22056 Support guides

We collect data across a number of streams. These streams focus on different aspects of higher education.

The Student stream collects data about students studying at higher education providers in the UK. Details of which students need to be returned to us are included in the Coverage document found in the Coding manual.

The data we collect on behalf of the sector is provided to governments and fundng bodies in order to support the regulation of higher education. We also make anonymised data available to the public to enhance understanding of UK higher education and to support its advancement

Our coding manuals provide you with all the necessary documentation to support your data return. The coding manual contains technical documents giving detailed information on the record's coverage, data specification and submission formats. Familiarising yourself with these documents will help you make an accurate and timely return.

Each collection has its own coding manual which can be found in the Data collection section of our site. By default, you will land on the open collection for each record; you can then select previous or future years.

The coding manuals will be updated throughout the data collection cycle and Record Contacts informed by email when new versions are made live. Be sure to check the manual's Revision history for a summary of changes.

You will submit data via the HESA data platform. To access this, you will need to have an appropriate role in our Identity System (IDS). We publish an IDS user guide which includes information on creating and editing your account.

You will need to be given access to the Hesa Data Platform by the relevant Record Contact at your provider.

Once you have access to the system you will be able to upload files and track the progress of the collection.

The coding manual homepage includes all the technical information you require, including:

• The data specification.
• File format specifications.
• A detailed collection schedule.
• Our XML data entry tool.
• Quality rules.

This Support guides page collects together the following resources:

• User guide.
• HESA data platform: Known issues and release history - to be added

In the Support area of the HESA website, you can find:

• User guides for our Identity System (IDS) and Issue Management System data quality database (HESA subscribers only).
• Support with using XML files.
• Our XML amalgamator tool.
• Our E-learning programmes and Training information.

Our Data innovation section includes information about:

• Open and recently completed record reviews, including information about changes we are implementing
• More information on the Data Futures programme.

In the About section, you can find:

• Details of who we are and what we do.
• Information about data protection.
• Information for providers including the Code of practice for HE data collections, and information about subscription rates and the fixed database facility.

Our expert analysts have a thorough understanding of our records and processes. We are here to support you throughout the data submission process.

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388531 

Find out more about Liaison

The data model translates the Student and Student Alternative records into a single data stream.

Details of the entities and fields to be collected will be presented in the Data dictionary in the Coding manual.

To view the diagram below in full-screen, right-click and select 'open in new tab'.

 

A Reference period is a fixed period of time, the end of which, aligns to when HESA’s statutory and public purpose customers require sector-wide data and information. The diagram below summarises the structure of a Reference period:

Key terms relating to a Reference period:

Sign-off: The process of a defined role (for example Vice Chancellor) making a formal declaration that the data submitted to HESA for a given collection represents an honest, impartial, and rigorous account of the HE provider’s events up to the end of the reference period. 

Dissemination point: The specified date, after the end of a Reference period, by which signed-off data will be extracted and supplied to HESA's data customers. Data disseminated at the Dissemination point will be used for official accounts of the higher education provider’s activity for statistical, regulatory, and public information purposes.

 

Whilst the approach to quality assurance in the HESA Data Platform (HDP) is similar to current practice in the Student and Student Alternative collections, we have improved automation and customisation.

Quality and Credibility rules will each have tolerances associated with them. Previously providers had to request ‘switches’ to rules by contacting the Liaison team via email; these requests will now be handled directly through the HESA Data Platform (HDP) and Issue Management System (IMS). This will ensure that requests are routed correctly and reduce the feedback time.

The HESA Data Platform (HDP) automatically raises issues in the Issue Management System (IMS). This is based on the latest submission after the reference period, which removes the need for what was previously called ‘Commit’. However, HESA and Statutory Customers will still review the submission ahead of allowing the provider to move to sign off: this step is called ‘Submit for Approval’. Providers can choose to create issues sooner if they choose to manage their workload effectively.

Automation

• The triage process in the IMS will forward tolerance requests to the correct recipient for review. 
• Self-approved rules will reduce the feedback turnaround time to our providers. 

