This guide outlines the key requirements for managing Post-16 Learning Aims to support accurate census submissions.
All students in National Curriculum Year Group 12 or above who meet the Post-16 criteria must have a Programme Aim that includes at least one associated Learning Aim.
There are three recognised Programme Types:
- 16–19 Study Programme
- Transition Programme
- T-Level
Please note, the example screenshots used in this guide are for ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY.
IMPORTANT: It is the school’s responsibility to review the DfE guidance to ensure all required information is submitted as part of the School Census Return. Please seehere for DfE Guidance
The first step in managing Post-16 Learning Aims is to ensure that the Qualification Number (QN or QAN) data is up to date.
To do this, go to:
Config > Curriculum > QN Data
Then click the Update QN Data button in the top-left corner of the screen to begin the process.
A confirmation pop-up will appear — click Proceed to continue.
A notification will then appear in the top-right corner of Bromcom confirming that the request submission was successful.
Finally, a red notification will appear on the bell icon in the top-right corner of Bromcom once the Update QN Data request has been completed.
For further information, see How to import QN Data
This section explains how to attach Programme Aims to students in bulk – useful, for example, when setting up Programme Aims for new Year 12 students.
This can be done via: Modules > Curriculum > Student Post 16 > Manage Programme Aims
Please note, Programme Aims can also be added individually via: Student Profile > Enrolment > Programme Aims.
In the Manage Programme Aims panel, click the top left Choose Students button.
On the next screen, select Student to choose only Year 12 students, rather than All Post 16, which includes both Year 12 and Year 13.
Next, click the blue spyglass icon to the right of Student Name* to open the Student Selector list.
Use the Year Group dropdown on the left to select Year 12, then click Find to filter the list to only show Year 12 students.
In this example, click Select All, then Done to return to the Manage Programme Aims panel.
The selected students will now be displayed in the Selection List. Click Apply to confirm the selection.
In the example below, none of the selected students have Programme Types or Learning Aims attached, so all the columns appear blank.
The next step is to assign Programme Aims to the selected Students.
Tick the checkboxes in the left-hand column to select the students. This allows assigning the same Programme Aim to a group of students. If students are undertaking different Programme Aims, this process may need to be done in batches.
In the example below, several Year 12 students have been selected.
Once selected, click Add.
In the pop-up window, select the Programme Type* from the drop-down menu.
Next, enter the Start Date* and Planned End Date*. The Status will default to Continuing. Select Traineeship if applicable.
Click Apply.
IMPORTANT: Bromcom cannot provide guidance on the appropriate Start Date * and Planned End Date*. Please refer to the DfE Census guidance for details on how to determine these dates.
Note:
- A student can have only one of each type of Programme Aim; for example, they cannot have two 16-19 Study Programmes.
- Re-takes: If a student retakes a year, extend the planned end date of the Programme Aim via Modules > Curriculum > Manage Programme Aims.
- Leavers: When processing a leaver from the Student List page, the actual end date is automatically updated, and the status changes to Completed.
With the Programme Aims assigned, the next step in the process is to add Exam Levels to Teaching Classes.
To begin, navigate to Groups > Group Type = Teaching Class (this should be the default view in a Secondary School).
Next, click Add/Remove Additional Column at the top right, tick Exam Level, and then click Save.
This will add Exam Level as a column in the Groups > Teaching Class page.
In the example below, Year Group is also included as an additional column. Clicking on the Year Group column header allows filtering by Year 12 and Year 13, displaying all Teaching Classes for those year groups.
In the example below none of our Year 12 and 13 classes have an Exam Level assigned, as indicated by the label ‘Non Examination’.
Actions > Quick Edit can then be used to enable bulk assignment of Exam Levels to Post 16 classes.
Select all Post 16 classes, then choose Quick Edit > Exam Level from the Actions dropdown. The Review function allows assigning different Exam Levels to different classes within the selection.
In the example below, all Year 12 classes have been selected, and GCE AS Level has been assigned via Actions > Quick Edit > Exam Level.
Clicking Review provides the option to assign different Exam Levels to each of the selected classes individually.
Clicking Update will assign the chosen Exam Level (e.g., GCE AS Level) to all selected classes.
In the example below, the Exam Level for two classes has been changed to a BTEC Exam Level using the Amended drop-down menu.
Once satisfied with the Exam Levels for all selected classes, click Update.
The Groups page will then display the updated Exam Levels.
Tip: If the Quick Edit option is not visible in the Actions drop down, this is likely due to permission settings. The Quick Edit function is part of the Framework Module when editing a role. For more information, see Getting Started with Roles and Permissions
With the Exam Levels assigned, the next step is to attach the Learning Aims, which sit under the ‘umbrella’ of the Programme Aim.
IMPORTANT: Accurate definition and maintenance of student Learning Aims are fundamental to Post 16 returns. Please ensure the setup of Learning Aims is thoroughly checked, as this directly impacts funding.
Note:
- Based on current DFE Advice, Learning Aims apply only to Post 16 Students – that is, students in NC Year Group 12 and above. Any Learning Aims attached to other year groups can be deleted in bulk via Modules > Curriculum> Bulk Learning Aim Update.
- Each Post 16 class should have at least one Learning Aim associated with it. This can be done either directly within the class itself via Groups > Teaching Class or through its link to a course that has a learning aim assigned via Groups > Course. The students are assigned to these Learning Aims through their membership in the respective classes.
Student Learning Aim details can be reviewed and edited using three different methods;
- Groups>Courses
- Groups> Teaching Classes
- Modules>Curriculum>Bulk Learning Aim Update
Tip: Our recommended and the most efficient method is attaching the Learning Aim to a Course within Groups. This method will apply the Learning Aim to the associated Teaching Classes and their Students. Additionally, using this method allows you to update Learning Hours via Modules > Census > Learning Hours Maintenance > Calculate from Courses automatically. For more details, see How to Create a Course.
