Importing extra pupil fields (optional)

Key Facts...

Keypas provides the facility to import pupil level contextual data for EYFSP, Phonics and Key Stages 1 and 2 (Key Stage 4 and 5 can only be imported via User defined Fields in NOVA - Admin). The fields in question can be any data you need to load in providing it is suitable for import and exists at a pupil level. This can fill any gaps from your census import - if any - but also allows you to add a number of import custom fields (up to a maximum of 15).

You can only import data for one key stage at a time and it must be after you have imported the relevant key stage file for that year. If you update your key stage file, you will need to re-import the extra pupil fields that had already been in the system.

Various Nova reports will allow you to group or filter using the custom fields you have imported, though users will need to know which number extra pupil field to filter/aggregate on - the 'name' of the field will not be available. For example, you might import Ward information alongside each pupil's results as extra pupil field 3. Your users will only see 'UDF 3' as their option, it will not say 'Ward' 

You can also view the data you have imported via the Keypas tree view.

Tips on extra pupil fields import

In general you will want to import fields that are composed a limited number of options. These should probably limited to an indicator (true/false, 1/0) or short category names that remains consistent throughout the data. Larger text fields are not generally suitable as they will be difficult to display in Nova reporting. Long lists of options are also generally not helpful in that style of report (though they may be okay for exports

You may also want to ensure that every pupil has something against their record for that field of data (for example, marking a field as 'false' for every pupil where it is not 'true' or some other negative option where a subset of the pupils have one of a number of characteristics. 

If you wish to report from year to year on the same extra pupil fields you will want to be consistent with a) how that is allocated/calculated and b) how it is recorded. If possible you should also try to ensure that you use the same field for importing from one year to the next because of the following factor.

Finally - because the field name is not displayed in reports (just UDF 1 to UDF 15) you may wish to ensure that the values used are intuitive for users to see what the field is actually for. For example using values 1-10 to represent various options may be quick and easy, but tells other users nothing about what that is used for. You could, alternatively, make it more explicit such as 'Ward - Green Valley' with a common prefix of that type to make that obvious. It will not be appropriate in every case, but will be useful if it is a field that you want wider users to make use of.

Extra Pupil Fields Example Import...

You can download a sample file for this import from the Keypas import screen.

• Log into Nexus and browse to the import screen...
• Keypas>>Imports>>Import New File>>Extra Pupil Fields
• At the bottom of the import screen you can either drag and drop your zip file or add related files.
• Ensure you choose the correct year and key stage, you can only import extra pupil fields if you have imported key stage data for that same year.

Your file needs to be saved as a CSV with header data in the first row.

The CSV file name must be in the format EPF_KKK_yy.csv (not case sensitive) where:

• YY is the 2-digit Year
• KKK is the Key Stage (FSP, KS1, KS2, KS3, PHO or MTC)

So, for example, a KS2 import in 2019 would be named the file as EPF_KS2_19.csv

In terms of the template file, the only field that must be populated is the UPN number which must be the first column in the file. The first row must be the header row and not contain any special characters.

You may opt to load in data in the Postcode, Ethnicity columns etc if you wish to do so but this will overwrite any previously held data for that pupil in the given year and Key Stage and should match the standard codes used in those fields within the database. After that section there are 15 'User' columns in which you can include any information you want to hold (see the hints above about the content of those columns.) 

Any fields left blank will not affect the data already held in the database and nothing will be imported for them (therefore you do not have to populate all the existing fields if you just want to create new ones.)

Now, when you navigate to relevant (for that year and Key Stage) reports in Nova, you can apply your new User Defined Fields within the Report Parameters. This will filter your reports based on your chosen UDF(s).

As you can see above, the report options will only be labelled as UDF 1 to UDF 15, the header from the file will not be shown. For this reason you will either need to remember (and communicate to users) which extra pupil field is which or ensure that the content of the dropdown filters makes this obvious once selected by them (or ideally both).

Note: Users in Perspective Lite will not see Extra Pupil Fields - they are for Nova reporting only (and do not appear in Insight for either LA or school users)