Changes to LA Numbers in the Bournemouth and Poole Area

Background:

APRIL 2019 - There are changes to Local Authority boundaries. 2 local authorities (Poole and Bournemouth) will merge to form a single authority. The new authority will also gain Christchurch, which is currently part of Dorset LA. This means all the schools in the new authorities will have a new LA code  - some of them may also need a new establishment code. We believe that this is no a change of legal identity and hence does not impact URN,Census and SWC.

A generic patch will be required on 31 March for all schools to make the changes avove.

Individual schools affected by the change will need to apply the licence patch to access the menu Routines|School|Change School Details so that they can change their LA code and, if necessary, their school number.  This will deal with the assessment templates, supplier information and PX impacts.

Individual schools outside Poole and Bournemouth but who have dealings with the affected schools (eg feeder or destination) can update the LA and school number of the affected schools in Tools|Other Schools.

Impact Assessment:

There are significant impacts within SIMS and hence we typically prevent users updating the school / LA number within SIMS.

Integrators are likely to be impacted if they use the LA / school number to define schools within their systems.  There are however potentially wider impacts below (whilst this is from a SIMS perspective, it may help integrators to identify where work may be needed):

• FMS uses the LA/School Number and this will impact Autorec.
• SIMS Pay / Agora uses the LA/School Number in data transfers.
• DENI number. LA and Establishment codes are used in NI as part of the DENI number. 
• Statutory returns.  LA and Establishment codes are used in the headers of most return files to identify the school.  These will be correct after the codes have been changed.  Previous returns need not be changed.  
• The school’s Agency record. The current school has an entry in sims_agency with the LA/School number in the description.  The agency description will be updated.
• SIMS.net reports: Exported SIMS.net reports include the supplier tag, which is the agency name.  This will be updated. 
• Assessment templates, and import and export files contain the Agency Name as the Supplier.  This will have been updated. Subsequent exports will have the correct Supplier tag. Assessment results are exported with separate tags for LA code and school code.  
• Attendance. Attendance is not directly impacted.
• CTF import and export. If an affected school tries to import a CTF file which had been created before the change, it will say it is not for this school.  They would be advised to ask the feeder school for a new file with the correct school code. 
• CTF Logs. Will show school LA/numbers as at the point of import. 
• Base Group Care Authority. The Care Authority should point to the correct LA. 
• Base Group Recoupment. Recoupment should point to the correct LA. 
• ADT/ATF Importing applications – if the LEA and School Number is not found, the import will report an error message.  The files will need to be created with the new codes.
• B2B transfers include LA code and school number. 
• CLP includes the LA code and School number in creating a unique Teaching Objective Code.
• Options includes LA code and School number when exporting Option Offers
• Exams uses LA code only in NI, to generate the DENI number. NI schools are not affected by this change 
• Dinner Money includes LA code and school number in reports
• In Touch reads school information 
• Agora reads school information  
• SLG reads school information  
• India use LA and School numbers too but will not be affected by any of the changes. 
• Third Party there are procedures to detect changes to LA table and School table

NB: The list above is not intended to be exhaustive.

Supported Integrators who need further guidance should contact partner support