Highcliffe School

1
Highcliffe School

• Collecting Data for a School

2
Setting the Scene

• Secondary school (1300 students)
• Language and Science
• Growing Sixth form
• 81.39 Full Time Equivalent Teachers
• RM Integris MIS system (attendance, behaviour,
  cover, assessment, timetabling, staff details,
  student details)
• Student Information System web based portal for
  students, parents and staff for easy access
  (developed in house)

3
How it was1999

• Very little data stored in MIS system
• Student information entered by secretaries
• Senior Teacher responsible for data and also
  examination officer
• Not all data entered on system
• Quality of data questionable
• Filing Cabinets everywhere!
• Examinations assistant and IT technician employed

4
Team has grown!

• Data and Examinations Office
• Examinations Data Manager
• Administration Officer
• Clerical Assistant
• IT Support
• Systems Manager
• Senior Technician
• Technician

5
Now

• Data accurate and complete
• Examinations embedded with data office
• Changes to data (e.g. medical conditions) are
  changed within a day of notification
• Data set extended including attendance,
  behaviour, achievements, student signing in/out,
  visits to medical room, incident reports, staff
  cover and absences

6
Collecting Data

• New Intake (Year 7)
• Students name, address and telephone details
  collected by admissions officer
• March offer of place and student information
  form sent to parents
• Forms processed by DE office
• Students start September (data 6 months old)
  student details form printed and sent to parents
  for checking. Changes made by DE office

7
Tracking student detail changes

• Multiple sources letter, phone call, student,
  tutor, teaching staff.
• Lots of different colour forms!
• Annually student details update forms printed and
  sent to parents/guardians for amendment/checking
• ED office process changes and all forms archived

8
Starters / Leavers

• Relatively small student turn around
• Admissions officer informs DE office
• Same process for starters as new entrants in
  September
• Starter - Common Transfer File (CTF) requested if
  not already sent by previous school
• Leaver CTF file sent to destination school

9
Common Transfer Files (CTF)

• Highcliffe only uses CTF files for academic
  information
• Other information is reliant upon accuracy of
  previous school and has often proved to be
  Inaccurate or Incomplete

10
Teaching Set Changes

• Main school
• Sixth form
• New students

11
Electronic Attendance

• Now moved into the DE office
• Registers completed online by teacher using
  Laptops (wireless) or by wireless PDA for supply
  staff
• AM reg period and last period of day used as
  statutory AM/PM registrations for returns
• Accuracy an issue with DE office having to chase
  teachers that forget to complete
• Approx 7200 pieces of data from approx 80 people
  each day! A challenge!

12
Staff Involved in Census

• Headteacher overall responsibility
• DE office completion of Census
• Finance Office staff details and free school
  meals
• PA to Head Student Exclusions
• Inclusion Officer Attendance/Exclusions
• Deputy Head Looked after dually registered
  students
• Assistant Head Gifted and Talented
• SEN Office SEN data
• Admissions Officer Appeals information
• All teaching staff Classes as taught (checked)
• Network Manager ICT Systems

13
Problems encountered

• Schools may allow unskilled staff to edit data.
  Staff may not realise importance of data and how
  inaccuracies can impact of school and census
• Lack of training within schools
• Schools need to make sure changes are actioned
  immediately (medical, emergency contact.)
• All staff need to be onboard if they hear of
  changes they must record and inform DE office.
• Parents many information checks are not
  returned without several reminders. Often we are
  not informed of changes to address, telephone or
  emergency contact details.
• Students do not return information forms without
  reminders (especially sixth form!)

14
Good advice

• Staff who are responsible for data collection and
  entry must be capable of
• Nagging relentlessly
• Be fully trained detectives
• Question everything
• Love inventing forms for everything (and finding
  a paper colour they have not used yet!)

15
Contact

• Hilary Rosina
• Hrosina_at_highcliffe.dorset.sch.uk
• Mathew Downs
• Mdowns_at_highcliffe.dorset.sch.uk
• 01425 273381
• Highcliffe School, Parkside, Highcliffe, Dorset,
  BH23 4QD