Checklist for End of Academic Year

Checking Subjects and Qualifications

Check correct qualification assigned to correct subject. Are Y12 subjects using AS or A’Level QANs? Video ‘Assigning Subjects and Qualifications’	Check from ANALYSIS SETUP > Subjects and Qualifications
Ask exams officer to check QANs – ensure QANs match entries.	Check with exams officer.
Check there are no discount codes missing (e.g. art) in Y10 – Y13 for subjects that count in Performance tables.	Check from ANALYSIS SETUP > Subjects and Qualifications Click on spanner to manage subject settings directly from Subjects and Qualifications page. Click Change qualification link and Choose qualification. Selecting the correct one will pull discount code through (some subjects which do not count in performance tables will not have a discount code). Refer to DfE site for discount codes.
Check if any warning flags are showing qualification withdrawn on Ofqual site.	Check Ofqual site and refer to exams officer.
Warning flags show against qualifications that do not have a discount code and therefore do not contribute to official KPIs.	Check these are only for subjects that you are not expecting to count in performance tables.
Ensure you have both English language & literature	If lit not being taught until Y11, may wish to copy grades from language for Y10 into a markbook for literature (created by feed rule) in order that English is double counted in A8/P8, and used for the Ebacc measure and open slot (where appropriate).
KS4 science: Check you have markbooks for each of the qualifications being studied. If students are doing individual sciences you will need a mark book for each, using the correct QAN for each subject.	Use feed rules if groups from your timetable don’t match the subjects being studied.
Any subjects where students are being entered for different levels e.g. NCFE Level 1 and Level 2 Certificates or Technical Awards, or BTEC Extended Cert and Certificate (more often seen with L2 subjects in sixth forms)	Need a separate markbook for each version of the qualification that students will be awarded.
Check that no subjects have been marked as ‘Exclude from stats’ that should be included.	Check from ANALYSIS SETUP > Subjects and Qualifications
If a copy of a subject has been created and there are therefore two subjects with the same qan, check that one of them has been marked ‘Exclude from stats’.	Check from ANALYSIS SETUP > Subjects and Qualifications
Decide if you need analysis of specific statistics for non-timetabled subjects e.g. First language, twilight GCSEs. If markbook/subject statistics is not required then upload results as an actual grade by QAN code (making sure you use the correct date of award). Otherwise create subject via feed rules to see subject level statistics. Either way, these subjects where relevant will be included in your headline performance measures.	Use feed rule to create subjects that do not already exist if you need subject level analysis.
KS3: Are English & maths using subject specific grading schemes? If using an internal grading scheme, choosing the English or maths version of the grading scheme will create English/maths statistics on the year group page. If using formal QAN codes this will show in ‘The basics – English and maths’ measure.	Click on spanner to manage subject settings. Change qualification > Choose qualification select relevant school- scheme/QAN code.

Creating new subjects /copying subjects

If need to create a new subject, e.g. Twilight GCSE

in preparation for uploading and analysing exam results.

TIMETABLE SETUP > View feed rules

Add a new rule

Add one of more students to a group in a new or existing subject

Can select student from existing groups or search by student name.

If need to copy/move a subject or group

TIMETABLE SETUP > View feed rules

Add a new rule

Copy/move groups from one subject into a new or existing subject

If Y12 students are entered for AS exams you may want to create separate mark books with AS qualifications to analyse results.

Use Feed rules to create subjects

Locked Students, Subjects and Group Membership Tool

Students in Year 11,12,13 who are taken off roll in your MIS after the January census will remain in GO 4 Schools and are locked so they will be included in your statistics.

Schools can request via a ticket that students, or whole year groups (e.g. Y12) are not locked.

Subjects are locked for all year groups in summer term, to freeze group memberships. See Knowledge Base on ‘Locking Subjects’.

TIMETABLE SETUP > View feed rules

Add/remove subject lock

Group memberships can be amended for locked subjects. See Knowledge Base on ‘Locking Subjects’.

TIMETABLE SETUP > View feed rules

Manage locked subjects/groups

Preparation for Exam Results

Check if scaled scores have been uploaded for Y11 students. Download PupilData and ResultData files from Tables checking exercise and use to check correct scaled scores uploaded into GO 4 Schools.

