-e-bulletin-for-schools-colleges-local-authorities-and-other-16-to-19-providers-04-february-2016

=if(reference cell="","",reference cell) Should do it.

@WayTooTricky - I don't think this is a census error, within the EFA's own spreadsheet it is showing the students were studying GCSE English (having looked into it a little more it does appear to be just English). This Suggests the data we sent is correct and has the students correctly taking GCSE English but, for some reason, the EFA are not recognising that.

I'm not sure how many of you get involved in this, but it is kind of census related. I've just got our EFA statement-thingy from them and whilst looking through it I noticed there were 15 students who "did not meet the Conditions of Funding". When I look at this further I can see that the students involved were lacking GCSE English and/or Maths but all were taking the appropriate GCSE to compensate. Under the conditions of funding rules this is what we have to do. Has anyone else noticed this discrepancy?

In the RAISEOnline library there is a document called "Guide to Absence Statistics" which explains in section 2.3 that absence is measured at the enrolment level rather than at pupil level. In practice this means a pupil could be measured at more than one school and each school has to provide data for eveyrone who was ever on roll during the period. https://www.raiseonline.org/documentlibrary/ViewDocumentLibrary.aspx - in the "How Does Your Data Compare?" section

Thank you all - I'll pass your comments on (for I am an 'umble Data Manager and not allowed near "proper" stuff).

I've just been party to a conversation about network storage of pupil classwork. At the moment each child has a user area where they, and only they, can store classwork. Teachers can access this using NetFlow. If a teacher sets some classwork and asks the pupils to save the work for later marking then the teachers have to spend the time trawling through each pupil's storage area to find said work. It has been suggested that a new network drive be created and all pupils be given RW access to this. The teacher can then say "save your files to X:\myclass" and then all the work will be in one place. This, however, has implications as the little darlings* cannot be trusted to behave and we envisage deletions, changes and all sorts of malarky. How do you manage this sort of thing? *pupils not teachers

What are the cost implications of adding PaperCut to your MFDs? At a recent meeting where we were discussing print management it was stated "it doubles the cost per print" and "it's only worth doing on large volume machines". Does this sound correct? Is there such a huge difference in cost for the same machine with and without PaperCut? Our MFDs are leased.

We use Groupcall Emerge here, the SIMS Teacher App also provides this functionality. Take a look at both because there are other benefits of each and pricing can vary depending on the size of your school.

If the entries were sat before 29th September 2013 then the best result of either their pre-Sept 2013 sittings or their first post-Sept 2013 sitting will count. This is according to a document called "Early Entry - Guidance for Schools" issued in December 2015

This is Woody

*breaths sigh of relief*

Is it cold in there? @VeryPC_Colin_M is wearing a padded gilet!

@CAM - this is just a school thing, right!? I'd expect our progress to take a hit if we have to treat our EAL kids as 5b!!

I'd forgotten about this post! Basically, Ofsted turned up a couple of days later so it was all forgotten about (the work was in case Ofsted came a-calling!). I did end up speaking with someone from the RAISEOnline helpdesk and they confirmed that it is a "bit buggy" and if you follow the process and order outlined in the help documents it does work. Any other sequence is not guaranteed to work.

Sadly I'll miss you as I'll be there on the Friday

When I was recruited (as Data Manager) I had to analyse some date and provide a written report - the school used a set of GCSE results. I was expected to put together a coherent, plausible explanation of what went on. I was not tested on Excel or any other data handling system. When I recruited an assistant we looked at both data input accuracy and several Excel tools including lookups, date manipulation and calculations.

Ninja'd

This could be a minefield! Calibrating and matching printers and monitors is a very subjective issue. Theres' a good wiki here ColorWiki - Printer to Match my Screen

I started C25K at the weekend and have done a couple of runs now, but I have a question about the pace. I've been doing this with my wife, she is a regular runner and does 10k in about an hour. She's telling me that I'm going too fast during the run bits because it is faster than her normal pace and definitely faster than the 5k in 30mins that the name would suggest. I took some GPS data during last night's run and it averages out at about 6.9mph for the run bits (about 8m45/mile or 5m30/km). When I am running I do feel like I'm pushing myself, and I do look forward to the end of the minute, but I've done the two runs so far without stopping or slowing down on the walking (which is about 3.5mph). I know I'm only just starting and only doing 1min runs at the moment, but should I be slowing my pace now so that the next stages don't get to be too much, or should I just run at a pace that "feels right"?

Many moons ago I had my (then) pet code-slinger set up something in PHP/MySQL utilising a retired server to host it all. It started with absence forms, leave requests and other HR-type documents but expanded to include expenses claims, CAPEX submissions, business plans, Performance Management reports etc etc etc. Heck, we even got the thing talking to our Finance / Payroll / HR software to automate the payment of expenses and the management of holidays and sickness. We had stuff built into it so that, as far as possible, no paper copies were ever needed. For example, the expenses claim system had the ability to calculate the mileage allowance from the start and finish mileage; it worked out the VAT; it determined who was to authorise it based on the person submitting the claim and the amount claimed. It then generated a CSV file for our Payroll staff to load into the Finance / Payroll / HR which in one fell swoop updated ledgers, reimbursed the claimant through BACS and produced a report for the Main Board. But that was in business, where time was money and the benefits of no paper we easy to sell. In my current role we still fill in forms based on nth generation copies of documents first drawn up when Adam was a lad. *sigh*

There's as much sugar in Tonic as there is in Cola - you need to dilute it with Gin to get the ration down

But even in Dickens' time the poulterers and the cabbies worked on Christmas Day Merry Christmas A Christmas Carol - Stave 5: The End of It (by Charles Dickens)

Just to rub it in, the teachers are now posting their Christmas hauls on the BBC It's the most wonderful time of the year (for teachers) - BBC Newsbeat

Whilst every employee has a right to holidays, there is no legal requirement for those holidays to be taken at a given time. https://www.gov.uk/trading-hours-for-retailers-the-law