Customisation

• Providers can request to self-approve some rules; these would typically be those rules flagged as ‘Warning’ rules in the current collection.
• When an individual tolerance request is approved, HESA or the Statutory Customer can apply the tolerance to future collections: the tolerance override can persist across collections, as required.
• Tolerances will, over time, allow the rule base to better reflect the profile of the organisation: this will enable us to focus on changes from the norm for each provider.
• Providers will create their own issues in the IMS rather than waiting for the HDP to create them once the reference period has ended:
  • This brings forward the time in which providers can request tolerance overrides, to reduce peaks and troughs of activity.

Frequently asked questions

Will there be any requirement to order the XML elements in a particular way at all? (Preference is that ordering is not required)

Files must conform to the structure in the XSD. The XSD is available in the Student - Data Futures coding manual.

What happens if Statutory Customers don’t approve a tolerance in time?

In existing collections, HESA passes on the approval from a Statutory Customer. In Data Futures we’ve removed the step where a Statutory Customer has to feed back to Liaison; instead, the Statutory Customer will make that change directly in the Issue Management System (IMS).

Changes made to the process should reduce the time it takes for a tolerance to be applied. There is additional reporting in the Issue Management System (IMS) to reduce the likelihood of delays. 

 We encourage providers to seek tolerance change requests as early as possible to ensure there is sufficient time to work through the quality assurance process, and to raise any concerns with the Liaison team: [email protected] or call +44 (0) 1242 533 231 

Will we be able to export errors?

In the HESA Data Platform (HDP), you can download the summary of which quality rules have triggered, also the details of which students/courses/modules, etc. have triggered each rule individually.

Can we change the tolerances ourselves?

Tolerances will be routed to the appropriate approver which will be defined in the quality rules.

Will we need to request tolerances every year/reference period?

This depends on the circumstance; some tolerance adjustments may apply for several years and not have to be requested again. Others may need to be approved for each collection.

Where there are two interrelated quality rules, do we have to request a tolerance change for each?

Yes. Each quality rule will have its own tolerance, so you will need to request a change to each quality rule individually.

Can HESA assure smaller providers that percentage tolerances will not be used when absolute numbers of records would be more appropriate to their scale?

Tolerances can be based on a percentage and a count so in some cases this can be mitigated but probably not all.

What exactly will be the mechanism for raising issues?

There is a button called ‘Create issue’ for you to raise a tolerance change.

If you fix an issue then break it again, will the system remember your customised agreed tolerance, rather than resetting to the default?

If the tolerance adjustment still applies, it will remember it.

The Office for Students may have queries that are not related to tolerances – how will queries like comparisons or funding issues be raised?

Data issues do not need to relate to a rule. Users will have the ability to raise issues in relation to any report irrespective of whether it is subject to tolerance.

Will the quality checking be per reference period or on an annual basis?

Quality rules will run in each reference period but there may be some checks that look at the annualised picture, for example, looking at significant changes in student numbers between year.

Can we have some sort of commit button, so we can acknowledge that we're ready for you to accept the data?

The HESA Data Platform (HDP) automatically raises issues in the Issue Management System (IMS) based on the latest submissions after the reference period, which removes the need for what was previously called ‘Commit’. However, HESA and Statutory Customers do still need to review the submission ahead of allowing the provider to move to sign off and this step is called ‘Submit for Approval’.

Wednesday 1 March 2023 webinar covering requirements for the 22056 May and August 2023 interim submissions

 

Schema

Is the 22056 schema file downloadable?

Yes it is downloadable, available on the data specification of the 22056 coding manual. If you have any issues this may be due to a web browser pop-up setting blocking the download.  If so, try a clearing cookies or use a different browser.

Will there be more changes to schema / quality rules/ coding manual to 22056 – if so when will that be and when will providers be notified about this? 

Yes, the 1.8 schema, which should be the final technical release for 22/23. This will include a complete SUBJECTID UCAS reconciliation and the usual process of picking up any new qualification types/subjects/grades that UCAS have supplied HESA with.

We have announced the upcoming changes expected for schema 1.8 in the 22056 support guides that will be reflected in the March release.

Further manual releases will occur with guidance where required.

Do entities such as module, qualification awarded etc need to be in place within the XML but the data contained in these could be unknown values where this is not known.

Yes that is correct. If the field is listed as mandatory a value must be supplied to be in line with schema, even if this is an unknown.

