What are KS2 Core Baselines?
KS2 core baselines are the official KS2 data students have achieved at the end of Y6. These must be uploaded and set up accurately within Analytics for the cohort you’re working with, as they are used as the KS2 Prior Attainment for specific headline measures in the reports, such as Progress 8 and Value Added, where DfE guidance is available.
You may be able to find these from:
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The 24/25 and 25/26 cohorts did not take KS2 tests due to COVID-19 and so they will not have any official KS2 Scaled Scores available. For information on the options available for setting up these cohorts in Sisra Analytics, please see the guide linked here. |
Which subjects do I need?
The subjects and type of KS2 data used can vary per cohort, based on DfE guidance. Below we have outlined what you will need to prepare depending on which cohort you’re working with and when they finish Y11, as well as which columns to use from the exports in Get information about pupils (GIAP).
These must be uploaded as separate subjects, not as an average.
| Y11 in: | Official KS2 Subjects | KS2 Grade Type | Columns from GIAP |
|
20/21 to 23/24 26/27 onwards |
English Reading & Maths | KS2 Scaled Scores |
Maths: MATSCORE_noSpeccon* Reading: READSCORE_noSpeccon* |
| 16/17 to 19/20 | English Reading and Maths | KS2 Fine Levels (5dp) |
BA for Maths (MATTOTMARK) DL for Reading (READMRK) |
*The DfE have confirmed that KS2 scaled scores, when used for the purpose of the Progress 8 baseline, do not have special consideration applied.
Uploading and Setting up KS2 Baselines
1 / Preparing KS2 Baselines
KS2 data files that are uploaded to Analytics should contain the following information:
- Student ID
- Student Name
- KS2 Subject Name
- KS2 Score
This file can be uploaded as either a broadsheet, or a single column list of KS2 scores. Both formats are explained below:
| Broadsheet |
Grade List |
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Used for files which have subjects in separate columns, students down the left, and scores scattered throughout.
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Used for files where the scores are contained in a single column. This may be useful if your file contains additional columns.
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Once your file is ready for upload, this would need to be saved into Excel. Analytics accepts files saved as CSV, XLSX, XLS or XML format.
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Please see the following guide for further information on extracting KS2 data from your MIS if required - Extracting and Preparing Grades or AtL Data (Admin) |
2 / Uploading KS2 Baselines
Once the file has been prepared and is saved in either CSV, XLSX, XLS or XML format, it can be uploaded via DATA > KS3/4 > Select cohort > KS2/EAP > Uploads > Upload Grades File.
You will then be asked to select the relevant upload type, based on what format your Excel file is in. The two upload types are Broadsheet and Grade List, as explained above.
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Uploading from Broadsheet
If your file is a Broadsheet, you will need to first select the row which contains the titles of each subject. In the majority of cases this will be row '1' like in the example below, but you should check this in your file to make sure.
Next, choose your file, enter a clear file title to identify the contents of the upload (this will only be visible in DATA to allow you to distinguish between your KS2 / EAP baseline files), and click Upload.
You will then be taken to the Column Mapping - Baseline Data screen:
On this page, you should ensure the Student ID and Student Name columns are correctly mapped, then select the first and last qualification columns, based on your file.
Once all columns are mapped correctly, click Continue with the Upload.
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Uploading from Grade List
If your file has each score in a single column, you would use the Grade List option.
Next, choose your file, enter a clear file title to identify the contents of the upload (this will only be visible in DATA to allow you to distinguish between your KS2 / EAP baseline files), and click Upload.
You will then be taken to the Column Mapping - Baseline Data screen:
On this page, you should ensure the Student ID and Student Name columns are correctly mapped, then select the columns containing the Qualification Name, and the Grade/Level.
Once all columns are mapped correctly, click Continue with the Upload.
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Completing the Upload
Analytics will then perform a file health check, to ensure the file is suitable for upload. If any issues are found, please see our troubleshooting guide linked here.
If no issues are found, click Continue with the upload.
3 / Setting up KS2 Baselines
Once uploaded, KS2 Baseline must be setup in KS2/EAP > Baselines > click 'Edit'.
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Grade Type - Select the type of grades uploaded for each subject. For example, official KS2 data would be set to Scaled Scores for current cohorts.
- Core - Nominate the official KS2 subjects for that cohort (e.g. English Reading and Maths). The subjects nominated here will be used for calculating Headline measures (such as Progress 8).
For some current cohorts awarded Scaled Scores, at the time of writing, the DfE haven’t confirmed which subjects should be used but we recommend nominating English Reading and Maths Scaled Scores here to reflect the most recent guidance available. For leavers cohorts, you can see a table of the subjects used each year in the 'Which Subjects do I need?' section above.
Thanks for reading!
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