Checklist for Start of Academic Year

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 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

 SYSTEM > Feed settings

Select checkbox to ‘Add pre-admission students when admission date is reached’

Set Calendar

Holidays, training days, 2 week timetable (check that following half terms you are starting back on alternate weeks if that is appropriate).

Visibility to staff, students, parents

Video ‘Calendar settings’

 ADMINISTRATION > Calendar and timetable

Set up Feed rules, consider

• English Literature Y10 & Y11
• Biology, Chemistry, Physics
• Any subjects that need renaming
• Any extra curricular groups needed that are not timetabled
• Subjects taken at double/single level that need separating out

Video ‘Setting up Feed Rules’

 SYSTEM >  View feed rules

Move subjects to correct department.

CURRICULUM SETUP > Departments

Check if displaying P8 stats

Consider turning off KS4 GCSE 9-1 table for Y7-Y9

ANALYSIS SETUP > Statistics and analysis settings

Visibility of statistics

Set up student access for new students by uploading a new mapping file.

Video ‘Mapping Student Accounts’

 ACCESS CONTROL & DATA SHARING > Student access

Teacher’s homepage

Encourage teaching staff to set their own homepage.

 Settings

Link account to teacher > select name from list > Choose teacher

or

User > Link your account to a teacher

Check you are using the latest version of the feed tool.  If not, ask Network manager to install latest version from this article

 SCHOOL SETTINGS > Status and healthcheck

Upload KS2 scaled scores for Y7 students and any new students joining in other year groups.  Note. There are no scaled scores for students who were in Y6 in 2020 and 2021 (Y9 & Y10 in AY 2024

Upload KS2 Outcomes for reading, writing, GPS and maths into Special attributes.

Videos on ‘Uploading KS2 Scaled Scores’ and ‘Uploading KS2 Outcomes’ in online resources.

Upload Scaled scores as Actual Grades, upload Outcomes as Attributes.

For Y12 Upload KS4 Prior Attainment into Special attributes ‘Prior Attainment (KS4) (A Level Cohort)’, ‘Prior Attainment (KS4) (Academic Cohort)’, ‘Prior Attainment (KS4) (Applied General Cohort)’.     

Values can be found from KeytoSuccess/GIAP columns     

KS4_GPTSPE_PTQ_EE: Academic and A Level KS4_PTSPE_PTQ_EE: Applied General

See Annex B of DfE 16 to 18 Accountability Measure Technical guide

Upload GCSE Maths results for new Y12 Students. 

Result will not be included in Y11 Stats as student not was not on roll as part of that cohort.  Upload using QAN as student not a member of subject for that year.

Upload Actual Grade using QAN code to academic year of the result.

Upload any baseline assessments.

Baselines grades are intended to store students’ ability levels at beginning of academic year.

See Knowledge Base article on Baselines

ASSESSMENT > TRACKING SETUP > Grade types > Baseline

Link baselines to subject.

(May want to link strands of learning at same time – see section below on mark book set up.)

From subject settings (on subject page), or via the spanner on the Subjects and qualifications page

Link baselines.

Upload targets for the grade types you are using for each year group.

ASSESSMENT > TRACKING SETUP > Grade types > External Target > academic year > Manage grade

Check using correct Grade File Formats.

Use Grade file conversion tool if required.

Common problems uploading grades:

• Decimals need to be 3.0 or 3.00 not 3
• Excel removes formatting from csv files
• Must match grading scheme – e.g. cannot upload C to 9-1 markbook
• To match grading scheme check Subject & quals page (e.g. Level 2 Pass, not alias)
• Subject does not exist (check using same name)
• Student not member of the subject
• Errors in student details, DoB, spelling of name etc

Video ‘Uploading Target Data’

Video available on ‘Grade File Conversion Tool’ if required

See Knowledge Base article ‘Common grade upload issues and tips on resolving them’

• Consider the use of custom grades specific to each year group.

ASSESSMENT > TRACKING SETUP > Grade & residual settings

If using IGS check key stats grades used to display on year group page.

Are APS/score/numeric points set? 

Ensure using En, Ma, Sc specific versions in markbooks.

ASSESSMENT > TRACKING SETUP > Internal grading schemes

Click on scheme to check settings

ASSESSMENT > ANALYSIS SETUP > Subjects and qualifications 

Ensure En, Ma, Sc use specific grading schemes 

Would an assessment grading scheme be of use for effort / mastery assessments?  Can be used for reading tests that are used each year.

Use of % boundaries will support consistency across assessments. 

View examples in DEMO.

Copying a GO 4 Schools Template mark book that is using an IGS will create a version of that scheme in your school which can be edited to tailor to your requirements.  