To confirm schema necessary fields: in the data entry tool are those which are "required" and if unknown (e.g. do not have final grades) must still supply a value?   

Yes, that is correct if the field is listed as mandatory a value must be supplied to be in line with schema.

Has anybody already developed a means of identifying which of the Data Future Quality Rules are at the schema level?
I had hoped there might be a filter on one of the HESA Quality Rules webpages but sadly that has drawn a blank

We don't publish schema rules in the quality rules because they are defined by the XSD.
There isn't a way to search, but the main things are the valid values, fields and entity ordering and min/max occurrences.

Other than the March update to schema you are planning, do you expect more schema changes to be published before May?      

At present the March update is the last planned update to schema for 22056. We wouldn't wish to make further schema changes past this point but cannot promise that this would not happen.

In previous Student returns, passing schema has required that certain fields are populated, and if these fields are returned but not populated, schema errors were generated. Will we be required to pass schema tests such as these by the end of May?          

Yes, if it is a mandatory field you will need to add a valid entry even if it is unknown to satisfy the schema.

The current schema file uses line numbers to identify the error, it would be more helpful if it identifies the student code instead. Would this be possible? 

This functionality is coming and will be available by May.

If we pass schema prior to the 31 May deadline, and then want to upload another file after this point, and this file does not pass schema as of 31 May, will we have made the deadline? Do we have to be schema free exactly on 31 May?  

You need to submit a file that meets requirements and your Issue Management System (IMS) confirmation query closed by 31 May.

Does the Pass Schema Validation requirement include the fields constraint checks on the fields level or just the entity relationship integrity?

All schema requirements will need to be passed for the May deadline.

We are an English provider and have noticed that there are schema errors that are only for Scottish providers appearing in OVT, will these be removed to ensure we can pass the schema stage?         

A suite of quality rules will go live when the HDP opens to update the OVT to the 1.8 schema, so the scema errors will all be updated.

General interim submission questions

If we don't have a particular kind of data at this time of year, e.g. module and course results, should we make it up?

If you don't have that data and can omit it, please do. If you need to use an unknown code, please use it. We would warn against making up data as it may persist. if you are experiencing issues please email [email protected] for more guidance.

Will we receive the Student Loans Company (SLC) comparison this year and when can we expect it?

The OfS will release this and they will release a schedule on their website.

Will HESA check continuity between May and August submissions?

There will be no continuity checks between the two submissions.

May 2023 interim submission

What is the reporting/reference period for the May interim submission?

1 August 2022 to 31 July 2023

For clarity, will the HDP for the May interim submission be in the Beta environment?

The HDP will be in the live environment and access will be sent to existing Student and Student Alternative Record Contact holders.

How would we know if we haven't hit the 50 percent of students requirement? Would we be notified?

A quality rule will look at your student headcount submitted against your total student headcount from last year.

So are the percentages calculated on last year's totals, rather than the current year's?

The percentage looks at the headcount of students submitted against your headcount of students from C21051/C21054.

So the 50 percent calculation is based on last year's file? What if we have a valid different number of students this year? Dropped some programmes, etc.

As this will be raised as a quality rule you will be able to confirm in the IMS query that this is 50% and there is a valid reason for the drop

If we submit a file with all students, will the HDP indicate where we're at percentage wise towards that May deadline for records meeting the requirements?

There will be a quality rule that will look at your student headcount submitted against your total student headcount from last year.

If you don’t have placement data or study abroad for May but you have the rest, could that still be accepted?         

For May we are only looking at the 50 percent of students and having a schema error free file: if your file meets these requirements then that will be fine.

Do we know how the SCs will use the May data? Will statutory customers be given interim submission data to use for whatever they do? Even if we're using unknown codes or estimated data?       

Data will not be delivered to statutory customers, but they will be monitoring interim deadlines to establish provider progress

Is the May submission point expected to continue in 23/24 and beyond? My understanding was that it was two submissions per year (August and October) once we move to business as usual (BAU)                        

This is a current conversation we're having internally and with Statutory Customers, It depends on how useful we find this, so no firm decisions yet.

For the 50 percent interim return in May, is there a specific requirement to return a subset of each level (PGT/ PGR/ UG)?      

