Data Cleaning

The process below has been updated for the changes made in Nexus in April 2024. A spreadsheet including the error codes used in these reports is included at the bottom of the article. 

Overview

Data Cleaning occurs in Keypas. Even though the data report may be located in Nova and Insight, the raw data must still be cleaned via the Keypas Tree View for the relevant Key Stages.

Having viewed the imported data within the Imported Data section of the Tree View you can now use the enhanced Keypas Data Cleaning tools to check the data for possible anomalies in a two step process. 

From April 2024 onwards, the Data Cleaning process has been consolidated and enhanced. There is a single report that locates and identifies errors and queries in the imported data. Users familiar with the process prior to 2024 may remember that there were several different reports, each focused on one query or error. Those have now been pulled together into one.

The reports remain available in Keypas as a section under each Key Stage in the tree view:

 

You can also find the Step 1 reports in Nova reports (in Nexus only, not Perspective Lite) and could be shared with schools via a batch report or by exporting and sharing. 

Step 1: Find Data Errors

Below is a screenshot of an example of the new step one report:

Since these errors are grouped under the schools and then the pupils, it will facilitate conversations with schools where each pupil is discussed or notified in turn and all relevant queries and errors can be addressed. 

Step 1: Find data errors (in Nova)

Users should note that the Data Errors report accessed through Bova > Reports will provide the following filters (not available in the Keypas > Tree View version of the report.) 

Step 2: Fix data errors

The Step 2: Fix Data Errors grid only shows pupils that have an error or query in the data set. There are columns that show the number of errors and queries for that pupil and the filters allow you to filter for either 'has errors' or 'has queries'. 

Users will need to refer to the Step One report to see the details of where the errors and queries are. You will then be able to make any required changes to the pupil's data in the Step 2: Fix Data Errors grid. 

Editing

Within the tree view you are able to manually amend your imported data. This may be necessary for amending pupil results after possible re-marks or clerical errors, or for amending possible duplicate pupils. You should, however, note that it is the responsibility of the school and head teacher to provide accurate data for submission and that you will want to ensure that any changes made are reflected in the school's MIS system. Ordinarily you should secure a new, corrected, file from the school in most cases where the LA is submitting on behalf of the school. The head teacher is required to sign a declaration stating that the submitted data is accurate, that declaration is meaningless if the LA has amended the data prior to submission and that has not come from the school or at least has been mirrored in the school MIS.

To access the raw data, click on the Imported Data option before selecting Pupils. Within this grid view you are able to edit and customise the view of this data.

You can easily edit data by clicking in a cell within the grid. When clicking a cell the active record will change colour to green, double-click the cell and the cell contents will become highlighted (in blue). You can then begin typing to overwrite data.

If the contents of the cell needs to be a specific value type then, upon clicking the cell, a down-arrow will appear. Click the down arrow to choose an alternative value from the drop-down box (e.g. gender – Male or Female).

Note: It is only possible to assign pupils to another school in the pupil’s grid in Imported Data; it is not possible within the Data Errors grid

Alternatively, by right-clicking a cell within the data grid a list of available options will appear by the mouse-pointer, similar to that seen below.

It is possible for multiple Keypas users to access the same data record within an LA. This can give rise to situations where one person is updating a record whilst another is deleting it or reporting on it. This may cause inconsistencies or loss of data. Assigning responsibilities for specific Assessments or Schools is one way to try to avoid this.