See examples in DEMO or SAMPLE school to view Templates available.

https://demo.go4schools.com/schools/

Use same email and password 

Set up markbooks

Ensure you are using correct qualification, particularly where this has changed from last year, e.g.  if using a different Internal grading scheme at KS3

Markbooks can be copied from previous academic year; just structure, or with grades and/or marks. 

Video ‘Copying Markbooks’

Where markbooks have been copied from previous academic year or from other subjects, ensure that the QAN or school scheme and description are updated if required.

You may need to create new subjects so that there is a mark book for each qualification e.g. Subjects taken at single/double level need a mark book for each.

Use feed rules to create new subjects.

KS3 English, Maths & Science – ensure to select specific qualification type (when using Internal Grading Scheme or NC levels) as this affects year group stats.

If copying markbooks ensure appropriate En, Ma, Sc specific type is selected for correct subjects.

Link strands of learning.

Allows grades to be drawn from previous academic years for flight paths, pop-outs.

From subject settings link progress grades from previous academic year.

Template mark books are available.  Particularly useful for Btec and other vocational subjects which have very defined assessment criteria.  These can be viewed in the Sample school on Demo.

Video ‘Copying a template markbook’

From the mark book designer choose ‘Create a mark book by copying a mark book from a template created by GO 4 Schools’.

If using customised residual schemes with different schemes for different year group/subjects, assign residual schemes as required.

Check from

ASSESSMENT > TRACKING SETUP > Residual schemes

Set a display name for residual schemes that will be displayed on the student page and in reports.

ASSESSMENT > TRACKING SETUP > Residual schemes

Check correct qualification assigned to correct subject. 

Video ‘Assigning Subjects and Qualifications’ 

Check from

CURRICULUM SETUP > Subjects and qualifications

Ask Exam officer to check QANs – ensure QANs match entries.

Check with exam officer.

Check there are no discount codes missing (e.g. Art) in Y10 – Y13 for subjects that count in Performance tables.

Check from

CURRICULUM 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 (subjects which do not count in performance tables will not have a discount code).

Check if any warning flags  are showing qualification withdrawn on Ofqual site.

Check Ofqual site and refer to exams officer.

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 in order that English is double counted in A8/P8, and used for the Ebacc measure and open slot (where appropriate).  Similarly for Y9 if you have a 3 year GCSE structure.

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.

Decide if you need analysis of specific statistics for non-timetabled subjects e.g. First language, twilight GCSE’s.  

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.

Review Student Attributes

Is data up to date in MIS e.g.

Pupil Premium, SEN, EAL, Proficiency in English

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

Special Attributes which don’t pull data from MIS:

Disadvantaged (FSM, Ever6FSM, LAC, Post-LAC)

Add a new set of values (use Academic year for Disadvantaged) – upload file.

For schools with sixth forms, Prior attainment (KS4) values should be on scale of 9-1.

See earlier section on KS4 Prior Attainment.

ANALYSIS SETUP > Statistics and analysis settings view Level 3 Value Added settings

Guidance ‘Guidance for L3VA baselining when using 2019 estimates’

For schools with sixth forms, we recommend re-uploading Prior attainment (KS4) values to GO 4 Schools (for the previous academic year) when these are published on the student file on the tables checking site. This does not apply in 2022 or 2023.

Download ks4 prior attainment values from tables checking exercise 

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

Are the student attributes you want teaching staff to focus on displaying in markbook pop-outs?

 STUDENTS > Student attributes > Student attribute sets

Video ‘Adding attributes to attribute sets’

Are there any focus groups you will want to analyse results /track on for which you haven’t set up any student attributes e.g.

Intervention groups (specific timestamped)

Consider if you want to create focus groups to reflect ASP/IDSR groups.

Video ‘Adding student attributes’

Review ‘use for analysis of attainment data’ – are these the focus groups you want to analyse?

 STUDENTS > Student attributes > Student attribute > Settings -

untick ‘Use for analysis of attainment’ for groups not required for analysis. 

If using documents (for IEPs for example) upload documents needed for new students.

 STUDENTS > Documents

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.

Teacher > SEATING PLANS > Seating plan data sets

Button: Reuse datasets from last year’s subjects

Encourage staff to create new seating plans for this year’s groups.

Room layouts created in previous academic years will be available in the new academic Year.  

Delete any behaviour classifications and behaviour actions that you do not want to use this year (you may have changed the visibility to ‘no staff’ at the end of the year to retire them in preparation for deletion at the start of the year.  Behaviour classifications cannot be deleted if they have been assigned during the academic year.)

Review from

Behaviour > MANAGE > Classification

Set up Detention sessions for the term/year

Behaviour > MANAGE > Manage Detention sessions