Not a requirement but we would recommend a spread of students.

How are we expected to be confident in meeting May interim submission if Schema errors are still to be added in March with no final date?

We have announced the upcoming changes expected for schema 1.8 in the support guide that will be reflected in the March release.

August 2023 interim submission

What will the error tolerances be for August or when will they be published?        

It's less about tolerances but we will turn on our automated quality assurance (QA) in August. The HESA Data Platform can automatically generate QA, but we are not necessarily expecting you to answer all queries at that time. If you are able to, great, but this is more to state that the system will be able to generate QA at this time.

How can we raise a concern that the August submission date is at the end of the A-level results week. As a small specialist institution, the same staff will be working on both student data and admissions and enrolment.        

We hope that providers should be able to minimise the impact of the competing workloads given the advanced notice they have been given of the deadline dates and the fact that submissions/ sign-off can be actioned well in advance of the deadline. However, should you have any concerns about meeting the deadline as we approach the date, please do let us know so we can advise you further and loop the statutory customers into the conversation. Contact [email protected].

Is the August interim submission going to take place each year from now on?

It depends on how useful this is and is under consideration, but no firm decisions yet

Will quality rules not be specifically required for August either?   

No the requirements we will be monitoring are 90 percent of students and schema-free real data. We would advise engaging with quality rules in IMS but this will not be a requirement.

If we are able to submit a complete return for the May deadline (100 percent of students) do we then need to re-upload the same file in August in order to meet the August deadline? Or could the submission carry over?       

The deadlines will be monitored in the same environment, and so a re-submission would not need to be made in this example.

So from now on will there always be interim submissions or it means its open all year and we can upload as we go along 23/24

It depends on how useful we find this, and is under consideration, so no firm decisions yet on interim submissions remaining.

System questions

Issue management system (IMS) confirmation - could you provide the wording and indicate who you'd expect to make the confirmation?                        

We're putting the wording together and we'll look at getting the IMS query in shortly after system go-live, so you'll have sight ahead of May. We would expect it to be the Student Record Contact but it is up to each provider who goes into the system or works on the record.

How different is the HDP compared to the OVT? Should we be expecting more schema errors on the HDP?

They both use the same schema and are very similar. HDP generates reports on the data and is where you can request tolerances in IMS.

How can I download the OVT please? I've just tried the link and it takes me to a BETA site.  Do I need another login please?    

The OVT sits presently sits online in the Beta environment and you will need Beta IDS roles to access this.  If you do not currently have the roles, please contact [email protected] .

Will the data supply files be available after submitting the May interim return? When will the structures/specifications for these be available?      

We think these will be available when the HDP goes live, they will be called enrichment rather than data supply. We will check and confirm on the documents confirming structure.

Will the equivalent of check docs be available in May e.g. data outputs, Iris or NSS?

We will look to publish the availability of outputs in due course.

Will the data supply files be available after submitting the May interim return? When will the structures/specifications for these be available?

We think these will be available when the HDP goes live, they will be called enrichment rather than data supply. We will check and confirm on the documents confirming structure.

IMS and the HDP are more integrated, and you will be able to view what stage various queries are at.

Submission process questions

If students are continuing students in May and then in July submissions they completed their course then we will be sending the updated information? 

What you send in May is up to you and your systems and process, so if you mark as left or continuing then send that way (or with caveats), but by the end of submission in October it has to be exactly what those students were doing, so completed in July.

Can we start by submitting all students, and then roll back to 50 percent (or somewhere in between) to meet May/August deadlines?

Voluntarily if you could submit more than 50%, please do if it passes the other criteria eg. Schema

Can we confirm if there are any deadlines (besides the final one) for the validation errors to be resolved, such as the insert and commit stages from legacy? If not, how will queries in IMS be managed as there will be no definitive point a provider is saying that they have resolved all issues in their data.    

Once all quality issues have been resolved by a provider and the reference period has ended, the data can be marked as ready for submission and for ‘approval’. HESA and the relevant statutory customer will then approve your data. This must be done by the sign-off deadline of 20 October 2023.

Will there be data quality checks between the May and August submissions requiring us to explain why things have changed?           

