EARLY YEARS, PRU and ALTERNATIVE PROVISION PILOT

1
EARLY YEARS, PRU and ALTERNATIVE PROVISION PILOT

• Shropshires approach to the pilot - pitfalls and
  plaudits
• York Monday 2 July 2007
• John Baxter
• Shropshire LA

2
Shropshires starting point

• Capita Education Management System (EMS) linked
  to school SIMS with daily download of data (B2B)
• Early Years Module within EMS
• PRU (consisting of a number of satellite
  locations) set up as a single PRU based at Shire
  Hall. Uses SIMS and linked to EMS
• Alternative Provision uses EMS

3
Easy to extract data for all three pilot areas?

• No this was not our experience!
• PROBLEMS
• Some data is held in EMS, some is not and is not
  transferred across from B2B
• Hasnt been possible for software suppliers to
  provide extraction routines in time for 2007 so
  we have had to determine our own routines
• PRU data has been particularly difficult to
  create but this may be a Shropshire based problem
  rather than universal

4
Easy to extract data for all three pilot areas?
(contd)

• PLAUDITS
• DfES staff quick to respond to queries and have
  welcomed feedback given
• Suppliers should be working hard on ensuring 2008
  runs smoothly
• COLLECT system which has been running in parallel
  has worked well and we have been able to add our
  suggestions to ensure it works well for all LAs

5
What do suppliers need to ensure?

• That extraction routines for 2008 are properly
  tested with selected LAs using January 2007
  actual data. This will certainly require LAs to
  work collectively with their suppliers to ensure
  that testing has been completed to LA as well as
  supplier satisfaction
• That LAs know precisely how to record Alternative
  provision and what to do with duplicate Early
  Years entries

6
What do suppliers need to ensure?(contd)

• That every new field required for any of the
  three extraction routines are included in the
  earliest possible tested software upgrade. LAs
  will need to check release dates with their
  suppliers
• That a manned Helpline is provided on census day
  2008 in case of any software problems
  specifically related to these additional
  electronic returns

7
Some suggestions as to how each extraction
routine should be covered check with your
supplier!!!

• PRU data if you use SIMS some data extraction
  should be possible from the individual PRUs but
  it looks as if there will still be a need for
  manual inputting where data is missing until such
  time as suppliers produce a PRU SIMS output that
  allows all the data requirements to be held in
  one place
• Early Years data if you have an EY module this
  should be built in for 2008 if not then an EMS
  extraction must be considered as the next best
  alternative
• Alternative Provision this should be relatively
  simple to extract so long as you can map
  individual bases or centres (and hence pupils) to
  the four classifications

8
What does the DfES need to do?

• Not introduce late changes to the 2008
  specification to suppliers that upsets their
  timescales for LA software updating
• Be champions on behalf of Las if it looks as if
  some of the software suppliers may not meet the
  specifications by January 2008
• Determine and issue to LAs and settings the
  funding rules for duplications within the Early
  Years area and any cross EY/mainstream school
  duplications

9
What does the DfES need to do? (contd)

• Agree final listing of those pupils who would be
  deemed as Alternative provision
• Urge non pilot LAs to start working on the
  process now leaving it to Autumn will be too
  late
• Ensure that where necessary csv to xml conversion
  is maintained within COLLECT until suppliers are
  able to provide an xml file facility

10
What do Pilot LAs
need to do?

• Continue to feedback on any problems still being
  encountered so that the DfES/suppliers can assess
  whether these will be resolved by supplier
  software upgrades
• Meet with your software supplier to check on all
  three outputs, timescales and alternatives for
  example we have brokered a meeting with Capita to
  ensure that all Capita LAs will know what is
  required of them
• For Alternative Provision, let the DfES know of
  any other categorisations of pupils who might
  fall under this heading that do not appear on the
  current approved listing
• Likewise with the duplicate EY listing when it is
  issued

11
How has the pilot gone in Shropshire?

• Early Years csv conversion file to xml worked
  well some data problems but mainly because this
  was not yet populated within the EY module we
  use. COLLECT upload worked well
• Alternative Provision this was a relatively easy
  extraction from our EMS, written in house
  upload within COLLECT gave no problems only
  problem we had was that the DSG figures chopped
  off all 16 pupils and therefore the extraction
  file would not match the paper version

12
How has the pilot gone in Shropshire? (contd)

• PRUs we have had problems in creating the file
  from within EMS as so much information is
  missing. It will need a csv to xml conversion to
  enable us to upload into COLLECT for 2008 as a
  minimum
• COLLECT there had been some disquiet in LAs that
  COLLECT was being introduced without proper
  consultation. That is not the case Shropshire
  has been one of the pilot testers and we have
  given what we hope is valuable feedback on the
  system to benefit LAs

13
End result?

• Hopefully - painless extraction from 2008!