Checklist for Start of Academic Year (Welsh Schools)

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 article 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.	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 Maths numeracy 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
Set up student access for new students by uploading a new mapping file. Guide Controlling student access	ACCESS CONTROL & DATA SHARING > Student access
Teachers homepage Encourage teaching staff to set their own homepage. Video Teacher introduction to GO 4 Schools useful for new staff.	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 SYSTEM > Installers Latest version is 2.3.4 (or 2.2.7 if not running at least .NET 4.7.1 on MIS server)	SCHOOL SETTINGS > Status and healthcheck

Baselines

Upload any baseline assessments.

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

See 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.

Uploading Target Grades

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

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

Check using correct Grade File Formats.

Use Grade file conversion tool if required.

Common problems uploading grades:

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.

See article Common grade upload issues

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

ASSESSMENT > TRACKING SETUP > Grade & residual settings

Internal Grading Schemes (IGS) & Assessment Grading schemes

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, We 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, We 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

Mark book set up

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 QAD 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 & Welsh– ensure to select specific qualification type as this affects year group stats.	If copying markbooks ensure appropriate En, Ma, Sc, We 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.
Templates can be copied into your school, for example for Skills Challenge Certificate. Other templates are available and are 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.

Residual Schemes

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

Checking Subjects and Qualifications

Check correct qualification assigned to correct subject. Video Assigning Subjects and Qualifications	Check from CURRICULUM SETUP > Subjects and qualifications
Ask Exam officer to check QADs – ensure QADs 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 measures.	Check from CURRICULUM SETUP > Subjects and qualifications Click on spanner to manage subject settings directly from Subjects and Qualifications page. Click Change qualificationlink and Choose qualificationselecting the correct one will pull discount code through (subjects which do not count in performance measures will not have a discount code).
Check if any warning flags are showing qualification withdrawn on QiW site.	Check QiW site and refer to exams officer.
Ensure you have both English Language & Literature, alongside maths & maths-numeracy	If Lit/numeracy not being taught until Y11, may wish to copy grades from Language/maths for Y10 into a markbook for Literature/numeracy. 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 markbook for each, using the correct QAD for each subject.	Use feed rules if groups from your timetable dont 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 GCSEs. If markbook/subject statistics is not required then upload results as an actual grade by QAD 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.
Check for correct qualification. A common error is to have an ALevel QAD for students doing an AS in Y12 or the WJEC Eduqas version of the qualification assigned.	Go to Subject and Qualifications page to check QAD codes with actual examination entry.
KS3: Are English/Welsh & Maths using subject specific grading schemes? If using an internal grading scheme, choosing the English/Welsh or Maths version of the grading scheme will create English/Welsh/Maths statistics on the year group page. If using formal QAD 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/QAD code.

Student Attributes

Review student attributes
Is data up to date in MIS e.g. FSM, ALN, EAL, G&T	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
Are the student attributes you want teaching staff to focus on displaying in mark book pop-outs? Eg. National Test outcomes. Video Adding attributes to an attribute set	Student attributes > Student attribute sets Video Bulk uploading National test data
Are there any focus groups you will want to analyse results /track on for which you havent set up any student attributes e.g. Intervention groups (specific timestamped) 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.

Documents

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

Guide Adding documents for students

STUDENTS > Documents

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.

Teacher > SEATING PLANS > Seating plan data sets

Button: Reuse datasets from last years subjects

Encourage staff to create new seating plans for this years groups.

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

Behaviour

For schools using the behaviour module:

Delete any behaviour classifications and behaviour actions that you do not want to use this year (you may have changed the visibility to no staffat 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