There will be quality rule checks when you upload a file and then credibility rule checks from 31 July 2023 (the end of the reference period).

Will you refer to our May submission once we've sent a subsequent file, or does any subsequent file just get treated as if it's overwriting the previous one?       

Any new files will overwrite the existing submission as well as updating automated IMS queries.

Once we have passed the schema stage, what will come next if there is no business stage validation?    

The next step in the process once satisfying schema will be quality rules.

Will we be expected to resolve all business errors to pass business stage validation?

Business stage validation is no longer a concept that will be used going forward.

Training and support questions

Why no intermediate training before the May deadline?       

Capacity, but also learning priorities. We felt it more important to provide an opportunity to learn and understand the model to comply with the schema requirement of the May submission. Also as we've request providers to submit scenarios for the intermediate seminars, we felt these may be more meaningful once you've submitted some data in preparation for May and have had a chance to put the theory into practice.

If colleagues have attended the introductory session before, is it worth them attending this as well as intermediate?

The introductory sessions will be like last year's introductory sessions. If you feel you understand the model/entities/fields and the process and want to focus on more complex fields working through some scenarios, we recommend intermediate sessions. We will choose a few, most useful scenarios from what providers submit to us, so there is no guarantee your specific scenario will be used in the session.

Is it possible to add the new guidance in bold so it’s easy to see what is updated?         

Updates are always summarised in the revision history so that you can see when changes have been made.

Will we need to return student course sessions for 2021/2 where the student is continuing?

We are working on some guidance for providers to access for continuing students that fall across the two returns.

Do we have to return session years going back into last academic year, i.e. June 2022 to June 2023?    

You do not need to report session years for data that has already been returned to HESA.  We will add to the coding manual some further guidance on what data may be required for continuing students from 2021/22

What is the added value of having course and student session year data and how are you using this data?       

This is to analyse and track cohorts of students across different intakes.

IDS 

Is it the Data Collection Student Submitter role we need to request in the IDS? The HDP role listed in the Beta IDS still refers to pilot testing.          

Currently, the HDP sits in the Beta environment. This will change to production when the system opens in March 2023. The HDP will be in the live environment and access will be sent to existing Student and Student Alternative Record Contact holders, you will then be able to assign your colleagues Submitter roles (the same as in legacy).

Will we need a new multi-factor authentication (MFA) for the new HDP?     

No, you will be using the existing IDS MFA that you have in place already.

Other

The 31 may is a Bank Holiday - will their assistance be available       

The 31 May is a normal working day and support will be available (please note the Bank Holiday falls on the 29 May).

 

 

                        

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issue summary	Status	Date raised	Date resolved
There is an issue with derived fields affecting a number of credibility reports. Some reports are showing with 0 in each cell, others have correct data in the total cell but the breakdown rows and columns are incorrect.	Open	31 March 2023
QR.STUDENT.Engagement.StudentCourseSession.003.V01: Quality rule is triggering where StudentCourseSessions do not overlap.	Open	14 March 2023
QR.STUDENT.EntryProfile.PERMADDPOSTCODE.003.V01: Quality rule triggering where the PERMADDPOSTCODE is within the PERMADDCOUNTRY.	Open	14 March 2023
QR.STUDENT.Student.Disability.002.V02: Quality rule triggering incorrectly where students have multiple Engagements.	Open	7 March 2023
QR.STUDENT.Student.ETHNIC.012.V02: Quality rule triggering where the PERMADDCOUNTRY is in the UK.	Open	7 March 2023
QR.STUDENT.StudentCourseSession.FundingBody.002.V01: Quality rule triggering where the field has been returned within coverage.	Open	7 March 2023
Download all feature for credibility reports is returning a 400 error. Credibility reports can be downloaded individually however downloads for certain tables currently contain no data.	Open	2 March 2023
QR.STUDENT.OffVenueActivity.ACTSTARTDATE.005.V01: Quality rule triggering incorrectly where the student started study in a previous reference period.	Open	6 January 2023
Back Button on Quality Rule drill down doesn't return user to previous page.	Open	31 March 2023
There is an intermittent issue where the 'Quality Assurance' step displays a green tick but there are outstanding quality rules remaining or the stepper does not update from the hour glass icon once processing has completed. The quality rule summary should be referred to for the count of outstanding issues. This issue is resolved when refreshing the page.	Open	31 March 2023
Quality report issue status takes several minutes to update after a submission.	Open	31 March 2023
Quality report compare feature cannot be disabled once selected. Refreshing the page allows the report to be viewed without the compare.	Open	31 March 2023
Some URLs from quality rules are broken or directing users to the incorrect page. Providers should ensure they are referring to guidance in the latest coding manual.	Open	31 March 2023
Quality rules report 'View all issues' button is disabled.	Open	31 March 2023
Quality rules report 'Create issues' is enabled but returns a 'failed to create' message in the issue status column.	Open	31 March 2023

