Management Information Sheet

School Workforce Data 2018- outstanding returns

All maintained schools were asked to upload their data to the COLLECT system by 15 November 2018, in order to allow time for checking and verification before the return is submitted to DfE for authorisation.

1. If your school has not yet submitted a return, it must do so without delay. All returns identify queries and errors which take some time to resolve, so returns are needed now in order to meet the DfE deadline.

2. If your school has submitted a return, you still need to check to see if the return has any queries and errors, many of which can be resolved at source.

PLEASE NOTE- the landing page of COLLECT system does not immediately reveal all errors and queries, so unless you have specifically checked, you may not be aware that some remain.

To check for errors and queries, click on the box marked “ All Errors”. In the illustration below, only one query (yellow circle) is showing – however, when the red circled button is clicked on, that shows a number of errors and queries that will need resolving before the data will be accepted.

Please do use this route to check for errors and queries (The screen you see may vary from the illustration but should still show an “All Errors” box.)

Please check the status of your return and if it is not yet authorised by the DfE, please resolve any queries or errors that appear. Common queries are listed below- you will be able to deal with many of these by adding a note to the system, or taking other action as detailed.

We have contacted the majority of schools which have submitted the return with advice on how to resolve the outstanding errors or queries

Please check your return to make sure all errors and queries have been addressed.

Information about the workforce census is available on the is on the Norfolk Schools site and in MI sheet 144/18

School Workforce Census- Common Queries that can be resolved by school

Query Number 7240Q

“Please note that this return contains no vacancy records. Please ensure that is correct, in which case a note of confirmation must be provided in COLLECT.”

Your response to this query (if you have no vacancies in school) must be these precise words: We confirm there are no vacancies in this school

Please amend the return as indicated so that we can approve the return and send to the DfE for authorisation.

Query Number 6550Q

“At least one staff record in this school’s return should show a role of SENCO (SEN Co-ordinator) under a current contract. Where SENCO is missing please add it to the appropriate staff record.”

You can add an additional role of SENCO to employees. There is no note for this as a SENCO is required in all non-SEN schools. You can add the role within COLLECT by:

• ‘Open Return’
• Select view all in line with ‘View Source Details’
• View School Workforce Members’
• Scroll through the staff list to find the member of staff you wish to add this to.
• Make sure the name is highlighted blue by clicking on it.
• Select ‘View Contracts/Agreement details’
• ‘View roles’
• Select the ‘Add’ button on the top right.
• Under role identifier choose ‘SEN Co-ordinator’
• Click save.
• Remember to Submit the return as there have been some changes made.

Query Number 4935Q

“Last Day of absence is missing for a non-maternity absence – please confirm if absence is ongoing.”

If this has been an omission, please can you amend your return and resubmit with the last day of absence included. If this is correct, please can you add a note stating the exact wording - “Absence ongoing.”

Query Number 4417Q

“If role is HLTA then HLTA Status is expected to be true.”

In Collect you must record the qualified status of employees. Where an employee has had their role identified as HLTA, it is expected that their HLTA Status is set to “True”, meaning they have achieved the qualification.

If they have received their HLTA qualification but are not set to true, please amend this and resubmit.

If they are an HLTA but not qualified as such, please add a note stating either of the following. please use exact wording.

1. Checked and paid at HLTA but not qualified.
2. Checked, currently working toward HLTA.

Query Number 4754Q

A member of staff has been recorded as working more than 48 hours per week. This will need amending or detailed reasons provided.

Query Number 4516Q

“Teacher should have had a pay review since beginning of previous academic year. If they have not, please supply a reason in a return level note.”

It is expected that teachers will have a pay review annually (and by September) to progress through their pay scales. These might also be referred to as appraisals, end of year 1:1s or some other phrasing, but the date of this pay review must be recorded. If the teacher legitimately has not had a review, then you must supply a reason as a return level note.

Query Number 4377Q

This relates to a contract end date provided on a permanent contract and will need amending or explanation.

Query Number 6540Q

“At least one staff record in this school’s return should show a role of Head Teacher or Executive Head Teacher.”

Although you have added a note, the system needs more information.

If this has been an omission, please can you amend your return and resubmit with the head/executive head added. If the school does not have a head teacher on roll for legitimate reasons, please add a note stating, with exact wording, one of the following (please note that these are the only acceptable reasons to not have a head teacher on roll):

1. Federated school - (please list the schools in the federation).
2. Executive head shared with (list schools).
3. Non-teacher head teacher or CEO support staff role

Query Number 4960

“More than one absence record with absence category of sickness or pregnancy related absence covering the same dates. Please supply a reason.”

Query Number 4722Q

This query appears when an employee is recorded in a post of support staff, but the role is a teaching role.

A common example would be “post – support staff, role identifier – instructor”. Instructors should be recorded as teaching staff in both the post and role sections.

The one exception to this is for sports coaches, in which case it is permissible to record it as both support staff and instructor, although you must add a note confirming that this is correct.

For any instances where the post and role are technically incongruous but correct, you must supply a reason in the notes.

Query Number YonY1

“Post appears to be inconsistent with Role identifier.”

“The headcount number of teachers (including advisory teachers) is significantly different from last year (this collection x, last collection y: Please supply a reason.”

The return will not be accepted if there is no additional explanation for the reason why the numbers are significantly different.

Action needed:

1. Add these exact words (if applicable):

“We have run the ‘Teacher Headcount Variance Report’ and we agree that the teacher figure in service for this year shown has been checked and is correct

2. Then, in response to the “Please supply reason for the change” instruction, you need to add your own words as to the reason.