Autumn 2023 School Census Bulletin

Fileset 2505 (England) – Not yet available 

ESS have released the latest update

We are now expecting to be able to make this fileset available tomorrow morning (morning of Thursday the 5th October).  This bulletin will be updated when this is available.

Rare SIMS Hosted issue – Sixth Form Schools

ESS have informed us of the following:

In a very small number of cases, SIMS Hosted schools with sixth forms have experienced a timeout issue when preparing for School Census Autumn 2023.

If you do experience either of these issues, please contact your Sims service desk for further investigation.

Additional improvements provided by Fileset 2505 compared to those provided by Fileset 2504 – (Not yet available)

ESS have just released the following update regard Fileset 2505 which is specifically relevant to all Sixth Form Schools

We believe that Fileset 2505 will be a ‘must have’ for schools with sixth forms and that its import will be of no harm nor benefit to other schools that have already imported Fileset 2504.

Validation Error 2392: Pupil has multiple open placements where the attendance pattern is not a valid combination. It is expected the pupil would be PT at each open placement.

• Fixed by the DfE via changes to their validation coding.
• This fix will ease confusion for schools with sixth forms.

Validation Error 2759: Traineeship must not be present for learning aims which started after 31 July of the current year.

• Fixed by SIMS via changes to our XML coding.
• This fix is a ‘must have’ for schools with sixth forms.

Validation Error 2912: Traineeship must not be present for programme aims which started after 31 July of the current year.

• Fixed by SIMS via changes to our XML coding.
• This fix is a ‘must have’ for schools with sixth forms.

Validation Error 5165: Traineeship is missing or invalid for learning aims that started prior 1 August 2023.

• Fixed by the DfE via changes to their validation coding.
• This fix will ease confusion for schools with sixth forms.

Validation Error 5166: Traineeship can not be true for a T Level or T Level transition programme which started prior to 1 August 2023.

• Fixed by the DfE via changes to their validation coding.
• This fix will ease confusion for schools with sixth forms.

Version 1.2 of the DfE validation

ESS have provided the following update

Please note that the DfE has provided suppliers with version 1.2 of their validation files. We are checking the files to determine if they correct their coding of validation errors 2759 and 2912.

Issues related to DfE validation errors 2759 and 2912 

ESS have provided the following information regard these validation errors

• DfE validation error 2759: Traineeship must not be present for learning aims which started after 31 July of the current year.
• DfE validation error 2912: Traineeship must not be present for programme aims which started after 31 July of the current year.

Please note that the DfE has acknowledged that there are issues with validation errors 2759 and 2912. However, they consider it too late to deal with the issues for their school validation and will only be providing fixes for their COLLECT validation.

As well as the DfE issues, we have misunderstood one aspect of how traineeship should be reported in the census return. We now understand that the <Traineeship> tag should not be included for programmes and leaning aims that start after the 31st July 2023.

We have determined that the SIMS issue for this area can be fixed via a fileset. So, we are now planning to provide Fileset 2505 to deal with this issue.

Fileset 2505 will be needed for finalising School Census Autumn 2023 returns for all state schools in England with a sixth form. Further details of Fileset 2505 will be provided by the Series 2500 newsfeed.

Questions and answers – regarding Fileset 2503 and 2504

ESS have supplied the following information regarding Filesets

Question 2: Order of applying CDP 2 and Fileset 2504 (or above)

The newsfeeds indicate that CDP 2 or above should be applied before Fileset 2504 or above. What is likely to occur if this advice is not followed?

Response

In most cases we expect nothing untoward to occur. However, in our final stages of UAT (User Acceptance Testing) we found that on one of our computers Create & Validate failed with a message at the bottom of the screen when Fileset 2504 had been imported without CDP 2 having been applied. As soon as CDP 2 was applied Create & Validate was successful.

Question 1: Fileset 2504

What DfE issues does Fileset 2504 resolve compared to Fileset 2503?

Response

DfE validation Error 2492 (Attendance code ‘X’ must only be used for non-compulsory school age children.)

• • DfE validation provided by Fileset 2503, incorrectly only accepted attendance code ‘X’ for pupils under non-compulsory school age.
  • DfE validation provided by Fileset 2504, correctly accepts attendance code ‘X’ for both pupils under non-compulsory school age and over non-compulsory school age.

DfE validation Error 3125 (Pupil with an EHC plan should not receive full time education in an unregistered setting. Please see the Independent School Registration Guidance for more information about what constitutes full time education.)