The majority of HESA collections are submitted in XML format.  

The Data Entry Tool is a piece of software that allows users to input the data they have collected, and if necessary, amend an existing XML data file. The tool has been created by HESA to allow users to produce XML data in the format required for their submission.   

The Data Entry Tool for the HESA Data Platform is currently available to download from the Beta phase page on the HESA website. 

We recommend you run it on a machine with the minimum specification of a 64-bit processor. The kit was developed using Microsoft's .Net Framework 4.8, so your computer should meet the minimum specifications published by Microsoft. 

The Data Entry Tool has been updated to be compatible with the new Data Futures schema. The Data Entry tool can be used to validate multiple schemas. Currently this includes the 21056 Student (Beta) and 22056 Student records.   

You will first need to load the relevant schema you wish to submit data to. 

The schema to be used, for 21056 Beta and/or 22056 Student, can be added into the Data Entry Tool:

1. Download the schema from the coding manual and save it locally.

2. Click on ‘Schema’ in the Data Entry Tool and the ‘Add Existing Schema File’.

3.    Select the schema that you've just saved.
4.    This should then appear as an option in the Active schema list.

Top tip: It is important to select the correct and most up-to date schema for the collection being worked on. Check the revision history of the specific collection for the date of the release of the XSD.  It is good practice to keep a check on any updates, so you are not using an old schema

Note: The Data Entry Tool can be used for both the 22056 Student and 21056 Beta collections, so it is important to select the relevant collection.
 

What is the Online Validation Tool?
The Online Validation Tool (OVT) is a separate area within the HESA Data Platform which will enable providers to test their data ahead of the data submission period.
The OVT replaces the offline validation toolkit for the Student - Data Futures 2022/23 collection onwards.  Providers will be able to test and quality assure their files ahead of making a full submission to a live collection on the HESA Date Platform (HDP. 

The OVT user guide is available in the Support section of the HESA website. This guide includes details on:
•    Roles required to access the OVT
•    Logging into the OVT
•    Uploading a file to the OVT
•    File processing
•    Accessing the quality report

A comparison between the OVT and the Validation kit:

OVT	Validation kit
Used to test data ahead of submission.	Used to test data ahead of submission.
Available online as part of the HESA Data Platform.	Downloadable from the collection coding manuals.
Increased validation included, for example historic checks.	Less validation, historic checks not included.
Includes feature to download all issues.	Results can be saved but not downloaded.
Working online, so providers can ask the Liaison team to view the data if support is needed.	Working offline, so the Liaison team is unable to see the data.
More secure as held with other data.	Downloaded so may not be as secure.

The below table indicates areas upcoming changes to the 22056 specification, this is a list of currently known changes and may not be exhaustive.