https://tableschecking.education.gov.uk/

Results Days

Guide to Exam Results

Place embargo on access to exam results May need to consider who has school manager access and remove prior to the embargo.	SCHOOL SETTINGS > Contact details & settings > Settings
Do you want students/parents to view results as soon as embargo is lifted (or later in day, allowing staff access earlier)? Parents of leavers can access GO 4 Schools until the end of the academic year. Note. If you have promoted students into the new academic year in the MIS before results day, parents of leavers will loose access to GO 4 Schools. Student access is dependent upon the student being in the Active Directory.	Use ACCESS CONTROL & DATA SHARING to turn off visibility in addition to placing embargo.
Do you have any results that are not in MIS? E.g. some BTECs, other vocational qualifications.	Obtain these results and ensure they are also uploaded to GO 4 Schools.
Extract results from MIS/Awarding body as csv
Check grade types match what is expected in GO 4 Schools i.e. must use official grades. e.g. Pearson Tech Award has grade Level 2 Pass, whilst AQA Technical Award has grade L2 Pass. Some MIS may output A* as . Where alias grades have been used in markbooks, the actual grade names and not the alias* must be used for uploading actuals.
Combined science – grades must be uploaded as 5/4, 5/5 etc.	For further information on formatting science grades see the knowledge base on ‘Combined Science’.
Subject headings need to match subject names in markbooks.
Does csv include DOB and gender?	Add to spreadsheet as this will be needed for upload. Alternatively can upload using UPN.
Ensure csv in correct format for upload	Refer to grade file formats Use grade file conversion tool
Need a reminder on how to upload results? See videos on Grade File Conversion Tool Uploading exam results Uploading exam results using QAN and UPN
Are there results for students/subjects that are not in a markbook in GO 4 Schools e.g. Polish, Portuguese, private entries for students on roll?	Upload using QAN in place of subject name.
Are you uploading using a QAN for a qualification which can have a different discount code depending on syllabus? E.g. art & design.	Use qualification code generated by GO 4 Schools. See qualifications with syllabuses page.
Results for AS qualifications should not be uploaded into subjects that are using an A Level QAN. Create a separate subject if you want to look at subject stats or upload using QAN code.	Use Feed rule to create a separate subject or upload using QAN.
Consider changing Tracking & Progress preferences to track on Actual grade. Preference will remain for previous academic years.	ASSESSMENT > Grade & residual settings Tracking and progress preferences
Review grade settings as to how Actual grades are included in target and projected grades. Settings will determine default. If actual grades are included in some grade types this should be reviewed after uploading results.	ASSESSMENT > Grade & residual settings Individual users can override default on page by page basis using ‘Change’ tool at top of year group statistics.
On results day, lift embargo to enable all staff to view results and analysis.	SCHOOL SETTINGS > Contact details & settings > Settings
If you turned off visibility to students/parents in addition to the embargo, turn visibility back on as and when you want to release results to students/parents.	Use ACCESS CONTROL & DATA SHARING to turn on visibility.

Key Stats – Including/Excluding students

You will want to ensure that your key stats accurately reflect data that will be reported in performance tables as far as possible. You may wish to check that any changes you have made in the DfE checking Exercise in June or will make to the checking exercise in September are also reflected in GO 4 Schools. You are able to control which students are included/excluded from statistics within GO 4 Schools.

For example, you may want to consider

Y11 students who were admitted to an English school for first time after the start of Y10 AND

they arrived from overseas prior to their admission AND

English is not an official language of their country of origin.

Use “Student Statistics rule” to exclude from stats.

STUDENTS > Student Attributes > Student Attributes > Student statistics rule (in special attributes)

Add a set of values for this academic year.

If you have used “Student Statistics rule” special attribute in previous years ensure values were timestamped to relevant academic year.

Please refer to http://tableschecking.education.gov.uk for further guidance on DfE rules for reporting in Performance tables.

Student Attributes

Review Student Attributes
Is data up-to-date in MIS e.g. Pupil Premium, SEN, EAL.	Data in attributes can be downloaded as a csv, or download via year group explorer for use to check values.
Do your school created custom attributes have up-to-date values?	STUDENTS > Student attributes > Student attributes View Manage values
System Attributes which don’t pull data from MIS: Disadvantaged (Pupil Premium minus Service/Ever Service Children) Prior attainment (KS4) (A Level Cohort)	Add values (use Academic year for Disadvantaged) – upload file.
For schools with sixth forms, Prior attainment (KS4) values should be on scale of 9-1 if your settings are calculating L3VA from a 2018 (or later) estimate set.	L3VA is not being calculated by the DfE in 2022 or 2023 due to the committed not to use KS4 prior attainment from qualifications achieved in 2020 and 2021.
For schools with sixth forms, we recommend re-uploading Prior attainment (KS4) values to GO 4 Schools when these are published on the student file on the tables checking site.	Download KS4 prior attainment values from tables checking exercise in June https://tableschecking.education.gov.uk/ This does not apply in 2022 or 2023.
Review ‘use for analysis of attainment data’ – are these the focus groups you want to analyse?	STUDENTS > Student attributes > Student attributes view settings – untick ‘Use for analysis of attainment’ for groups not required for analysis.
Are there any focus groups you will want to analyse results on for which you haven’t set up any student attributes e.g. Prior attainment by gender (e.g. Low Male, Low Female etc.) Intervention groups (specific timestamped) Disadvantaged Consider if you want to create focus groups to reflect ASP/IDSR groups. Video ‘Adding student attributes’	Focus groups are created by creating a student attribute with setting ‘Use for analysis of attainment’. ‘Create a new student attribute’ button appears at bottom of Student attribute page STUDENTS > Student attributes > Student attributes
Create two to three spare student attributes that can be used for analysis of key groups post results and academic year roll over, as it is not possible to create new attributes in previous academic years.	STUDENTS > Student attributes > Student attributes
Focus groups can be viewed in two ways: Display all KPIs for a chosen focus group Display all focus groups for a chosen KPI	Select ‘focus group’ on year group page then Choose a focus group Select ‘full statistics’ on year group page then Show/hide focus group, select KPI