• • DfE validation provided by Fileset 2503, interrogated the wrong area of the XML return file, which meant that it would never be triggered.
  • DfE validation provided by Fileset 2504, interrogates the right area of the XML return file, which means that it will be triggered when it finds an EHC plan for a pupil that is receiving full time education in an unregistered setting.

DfE validation Error 2392 (Pupil has multiple open placements where the attendance pattern is not a valid combination. It is expected the pupil would be PT at each open placement)

• • DfE validation provided by Fileset 2503, has a structural fault that could mean that check is not restricted to on-roll pupils.
  • DfE validation provided by Fileset 2504, corrects the structure fault to ensure that the check is restricted to on-roll pupils.

Table 14 of the DfE summary report (Table 14: Attendance information for the 2023 summer term (terms 5 and 6) for all pupils aged 4 years as at 31/08/2022 )

• • DfE summary report provide by Fileset 2503, incorrectly indicates the 2022 summer term.
  • DfE summary report provided by Fileset 2504, correctly indicates the 2023 summer term.

CDP 3 for SIMS Summer Release 2023 (England) – Not yet available

ESS have released the following information regarding the CDP3

This third CDP (Consolidated Database Patch) for the SIMS Summer Release 2023 (database patch 28462) will be provided via SOLUS 3 as soon as possible.

When compared to CDP 2, CDP 3 this release only adds benefit for schools in England with a sixth form where external exams are involved with the achievement of post-16 prior attainment in Maths and English.

Issues that are dealt with via CDP 3

a) Issues that were already dealt with by applying CDP 2 .

b) Issues that are dealt with for the first time for Summer Release 2023

Issue 7: Populate from exams routine in Update Post-16 Prior Attainment

The populate from exams routine in Tools | Statutory Returns Tools | Update Post-16 Prior Attainment is not operating as intended in that it is not attempting to calculate whether attainment was achieved by end of year 11 when an ‘external exam’ is involved. However, where the data was manually entered for the previous year, it is incorrectly not being ‘pulled through’ for the current year.

Solution:

Applying CDP 3 will ensure that data that was manually entered for the previous year will be taken into account for the current year where there is no attempt to calculate achievement by year 11 from an ‘external exam’.

Populate from exams routine in Update Post-16 Prior Attainment

ESS have informed us of the following regarding Post-16 Prior Attainment

The populate from exams routine in Tools | Statutory Returns Tools | Update Post-16 Prior Attainment is operating as intended in that it is not attempting to calculate whether attainment was achieved by end of year 11 when an ‘external exam’ is involved. However, we are investigating a case where the data was manually entered for the previous year and is not being ‘pulled through’ for the current year.

Our initial investigation suggests that a consolidated database patch (CDP 3) will be needed to resolve this issue.

I will keep you informed of how we progress with this case, but for the moment you may find that prior attainment is not being calculated in the situation described above. Such an issue is more likely to be significant for a sixth form college than any other type of school.

Fileset 2504 was applied to Hosted Schools on 25/9/2023 and is available in Solus.

For Non-Hosted Schools please click on link above to download Fileset

Fileset 2503 was applied to Hosted Schools on 21/9/2023 and is available in Solus.

For Non-Hosted Schools please click on link above to download Fileset

CDP2 data has been released and been successfully applied to all Hosted Schools on 20th September 2023.   The CDP2 patch is also available in Solus.   For more information on this patch please see below update ‘Final Review Date’ 11/09/2023

Filesets relevant to School Census Autumn 2023

ESS have released the following ‘update’ regarding the Fileset 2503 and Fileset 2504 – we will inform you as soon as these fileset’s have been made available

Fileset 2503

This fileset includes version 1.0 of the DfE validation and summary report files for School Census Autumn 2023. Version 1.0 is known as the baseline and should be regarded as the minimum version for finalising a School Census Autumn 2023 return file. Which means that Fileset 2503 should be regarded as the minimum fileset for finalised a School Census Autumn 2023 return file.

Fileset 2503 has been created and has completed its first stage of testing. If all goes to plan, we expect to be able to provide the fileset during week beginning the 18th of September.

Fileset 2504

This fileset will include version 1.1 of the DfE validation and summary report files for School Census Autumn 2023. Version 1.1 corrects flaws in DfE validation errors 2492 and 3125 and corrects the heading for Table 14 of the DfE summary report.

Fileset 2504 is now being planned and I will provide an indication of the likely release data as soon as that information is available.

