Background
The DfE have implemented changes to the attendance codes for 2024/2025 academic session. These changes will take effect from August 2024 and will impact all schools in England using the Bromcom MIS and any new schools coming on board. Below are the specific changes that will be applied to Bromcom in response to the new DfE guidelines.
For schools guidance see here.
Important Update on Attendance Data Entities
In line with the recent changes mandated by the Department for Education (DfE) for the 2024/2025 academic year, we are making updates to our attendance data entities. These changes are essential for compliance with the new two-character attendance codes and the latest Common Basic Data Set (CBDS). Below, we detail the specific modifications to our system’s attendance data entities:
Marks Entity
This entity can be utilized to retrieve all single character attendance codes.
AttendanceMarkSubcodes Entity
This entity can be utilized to retrieve all mark subcodes related to the Marks endpoint. This extends the code set further and allows for 2+ character long marks, as per the new DfE requirements for recording attendance.
Attendances Entity
The `Mark` and `ExportMark` columns within this entity will now return the new two-character attendance codes. This update ensures consistency with the new DfE requirements for attendance recording.
AttendanceSessions Entity
The `AttendanceMarks` column will now return a comma-separated string of attendance codes based on the new CTF (Common Transfer File) specification. This string format accommodates both one and two-character codes, aligning with the CTF 24 Specification.
AttendancesRaw Entity
The `Mark` column in this entity will now return the updated two-character attendance codes. This change is crucial for maintaining accurate raw attendance data.
BasicAttendance Entity
Both the `Mark` and `ExportMark` columns will now reflect the new two-character codes. This update ensures that basic attendance data conforms to the latest DfE standards.
StudentAttendanceByWeek Entity
The columns `MonAM`, `MonPM`, `TueAM`, `TuePM`, `WedAM`, `WedPM`, `ThuAM`, `ThuPM`, `FriAM`, `FriPM`, `SatAM`, and `SatPM` will all return the new two-character attendance codes. This change provides a detailed, day-by-day attendance breakdown consistent with the new coding system.
Attendance Save Endpoint
AttendanceMark variable will be enhanced to accept two-character attendance marks, however we believe most of our partners use these end points to record present, late and unauthorised absence marks. These / L U marks remain unchanged, therefore shouldn’t have any issues.
However, if you do need to send two-character attendance marks, you will be able to this.
These updates are integral to meeting the DfE’s new attendance coding requirements and ensuring our system’s accuracy and compliance. We recommend that all partners review these changes and update any integrations or processes accordingly.
For further information or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our partner support team.