Navigate to Groups>Group Type = Course.
Select a Course and click View
In the example below, two Teaching Classes have been linked to the Course. The Learning Aim panel has then been updated with the relevant QN (Qualification Number).
IMPORTANT: The Teaching Class(es) must be added to the Course first, followed by entering the Learning Aim within the Learning Aim Details panel.
Note: When adding a two year course – first ensure the next academic year has been created, otherwise the Planned End Date of the Learning Aim will need to be manually extended via Modules > Curriculum > Bulk Learning Aim Update.
For further information, see How to Manage Learning Aims.
Both Programme Aims and Learning Aims can be viewed within the Student Profile.
From the left-hand menu, select Students, choose the required student(s), and click View.
In the Student Profile, select the Enrolment tab from the left-hand menu. Then, use the All dropdown in the top-right corner to navigate directly to either the Programme Aims or Learning Aims panel, or scroll down to locate them manually.
When multiple students have been selected from the students list page, the Next button will appear, allowing navigation between their profiles.
In the example below, a Programme Aim is shown with two associated Learning Aims. The Programme Aim serves as the overarching structure, with the Learning Aims grouped beneath it as part of the overall study programme.
If Learning Aims appear in the Learning Aims (Not Attached to a Programme Aim) panel within the Student Profile, it is typically because the Learning Aim’s Start or End Date falls outside the date range of the associated Programme AIM.
For example, if the Programme Aim has a Start Date of 02/09/2024, but a Learning Aim starts on 01/09/2024, the system will not link them – resulting in the Learning Aim being displayed as Not Attached.
Unattached Learning Aims can be checked in bulk via Modules > Curriculum > Manage Programme Aims. This allows for a more efficient review and resolution of Learning Aims that are not correctly linked to a Programme Aim.
In the example below, red exclamation marks are visible in the Learning Aim Counter column.
Hovering over the exclamation mark will display a message highlighting that one or more Learning Aims are not correctly attached to a Programme Aim for the corresponding student.
Clicking on the counter will open the Student Profile on the Enrolment tab, allowing review and amendment of the Learning Aim if necessary.
To review and update Year 13 (this process can also be used for Year 12) Learning Aims information, go to Modules > Curriculum > Bulk Learning Aim Update.
This panel is used to assign/update Learning Aims by Student, Class or Learning Aims
In the example below, the Students option has been clicked, followed by the blue spyglass icon to open the Student Selector list.
Using the filters on the left hand side, Year Group 13 has been selected, followed by clicking Find to refresh the list. Then click Select All.
The Students selected will appear in the Selection List, click Apply once happy with the selection.
The top columns and buttons can be used to manage individual students or groups by clicking on Student names in the grid or by using Select All to update fields such as Planned End Dates or Status.
Select the students to be updated, use the boxes in the top right columns to amend dates, choose from drop-down menus or tick boxes, then click Apply followed by Save to complete the process.
Note: It may be necessary to scroll right or adjust the screen size to view all columns on the right side of the panel
- Exclude = Exclude the selected Learning Aim from the Census
- Protect = Ignore any updates made
- Core = Mark as Core Learning Aim
- Trainee = used to update, for example, work placements or work experience.
The Autumn Census requires Learning Hours to be included in the return. These represent the expected planned qualification and non-qualification hours a student will undertake during the upcoming curriculum year.
IMPORTANT: We recommend to set these up at the course level. For further information, make use of the Add Learning Aims section in this guide. For instructions on creating a new course from scratch, see How to Create a New Course.
To import Learning Hours from courses into the Census file, or to input/update them manually, go to:
Modules > Census > Routines > Learning Hours Maintenance.
Choose the Academic Year from the dropdown, then select the Students whose Learning Hours need updating, by clicking the blue spy glass icon to open the Student Selector list.
Since this concerns Post 16 data, most selections will typically only be Year 12 and 13 students.
After the relevant selections have been made, click Go.
On the Planned Learning Hours Maintenance screen, use the available tools to select Students and update their data from their courses by clicking the Calculate button.
Manual adjustments can then be made for any exceptions or deviations from the standard. Once saved, this data will be stored for the Census processes and included in the Autumn Return.
For more information see, How to Manage Learning Hours Maintenance.
The Autumn Census also requires including each student’s Prior Attainment in English and Maths GCSE, or equivalent qualifications.
Prior Attainment data must be provided for two years: the current academic year and the previous year.
The table below outlines the data required;
| On roll in the previous academic year and in NC year 12 or above | On roll in the current academic year and in NC year 12 or above | Data required |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Previous year and existing current year fields populated |
| No | Yes | Only existing current year fields populated |
| Yes | No | Only previous year fields populated |
To review and update this information, navigate to Modules > Census > Routines > Student Prior Attainment.
Next, EITHER choose Student and select the student(s) by clicking the blue spy glass icon to open the Student Selector list, OR select All Post 16 and click Go.
Then either edit the data directly to add qualifications or, preferably, click the Update from Exams button at the top right to retrieve student qualifications from exam results information, if using the Bromcom Examinations module.
If a student is Exempt from the funding requirements for English or Mathematics, check the Exempt box next to the relevant subject and enter the reason for exemption.
Note: Update from Exams works only if the student was a Year 11 Candidate at the school; it will not update for new Year 12 students.
Update from Previous Census is useful for Year 13 students whose information was submitted in the previous year.
Be sure to click the Save button to keep any changes made.
For more information, see How to set Student Prior Attainment.