Attendance Code ‘X’ – Update

ESS have released the following ‘update’ regarding the Attendance Code ‘X’

As you know, Attendance Code ‘X’ should only be applied for pupils where their age at the preceding 31st August indicates that they are not of compulsory school age. Or to put it another way, Attendance Code ‘X’ should only be used for pupils who were aged 4 or below or were aged 16 or above on the preceding 31st August.

The DfE has added validation error 2492 to check for this misuse of Attendance Code ‘X’. However, the DfE’s first attempt at coding this new validation in their baseline validation file is flawed in that it will trigger where ‘X’ has been used for pupils aged 16 or above on the preceding 31st August of the term being reported.

Fileset 2503 includes the DfE baseline validation, but we will include a corrected version of the DfE validation in Fileset 2504. As Fileset 2503 provides the DfE baseline validation, the DfE will be happy for schools to finalise their school census return when they have imported Fileset 2503 rather than waiting for Filest 2504. The DfE will also be correcting validation error 2492 on DfE COLLECT.

DfE Readiness Bulletins

Bulletin Number 01

You can click here to download a copy of the DfE Readiness Bulletin number 01. (Links referred to in this bulletin are found below)

Final review date 

As per information below:  CDP2 data has been released and we are planning on applying this to Hosted Schools date TBC.

ESS have released the following ‘update’ regarding the Final review date

As you may know, the DfE has provided guidance to schools indicating that a permanent exclusion can be included in the return even if its final review date is after the specified date range for inclusion of permanent exclusions, if it is before the census reference date.

We have asked the DfE to add this caveat to its specification for School Census Autumn 2023. The DfE hasn’t provided this update in time for us to take it into account for the SIMS Summer Release 2023. However, once the revised specification is provided by the DfE, we will provide a patch to bring our functionality in line with the DfE’s revised specification.

This issue is not as serious as it might seem, as the DfE collects exclusion data twice and if a permanent exclusion is missed out for the autumn collection of the data it will still be included for the spring collection of the data.

Although the DfE has not yet been able to provide us with an update to its specification, due to a change of its accessibility software, we have received an email from the DfE that the update will soon be provided in line with the following example.

• If a pupil was permanently excluded during the summer term 2023, with the exclusion being upheld prior to census reference day for the School Census Autumn 2023, it is expected that the permanent exclusion is returned for the first time in the School Census Autumn 2023.
• If a pupil was permanently excluded during the summer term 2023, with the exclusion being upheld on or after census reference day for the School Census Autumn 2023, but prior to census reference day for the School Census Spring 2024, it is expected that the permanent exclusion will be returned for the first time in the School Census Spring 2024.

Our Business Analyst, Ruth Vincent, has suggested the following wording for the DfE specification, which has clarified the DfE position very well for the development team and me.

If a pupil was permanently excluded during the exclusions collection period, but the final governor review decision to uphold the exclusion was made after the exclusions collection period but prior to census day, the DfE expect the permanent exclusion to be returned in that census.

Fileset 2503 – Not yet available 

ESS have released the following ‘update’ regarding the Fileset 2503

For schools in England, the DfE timelines document indicates that it expects to be able to provide the baseline versions of the DfE validation and summary reports for both School Census Autumn 2023 and School Workforce Census 2023 before the end of August. In which case we would be able to release Fileset 2503 in early September to provide the baseline versions of the DfE validating and summary reports for both School Census Autumn 2023 and School Workforce Census 2023.

However, you should note that the DfE is consulting suppliers and others regarding the changes to its School Census validation and the closing date for comments is during the second week of September. So, the DfE baseline validation file couldn’t be provided in August and might well be delayed until the middle of September.

With the above in mind, we won’t be able to provide a helpful estimate of the release date for Fileset 2503 until we receive an updated release date for the DfE School Census validation file.

Please be assured that, so far as the release date for Fileset 2503 is within our control, it will be provided to customers as soon as possible before the reference date for School Census Autumn 2023 (05/10/2023).

Attendance Code ‘X’ 

ESS have informed us of the following regarding the Attendance Code ‘X’

As you know, Attendance Code ‘X’ should only be applied for pupils where their age at the preceding 31st August indicates that they are not of compulsory school age. From a school census point of view, this means that Attendance Code ‘X’ should only be applied for pupils who were aged 4 at the preceding 31s August.

The above is nothing new for school census, but the DfE are looking into adding validation error 2492 to check that schools are applying this rule for the second half of the Summer term.