ID	Field/Entity	Summary of change	Status	Status updates
122073/ 143519	EntryQualificationSubject.SUBJECTID/ QUALTYPEID	There are circa 500 minor discrepencies between the UCAS description and the code labels used by HESA. We plan to align these if possible so we are all referring to the same labels in the fields. A number of legacy codes no longer required will also be removed.	Open
138292	Engagement.NHSEMP	Valid entries updates in line with standard annual updates.	Closed	09/03/2023: Updated in coding manual version 1.6.0.
139698	CurriculumAccreditation.CURRACID StudentAccrediationAim.STUACCID QualificationAwardAccreditation. QUALAWARDACCID	Valid entry 14201 will be added for for ' British Association for Sport Rehabilitators and Trainers'. Valid entries 21401 and 21501 will be removed as they are not statutory or regulatory bodies.	Closed	27/02/2023: updated to reflect latest valid entry changes. 09/03/2023: Updated in coding manual version 1.6.0.
141424	EntryProfile.HIGHESTQOE	Valid entry C0010 to be added for 'Higher Apprenticeship (level 4)'.	Closed	27/02/2023 updated to include valid entry code. 09/03/2023: Updated in coding manual version 1.6.0.
143051	Course.PREREQUISITE	Minimum occurrences to be updated to 0 as the field is no longer required to be returned by providers in Scotland.	Closed	09/03/2023: Updated in coding manual version 1.6.0.
139309	EntryQualificationAward	The coverage of the EntryQualificationAward entity will be amended to remove postgraduate students with the exception of students in Northern Ireland and Wales where Qualification.QUALCAT = M0016, M0018 or H0013 and Engagement.INCOMINGEXCHANGE does not exist.The EntryProfile.HIGHESTQOE coverage will not be amended.	Closed	15/02/2023 Information updated to reflect latest information from all Statutory Customers. 09/03/2023: Updated in coding manual version 1.6.0.
	EntryQualificationAward.QUALTYPEID, ENTRYQUALAWARDRESULT and SUBJECTID	These fields will be updated to reflect the lastest valid entries provided by UCAS.	Closed	16/03/2023: Updated in coding manual version 1.7.0.
134109	CourseRole	Guidance will be updated to reflect that the proportion of the course delivered by the reporting provider does not need to be returned. Minimum occurrences will be updated to 0.	Closed	09/03/2023: Updated in coding manual version 1.6.0.

 

The below document contains an example of a student who started study in January 2022 and has a StudentCourseSession that spans the 21051/21054 and 22056 returns. This guidance applies to the transition between the legacy and Data Futures collections and the field and entity level guidance should be referred to for ongoing guidance.

January 2022 starter example.pdf

 

From the ‘Manage Submissions’ page you can either upload a file or display the previous files that have been uploaded. Once ‘upload file’ has been selected it will take you to the ‘Ingestion’ stage. 

The ‘Ingestion’ stage is where a file can be uploaded to the HESA Data Platform (HDP). Here you will have the option to either use the ‘drag and drop’ or select a file to upload.  

‘Uploaded’ will be displayed when this is complete. If a file fails to be ingested it will not be logged as an attempted upload in the HDP activity log. Failure may be caused due to a loss of connection to the HDP. If a file fails to complete ingestion then the same file can be uploaded again. 

Tips: 

• Files can have any name 
• Files must be in XML and conform to the relevant XML Schema Definition (XSD) file 
• Only a single file can be held on the system 

Once uploaded, the file will begin processing and will go through the following stages: 

1. Uploaded – the file has been uploaded to the HDP 
2. Provisioned – this is where the system gets space ready for processing 
3. Schema check passed – your file meets the schema specification. If you file does not pass schema then the following will display and you will need to reupload your file with a corrected schema. 
4. Enrichment performed– this is when the derived fields are created and a ‘download’ button is available to download these. The file will include the submitted data as well as the derived fields. 
5. Quality processing complete –the quality and credibility reports have been created 

An overview of your file will also be displayed here. 

Within the ‘Quality assurance’ section the quality and credibility reports will be displayed, along with any additional reports.  

The Quality report will contain the details of any rules triggered by the submission. To pass validation all quality rules need to be within tolerance or be resolved through amending the file. When a new file needs to be uploaded please navigate to the ‘Manage submissions’ menu. Requests for changes to tolerances and thresholds are to be raised as an issue and are managed in the Issue Management System. 

Further details on the quality rules which apply to this collection can be found in the coding manual. 

The Credibility reports section provides an overview of the data submitted. The tables are broken down into chapters such as ‘Student instance profile’ and will look at year-on-year differences between your data.  

Additional reports will include IRIS, PGR Transfers In/Out. These will be available in later phases of Beta.  

Once all quality issues have been resolved and the reference period has ended, the data can be marked as ‘approved’.  

HESA and the relevant statutory customer will then approve your data.  

Once the approval stage is completed your data will need to be signed off by your Accountable Officer/Head of Provider.