Mastering School Data: Complete Guide For The Secondary Sector

Working with data in education in the secondary sector? Your work will play a vital part in ensuring accurate and timely data supports the smooth running of the school, potential funding allocations and student outcomes. It is a wide-reaching and varied role that differs school to school and day to day.

We have a lot to cover but do not worry, you will receive the training and support you need to succeed!

Below is a brief outline of the content within each module of the course.

In Module One we will have a look at a brief introduction to the types of data within a school, where other colleagues may use the data and look briefly into software that will support you in your role regardless of context.

 

Module Two looks at the basics of student context data. This is background information about a student that helps us understand their circumstances. These are things like their name, year group, free school meals eligibility and pupil premium.

 

Module Three covers topics such as basics of GDPR, good Data Management habits to get into and knowing your role within your specific organisation.

 

Module Four is all about the school year, what recurring tasks come up and when. This will include the preparations for results day, the September start and potential data collections.

 

Module Five looks at pastoral data for students. We will cover Attendance codes, persistent absenteeism and behaviour data and how these data can be used more widely within schools to improve attendance and behaviour.

 

Module Six is about Student Attainment and Progress data. We look at the Primary and Secondary accountability measures, how schools are assessed based on student results and we look at calculations of these measures.

 

Module Seven is about Statutory responsibilities and data resources.  This includes potential responsibilities as a result of GDPR as well as the school statutory returns like the census. The data resources include data from the department for education, the DfE Sign in Page and everything that covers, as well as a couple of community pages for school data managers to ask for help.

 

Module Eight covers Data team & Systems leadership, creating a standard operating procedure, PDCA cycles and other tips for hopefully smooth running of a data department.

 

With great care, we have meticulously designed this course to ensure optimal learning outcomes for our participants. The content has been organised into manageable, bite-sized modules. However, we understand that everyone has unique learning preferences and requirements. Hence, should you require additional time to absorb the material you are encouraged to revisit any sections of the course as frequently as needed to solidify your understanding.

Upon joining this online course, you will be granted unrestricted access throughout the entirety of the academic year in which it was purchased. Within this period, you will have the privilege of accessing a wide array of valuable resources, including downloadable documents and videos. These resources have been thoughtfully curated to provide comprehensive support and enhance your learning experience.

This course has been updated for the academic year 2025/2026. You will have access until 31st July 2026.

Instructions: It is important to carefully follow the learning journey and mark each activity as complete as you progress through the program. This ensures that you can keep track of your progress and have a clear overview of the activities you have completed. By marking activities as complete, you can easily identify the remaining tasks and monitor your overall advancement in the program. Take the time to review each activity thoroughly before marking it as complete to ensure that you have fulfilled all the requirements and gained the intended knowledge or skills.

Learning Outcomes

1. Identify and describe key types of data used in schools, their purposes and the basic software tools used to manage this data.
2. Understand basic principles of data protection and good data management in accordance with GDPR.
3. Understand how student attainment and progress are measured.
4. Plan and prepare for recurring data tasks throughout the academic year.
5. Locate, access and use official and unofficial resources to support with data management.

Course Access & Intellectual Property
All course materials are provided solely for the personal use of the registered participant. Access must not be shared, transferred, or reproduced in any form. All content, including text, slides, videos, and resources, is the intellectual property of Exam Officers & Data Solutions and is protected by copyright. Any unauthorised distribution, copying, or use is strictly prohibited.