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Student Alternative 2021/22 - Location of study

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Student Alternative 2021/22

Fields required from institutions in All fields

Location of study


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valid entries
Typefield
Short nameLOCSDY
Description

This field describes the location at which the student is studying.

Applicable toEngland
Coverage

All Instance Periods.

Valid entries and labels
CodeLabel
6Distance learning - UK based student
9Distance learning - Non-UK based student (funded)
DOn industrial (or other) placement for the year as a whole
EOn industrial (or other) placement for a proportion of the year
SStudying abroad and included in the Student record as student has spent or will spend more than 8 weeks in the UK
TAbroad for the whole year
UAbroad for a proportion of the year
ZAt provider or a partner for the whole year
Notes

This field collects the location of study in relation to the Instance year. An Instance year refers to the 12 months from the COMDATE to the anniversary of the COMDATE.

Location should relate to the Instance year, so if an InstancePeriod spans more than one Instance year, the code relating to the location at the end of the InstancePeriod should be returned.

Example

A student started their Instance in September and so their year of Instance runs from September to September.

In one Instance year, the provider returns one InstancePeriod from September to December to record a placement and one from January to June to record time spent at the provider. Both InstancePeriods would have a LOCSDY of E, as both fall within an Instance year where the student is on a placement for a proportion of that year.

Or the provider could return one InstancePeriod for this Instance year with a LOCSDY of E.

When students go dormant during the reporting year, their last active position should be recorded.

Codes 6 and 9 should be used for students of the reporting institution who are not in attendance for the whole of the year, with the possible exception of occasional attendance, such as examinations or summer schools. The submission requirements for distance learners are the same as those for other students who are based at the reporting institution.

Distance learners based in the UK should be returned as LOCSDY = 6 whilst it is known that they are located within the UK.

If they move outside of the UK they should be still coded 6 if they spend part of the course year in the UK or if the majority of their entire course will not be spent outside of the UK.

If the student has confirmed that they will spend the majority of their entire course outside of the UK then LOCSDY should be coded S for each whole year of the course taken outside of the UK.

Codes D 'On industrial (or other) placement for the year as a whole' and E 'On industrial (or other) placement for a proportion of the year' should be returned for instances in the UK only. Where a student completes an industrial placement in the UK in addition to other placements and/or study abroad activity, code D or E should be used.

Code E 'On industrial (or other) placement for a proportion of the year' should be used where the student undertakes a full-time placement lasting for at least 10 weeks in the UK. Where a student undertakes a placement on a part-time basis this should only be included if, when summed, it is equivalent to 10 weeks full-time work.

Students undertaking a placement in the UK as part of a sandwich course, whether industrial or other, should be returned with D or E as appropriate. Students undertaking a placement abroad should be returned with T 'Abroad for the whole year' or U 'Abroad for a proportion of the year' as appropriate.

Code U 'Abroad for a proportion of the year' should be returned when the student has been abroad for 4 weeks or more in total.

Writing-up students (InstancePeriod.MODE = 43 or 44) who are located in the UK must be returned as code Z 'at provider or a partner for the whole year'. Writing-up students who are located outside of the UK must be returned as codes T or U.

Link between coverage of the Student Alternative record and the Aggregate Offshore record:

Certain students are primarily studying overseas but are returned in the Student Alternative record because the student has spent or will spend more than a block of 8 consecutive weeks studying in the UK. See the Coverage of the record for further details. For years where the student spends the whole year at the reporting provider, use code Z. For years where the student spends part or all of the year abroad, use code S. If it is known at the beginning of the course that a student will spend more than eight weeks in the UK as part of their programme then they should be included on the Student Alternative record throughout.

Information about students studying for the whole of their programme of study outside of the UK, and those not funded for study by distance learning overseas should be returned on the Aggregate offshore record and should not be included in the Student Alternative record.

The exception to this is the small number of distance learning students studying outside the UK who are funded - e.g. Crown servants overseas and the Services. For these students a full record is needed and is collected through the individualised Student Alternative record. Such students should be coded 9 'Distance Learning - Non-UK based student (funded only)' in this field.

Students who spend the majority of time in the UK

Codes T and U are intended for students who are primarily studying in the UK, but spend some time abroad, i.e. outgoing students. Code S is intended for students who are primarily studying outside of the UK, i.e. incoming students, and codes T and U should not be used for these students when they return abroad.

If the student is studying on a 4 year course and there is a 50:50 split where the student studies, i.e. for 2 years abroad and 2 years at the provider (as per the example below) then the following should be coded:

  • Year 1 - Code T
  • Year 2 - Code T
  • Year 3 - Code Z
  • Year 4 - Code Z

Code S should only be used for years of the course where the whole course is mainly studied abroad.

Code Z 'At provider or a partner for the whole year' should be returned for apprenticeship students.

Quality rules
Quality rules to follow
Reason required To track student migration, placements, etc., and to support population definitions. Used to monitor the prevalence of distance learning, industrial and overseas placements.
Part of
Field length1
Minimum occurrences1
Maximum occurrences1
Schema components
Element: LOCSDY
Related fields
OwnerHESA
Version1.2
Date modified2021-10-18
Change management notesGuidance added around the use of code '6' and code 'S' to clarify what should be returned when distance learners spend the majority of their course inside/outside of the UK.

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