KS4: Preparation for Summer Exams 2024 (Admin)

We have produced a handy checklist with best practice tips to work through to ensure your setup is accurate for when you receive your Exam results in August.

1 / DATA COLLABORATION (CONFIG. > Data Collaboration > 23/24 Exams > ‘Opt In’)          

• Opt-in to Sisra’s 23/24 Exams Data Collaboration to complete the necessary setup steps (outlined in this checklist) before results day, if you want to be able to publish with collaboration report features when released.

2 / STUDENT DATA (DATA > key stage and cohort > STUDENTS > Cohort)         

• Check that students marked as ‘On Roll’ and their filter values reflect the Y11 Spring Census.

If your student data is not accurate, you can manually change statuses/filters or import a census student data file and select the following import options: Update Classes – No (to ensure most recent classes remain in use), Update Filters - Yes, Update Statuses – Yes.

3 / DATA COLLABORATION: KEY FILTER MAPPING (STUDENTS > Key Filter Mapping)         

• Map your student filters and values to the Disadvantaged, Gender, and SEN Sisra Filter Values.

4 / KS2 BASELINES (KS2 / EAP > Uploads or Baselines)         

• Ensure KS2 Scaled Scores are uploaded for English Reading and Maths and the Grade Type column is set to ‘Scaled Scores’ for both.
• Nominate English Reading as ‘English Reading’ and Maths as ‘Maths’ in the Core column.
• Check that the Scaled Scores you have uploaded match those the DfE will use. These can be found in Get Information About Pupils (GIAP) in columns MATSCORE_noSpeccon and READSCORE_noSpeccon. As Scaled Scores are used to calculate P8, it’s imperative that these match the official results, and any discrepancies may well result in inaccuracies in your headlines.

5 / BANKED EXAMS & OTHER GRADES (GRADES > Uploads)         

• Upload ALL banked exams awarded prior to the students’ summer results (e.g. early/offsite exams) into the ‘Exams’ data set (GRADES > Uploads > Exams).
• If you haven’t already, you may wish to upload Targets and any other grades data (such as assessments), that you’d like to be available for comparison with on results day (GRADES > Uploads > Targets, Assessments etc.).

6 / ASSIGN QUALIFICATIONS TO CLASSES (STUDENTS > Classes > Assign Quals)         

• Ensure all qualifications have been assigned to the appropriate set of classes.

7 / MATCHING (GRADES > Matching)

To amend the Matching page, click ‘Edit’. You should then have one row per qualification:       

• Ensure all appropriate qualifications are set to Yes in the Include column.
  
• For access to the Data Collaboration (once released), ensure all qualifications listed underneath current have ‘Use QN’ enabled and are matched to the correct QN or qualification in the QN Title column.
  
  If any of your KS4 qualifications are not returned when entering the QN, this suggests they are unapproved. Enter ‘Unapproved [Subject]’ into the QN Title column, e.g. ‘Unapproved Maths’ or ‘Unapproved None’ to match them. For more information on unapproved qualifications, click here.

  If you have any KS3 subjects listed under current which you do not have QN codes for, you can set these to No in the Current column (last column on the right), to ensure they do not stop your access to the collaborative data.
  
  

• Once saved, check and resolve (if applicable) qualifications displaying in the DC Exams Check column.
  
  This icon suggests a mismatch between the Grade Method setup in use (in the KS4 Exams term of your EAP), compared to the expected method based on the QN entered. Click on the icon for a helpful pop out comparison.

  If the points differ for official grades, you must resolve this for your figures to be accurate. For help with this, see our article here. Note – a Level 1 Pass (L1P) is worth different points in a BTEC First Award (1.75) than a BTEC Tech Award (1.25). Please ensure your L1 grades are setup with the correct points for the qualification!

8 / GRADES MANAGEMENT (GRADES > Grades Management)

• Check the ‘Grades Count’ column reflects the number of grades you expect for each qualification.
• Address any setup issues flagged with a warning icon, such as: Missing Student Data , Missing Class Data , Grade Not in Method and Sub Grades not Valid in this Data Set .
  
  You will not be able to publish your Exams data set until all main issues are resolved.

9 / PUBLISH (STUDENTS, KS2 / EAP & GRADES)       

• Publish STUDENTS (STUDENTS > Publish Students > Click ‘Publish’).
• Publish KS2 / EAP (KS2 / EAP > Publish KS2 / EAP > Click ‘Publish’).
• Publish GRADES (GRADES > Publish Grades).
  • Publish any data sets or assessments you wish to be available for comparison on results day, with the same DfE Rules (2022). For A8 and VA Estimates, the latest available based on KS2 Scaled Scores are ‘2023’. You could use these until the 2024 Collaboration Estimates and subsequent 2024 DfE official estimates are released.
  • Generate your tracker - you can include ‘Exams’ in the final slot once available (Generate Tracker tab).
  • Check for discrepancies or blank figures in the reports and resolve these before results day.

10 / USERS (USERS > User List)   

• Check the correct members of staff have up-to-date login details and block/delete any staff who have left.
• Ensure only appropriate staff have access to view ‘Embargo’ reports.
• Circulate our User Basics handout with staff (here), which includes a section on
  how to reset their login details.

Thanks for reading!