Academic Year Changeover

Setting students’ group membership in your MIS to the start of term rather than to the first day back for students, will mean that students appear in groups in GO 4 Schools on the training days.

See Knowledge Base on ’Academic year changeover’.

SIMs schools can choose to add pre-admission students into GO 4 Schools on the morning of the admission date even if they have not been admitted in SIMs.

SCHOOL SETTINGS > Feed settings

select checkbox to Add pre-admission students when admission date is reached

Analysing Results

May want to make Actual grade default preferred progress grade (from grade settings).

Don’t update the dashboards as these need to track your preferred progress grade over time. The Actual grade appears separately on the dashboard views.

Alternatively, can use the Exam focus button on subject pages, which then displays the Actual grade as the preferred tracking grade.

ASSESSMENT > Grade & residual settings

allows you to set Actual grade as preferred progress grade for Y11 whilst continuing to use existing progress grade for other year groups.

Focus groups can be viewed in two ways:

Display all KPIs for a chosen focus group
Display all focus groups for a chosen KPI

Select ‘focus group’ on year group page then Choose a focus group
Select ‘full statistics’ on year group page then Show/hide focus group, select KPI

Reports

Creating snapshot views for cumulative data Useful to take a snapshot at end of year, could be useful as a baseline for start of next year.	REPORTS & SNAPSHOTS > Manage > new report
Creating a snapshot after uploading Actuals gives a useful broadsheet of all results data.	REPORTS & SNAPSHOTS > Manage > new report
Snapshots can be viewed: Stats pages for Year group and Subject Explorers Markbooks Student page
Snapshots can be shared with the school dashboard, governors and trusts to show trends over time.	ANALYSIS SETUP > School Dashboard settings / Governor Dashboard settings Data visibility – choose snapshots to share

Explorers

Review sets of columns

You may want to tidy up the grouping and delete any sets that are no longer required.

New year group explorer > Manage my sets of columns

Attendance

Schools using Attendance Tier 2 or 3:

Review and resolve any missing marks, as marks cannot be amended after the rollover to the new academic year.

Attendance > MANAGE ATTENDANCE > Session Attendance

Liaise with the attendance officer.

Schools using Attendance Tier 1:

Best practice is to perform a final flush through for the whole academic year to ensure up-to-date data as attendance is not editable after the rollover to the new academic year.

The latest version of the feed tool will enable you to do this for the whole year and is not limited to 2-week blocks.

See Flushing attendance marks

Liaise with the school attendance officer and network manager.

Homework

For schools using the homework module:

Consider tidying up homework tasks and deleting any that are no longer required.

Deleting homeworks with resources attached will reduce your file storage usage.

Consider linking homework tasks to schemes of learning to tidy in preparation for next year.

Refer to the section on Schemes of Learning

Behaviour

For schools using the behaviour module:

Consider if you want to make any changes to your behaviour classifications or event actions for next year. Behaviour classifications cannot be deleted if they have been assigned during the academic year.

Change visibility now to retire event, then next academic year you can delete the event.

Review from

Behaviour > MANAGE > Behaviour classification

Select ‘No staff’ from Visibility for events no longer needed to retire event

Seating Plans

For schools using the seating plans module:

Data sets for seating plans can be reused. Check where academic-year specific student attributes are being used as these may need to be updated in the new academic year.

Teacher (or User) > SEATING PLANS > Seating plan data sets

Button: Reuse datasets from last year’s subjects

Room layouts created in previous academic years will be available in the new academic year. But seating plans cannot be created until GO 4 Schools has received the first feed of the new year with details of which students are in which groups.