Skip to main content

Key Information Set 2013/14 - Foundation year availability

Back to C13061

Key Information Set 2013/14

All fields

Foundation year availability


return to field list

valid entries
Typefield
Short nameFOUNDATION
Description

This field identifies whether an integrated foundation year is available as a course component.

Applicable toEngland Northern Ireland Scotland Wales
Coverage

All KISCourses where KISCourse.KISTYPE = 1 or 2.

Valid entries and labels
CodeLabel
0Not available
1Optional
2Compulsory
Notes

This field should be completed to reflect the availability of an integrated foundation year.

This field should not be completed to identify Foundation degrees.

Foundation years are only considered HE where they are integrated into a full HE qualification. This will only occur when both of the following apply:

  • Students are already registered for the full HE qualification at the same institution.
  • Progression to the full HE qualification is guaranteed, subject to satisfactory completion of the foundation year.

If an institution advertises the course as having an integrated foundation year and again separately as having no foundation year, then two KIS must be returned. The integrated foundation year should be coded 2 'Compulsory'. The direct entry course should be coded 0 'Not available'.

If an institution does not advertise the course with an integrated foundation year, but does offer an integrated foundation year as an alternative optional route, then code 1 'Optional' should be returned.

Exceptionally, institutions may offer generic foundation years which meet the above criteria, but allow students to progress onto a range of full HE qualifications. In this case the foundation year routes would not have separate KIS produced. However, each course that students can progress onto should have the existence of an optional foundation year (KISCourse.FOUNDATION = 1), but would not have the foundation year reflected in CourseStage.

This field must not be returned for KISCourse.KISTYPE = 3.

If any course component is identified as compulsory (ie, the student has applied for this course and must undertake the component), the information should be reflected as an additional CourseStage, and included in average fee calculations.

If any course component is identified as optional, this could mean the student can chose between a sandwich placement or a year abroad, or have the choice as to whether to partake in the option, no additional CourseStage or fee information is required.

In this context a component is considered compulsory if there is an expectation that students will take the component. It is recognised that even where such an expectation exists there will typically be some students who do not undertake the component.

Quality rules
Quality rules to follow
Reason required

To allow more concise searching and aggregation on the Unistats website.

Part of
Field length1
Minimum occurrences0
Maximum occurrences1
Schema components
Element: FOUNDATION
Year this field relates to2014/15
OwnerHESA
Version1.1
Date modified2013-05-29
Change management notesAdditional guidance added clarifying when a foundation year can be considered as higher education. Further guidance added on returning a single foundation year that can lead onto a range of full higher education qualifications.

Contact Liaison by email or on +44 (0)1242 388 531.