1. Wales Education Data and Information Improvement Programme Proposal1
DfES Digital Learning Division
Wales Education Data and Information Improvement Programme Proposal
Stephen McMillan
Head of Digital Data Unit
December 2014
28 November 2018

2. Vision Wales’ education system:
is a single enterprise, a co-creating family, with producing high performing, economically productive people its goal
is autonomous in the UK and has the learner’s wellbeing at its heart
is a big part of Wales’ aspiration to be a world class small country
A successful learner is the sum of all the education system parts, all the inputs, at all ages.
Data driven Improvement and Accountability has been shown to improve learner outcomes
However, making good data and systems in isolation is not the end goal
Ultimately it is the empowerment by good data of teachers, learners, parents and policy makers that leads to improvement
Accountability at the expense of improvement will distort actions though
Economy of scale in digital terms is the best way forward
Collaboration and co creation has to be the way forward in times of shrinking budgets
Size and scale of Wales should allow speed and agility to get to a good place fast but only if all want to.
28 November 2018

3. A High Performance Education System A High Performance Information Environment
One Learner
One Record
One Infrastructure
One Wales
As a small autonomous world class country, we need a world class digital infrastructure to support our aspirations with the learner up front and centre
28 November 2018

4. Transformational Change
Need we say more?
Wales as a Single Education Enterprise with A Single Education Record for a Learner for Life
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5. The Change Drivers Business Drivers Policy Drivers
Opportunities & Benefits
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6. Business Drivers
Existing data management processes burdensome and slow to change
Slow reduction of capacity across the whole system to do data analysis and management
High cost systems and processes at a time of reducing budgets
Data collection systems out of date (LLWR & PLASC) burdensome and costly to run
Lack of consistent data and process standards across all ages
The same data that is used to provide transparency and accountability can be used to deliver improved learner performance.
Reducing capacity of the system to manage and analyse
Responsiveness to changing information needs of policy
Security demands, load increasing
Improved decision making around the learner
Resources consumed by managing, not analysing, data
Cost of ca£50m p.a. for current methods across schools, FE, WBL, AL (exc. HE)
28 November 2018

7. Policy Drivers Qualified for Life – an all age, long term approach
Driving up learner performance with data driven improvement and accountability
Data sharing across organisations for better learner outcomes
Qualified for Life - Education Performance Improvement Plan 2014
All age & comprehensive
Learner Performance
Thomas Review 2011
Hill Review 2013
Williams Commission 2014
Donaldson Curriculum Review 2015
Regional Education Improvement Services 2014 onward
Literacy & Numeracy Programme 2013 onward
Data Sharing
Youth Employment & Engagement 2014 onward
Additional Learning Needs process commonality and tracking
Early Years Development Assessment Framework tracking
For our Future - Widening Access in HE
28 November 2018

8. Opportunities
A single, comprehensive education record per learner for life
Reduce the data management burden, improve the data analysis function
Improve information access for all who need it
Reduce the Burden
Eliminate data collections as distinct processes sending data around
Speed up information availability
Modern digital solutions and analytics
Reduce the cost of data management
Improved Information Access
Focus on improved data quality at source
Data analysis not management
Organise people effectively for added value
Standardised reports on a single portal
28 November 2018

9. Some Benefits Eliminate data collection and movement processes
Reduce reliance on institution located MIS and all associated costs
Deliver data driven improvement and accountability by
Timely in-school data to improve teacher input to learner performance
Improved data management and access for all education stakeholders
Significantly reduce costs of administration
More………..
Improved information services to teachers for learners
Improving consistency & quality of data
Improved information source for analysis
Better tracking of learners across the system at all ages
Better measuring of added value
Facilitating collaborative working at all age ranges
Eliminate transfer of data for learner moves
Improving timeliness and usefulness of data
Streamlining access to data for stakeholders
Significantly lowering the cost of access to data
Effort on value add from data, not manipulating and moving
28 November 2018

10. By March 2015 Demonstrate a prototype single education record
To include real time ULN linked GCSE, AS A2, QCF, NVQ awards
Potential for a parent /learner access point
Deliver a cloud based solution for Teacher Centre
Deliver a robust security model and data sharing protocol
Automated data transfer connections from secondary and FE
Demonstrate single sign on to MIS through Hwb
Demonstrate a reporting portal
Business case for take on by North Wales
DfES given £125k to facilitate some key work.
1.3m awards are sitting in the LRS data bin unused. About time we did. Involving parents from the start.
Scaling up the infrastructure for dealing with 800 schools worth of data means moving to a commercial, scalable, high availability, secure infrastructure as a service model.
Security is paramount at all times, and communicating what happens to parents is a necessity
Demonstrating a new way of stakeholders accessing data, automating and reducing the burden of administration of data transfers is a necessity.
Using Hwb as a base for single sign on demonstrates a joined up approach, reusing prior investment
Many stakeholders want to see information about different elements of the performance of learners at all levels in education. We need to standardise that and make it easier to do. Also make it easier to comply with an open data agenda.
28 November 2018

11. Schematic
28 November 2018

12. What of You?
Do you accept the vision and the goal as worth shooting for?
SW&C RLP is in the Erw Regional education Consortium area
Schools are in scope, so need AL, FE, WBT and HE in the mix, if at all possible
Aim: to re – purpose some effort and money being expended on data management institutionally to collaborate and co-create a national approach
28 November 2018

13. Thank you Any Questions? Stephen McMillan 02920 825 908 07957 242 192
28 November 2018