If the DfE goes ahead with adding validation error 2492 and includes the change in their validation file, we will provide the validation file via Fileset 2503.

ESS have advised the following regarding the Employer ID for Post-16 pupils work placement

The DfE has informed us that no new Employer IDs are being issued. It continues to be fine for schools to enter an Employer ID for a post-16 pupil’s work placement, but they are looking into removing the check for Employer ID in validation error 2878.

Work Placement panel of Tools | Academic Management | Course Manager | Maintain Course

If the DfE goes ahead with this change to validation error 2878 and includes the change in their validation file, we will provide the validation file via Fileset 2503.

ESS have released the following ‘update’ regarding the Final review date

As you may know, the DfE has provided guidance to schools indicating that a permanent exclusion can be included in the return even if its final review date is after the specified date range for inclusion of permanent exclusions, if it is before the census reference date.

We have asked the DfE to add this caveat to its specification for School Census Autumn 2023. The DfE has provide this update in time for us to take it into account for the SIMS Summer Release 2023. However, once the revised specification is provided by the DfE, we will provide a patch to bring our functionality in line with the DfE’s revised specification.

This issue is not as serious as it might seem, as the DfE collects exclusion data twice and if a permanent exclusion is missed out for the autumn collection of the data it will still be included for the spring collection of the data.

Although the DfE has not yet been able to provide us with an update to its specification, due to a change of its accessibility software, we have received an email from the DfE that the update will soon be provided in line with the following example.

• If a pupil was permanently excluded during the summer term 2023, with the exclusion being upheld prior to census reference day for the School Census Autumn 2023, it is expected that the permanent exclusion is returned for the first time in the School Census Autumn 2023.
• If a pupil was permanently excluded during the summer term 2023, with the exclusion being upheld on or after census reference day for the School Census Autumn 2023, but prior to census reference day for the School Census Spring 2024, it is expected that the permanent exclusion will be returned for the first time in the School Census Spring 2024.

Our Business Analyst, Ruth Vincent, has suggested the following wording for the DfE specification, which has clarified the DfE position very well for the development team and me.

If a pupil was permanently excluded during the exclusions collection period, but the final governor review decision to uphold the exclusion was made after the exclusions collection period but prior to census day, the DfE expect the permanent exclusion to be returned in that census.

Bulk updating Prior Attainment 

ESS have supplied the below link

You can click here to view a YouTube video that takes you through this enhancement to Tools | Statutory Returns Tools | Update Prior Attainment.

The Summer 2023 upgrade for SIMS (7.212) and FMS (6.212) is being applied to Hosted Schools on the evening of Friday 21^st July 2023.

Locally Hosted Schools will have the upgrade made available via Solus on the afternoon of the 21^st July 2023

More information can be found on the SIMS upgrade bulletin: Summer 2023 Upgrade to SIMS (v7.212) and FMS (v6.212) – SCOMIS

Recording T Level data correctly 

ESS have advised the following regarding T Levels

“If your school is already involved with T Levels or you are considering involvement in the future, we recommend that you read through the following page from the DfE’s section of GOV.UK. I will be adding further explanation in the future, as necessary, regarding applying the DfE’s ‘rules’ in SIMS.

Record your T Level data correctly – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (External link)

Please note that the DfE makes some references to ILR (Individualised Learner Record) in their document. However, this is not relevant to SIMS users as ILR is only relevant to establishments that are subject to FE regulations”.

‘Sex’ no longer to be described as ‘Gender’ in school census from autumn census onwards

ESS have advised the following in regard to Gender on the School Census

“We understand that the DfE will be taking account of the confusion that can occur when using the term ‘Gender’ to refer to ‘Sex’, when many people now associate the term ‘Gender’ with ‘Gender Identity’ rather the ‘Sex’.

Although not yet confirmed by the DfE’s CBDS (Common Basic Data Set), we have received an initial draft of the DfE’s School Census specification for 2023/24 where the DfE has replaced the term ‘Gender’ with ‘Sex’. The DfE has confirmed that it has no plans to collect ‘Gender Identity’ for 2023/24 censuses or subsequent censuses.

Where necessary the DfE will differentiate between its use of the word ‘sex’ from other meanings of the word by using the description ‘biological sex’.

The DfE-wide codeset for biological sex has three codes available”.

The DfE-school codeset for biological sex is a subset of the DfE-wide codeset, with code U not available, and must be recorded for all pupils, i.e. must not be blank.