Sisra Analytics: How do I set up the 2024/25 and 2025/26 cohorts without KS2 Data? (Admin)

Overview

This article explains how you can set up the 2024/25 and 2025/26 leavers cohorts that do not have any official Key Stage 2 (KS2) data due to the impact of the pandemic. There are two main options available based on the report functionality you need.

For all cohorts other than 2024/25 and 2025/26, you must never enter a KS2 score in Sisra Analytics for a student who doesn’t have one. The DfE will not report Progress 8 for students without KS2 data, and you will produce an inaccurate reflection of your cohort by including results that do not exist.

Prerequisites

You must be an administrator.

Options

The following options are available to you:

  • The DfE has confirmed that headline measures that require Key Stage 2 data to be calculated, such as Progress 8, will not be officially reported on for these cohorts, so you can skip uploading any KS2 baselines. You can still generate other official headlines in the report this way, such as EBacc figures, Basics 9-5, etc.

    You will need to upload EAP Baselines to create your EAPs, as the EAPs are an essential part of the setup.

    There are several different options for EAP baselines (see Sisra Analytics: KS3/4 - EAP Baseline Examples (Targets, Individual student Flightpaths, MidYis, CAT Standardised Scores, KS2 Baselines) for more information), but the most common option for schools who do not use the KS2 Baseline is to use Target baselines. This lets you create a unique EAP for each subject.

    For further information see Sisra Analytics: How do I create Target-based EAPs? (Admin).

    Instructions

    1. Prepare an Excel file of your students' target grades.
    2. In Sisra Analytics, select DATA.
    3. Select the Key Stage > Cohort.
    4. Select KS2/EAP.
    5. Select Uploads:
    6. Select Upload Grades File:
    7. Select either Broadsheet or Grade List format.
    8. Select Choose file to select the file. 
    9. Enter a File Title.
    10. Select Upload. 
    11. The Column Mapping - Baseline Data screen opens. Map the columns in your file. For more about preparing an EAP baseline file for uploading see Sisra Analytics: KS3/4 - Preparing and uploading EAP Baselines (Admin).

    During the upload process, Analytics will perform a file health check. This will inform you of any issues found in the file. Checking this and the number of students and qualifications listed in the upload summary. If there is an issue, select Show/Hide Warnings to view further information. Select Cancel the upload, resolve the issues, and re-upload the amended file. For further information see Sisra Analytics: EAP File Health Check Issues (Admin).

    When the file contents are as expected and you have checked the upload summary (or if you want to address issues in Sisra Analytics, where possible) and you have checked the upload summary, select Continue with the upload:

    After your targets file has been uploaded:

    1. Select KS2/EAP.
    2. Select Baselines.
    3. Select Baseline Management. All baseline qualifications are highlighted in red (as they have not been set up with a Grade Type and Grade Method):
    4. Select Edit to set up the Baselines
    5. Select KS3/4 Method in the Grade Type
    6. Select the relevant Grade Method.
    7. Repeat the above for all of the baseline qualifications as needed.
    8. Select Save.

    Outcome

    Your Target EAP Baselines are set up. You can now creating your EAPs as normal. For further information about creating EAPs see Sisra Analytics: KS3/4 - Creating EAPs (Admin).

  • To generate headline figures such as Progress 8 and Value Added for internal analysis, as well as Sisra's SPI measure, some schools have created their own KS2 Scores to upload to Sisra Analytics in place of official Scaled Scores. As DfE does not provide specific guidance about how to do this, we are unable to recommend a specific way to create your own KS2 Scores, but some schools do one of the following:

    1. Use CAT4 or other baseline tests to provide a retrospective indication of what the KS2 scaled scores might have been.
    2. Compare the students' performance to other students who do have KS2 Scaled Scores to work out what their scores might have been.
    3. Use our own created spreadsheet for generating Scaled Scores using your students' Attainment 8 scores.

    Please see the attached spreadsheet at the bottom of this guide for our Covid Cohort Scaled Scores Generating Spreadsheet. There is a corresponding webinar explaining our conversion method in detail, you can find the link for this here: KS2 Scaled Score Generation for 202425 Cohort-20250521_132834-Meeting Recording.mp4.

    As long as the baseline scores you create fall between the approved Scaled Scores of 59 to 120, you can upload these baselines to Sisra Analytics and treat them how you would Scaled Scores. You need to create two baseline qualifications for this to work - one for Maths, and one for English Reading.

    Instructions

    1. Prepare an Excel file of your students' baselines.
    2. In Sisra Analytics, select DATA.
    3. Select the Key Stage.
    4. Select the Cohort.
    5. Select KS2/EAP.
    6. Select Uploads:
    7. Select Upload Grades File:

    8. Select either Broadsheet or Grade List format.

    9. Select Choose file to select the file.

    10. Enter a File Title.

    11. Select Upload. 
      The Column Mapping - Baseline Data screen opens. Map the columns in your file. For more about preparing an EAP baseline file for uploading Sisra Analytics KS3/4 - Preparing and uploading EAP Baselines (Admin).

      During the upload process, Analytics will perform a file health check. This will inform you of any issues found in the file. Checking this and the number of students and qualifications listed in the upload summary. If there is an issue, select Show/Hide Warnings to view further information. Select Cancel the upload, resolve the issues, and re-upload the amended file. For further information see Sisra Analytics: KS3/4 - Uploading KS2 Core Baselines - File Health Check Issues (Admin).

      When the file contents are as expected and you have checked the upload summary (or if you want to address issues in Sisra Analytics, where possible) and you have checked the upload summary, select Continue with the upload.

    After your file has been uploaded:

    1. Select KS2/EAP.
    2. Select Baselines.
    3. Select Baseline Management.
    4. Select Edit to set up your baselines.
    5. Select Scaled Scores as the Grade Type.
    6. Nominate these baselines in the Core dropdown box as appropriate:
    7. Select Save.

    Outcome

    Your new baselines are read to use when calculating headline figures for your internal analysis.

    Create your EAPs how you normally do in your school. For further information about creating EAPs see Sisra Analytics: KS3/4 - EAP Overview (Admin).

One of our data experts has also put together an informative blog post on strategies for handling 2024/25 and 2025/26 students lacking KS2 data. You can access this blog post at KS2 Data Gap in Schools: Utilising Sisra Analytics.

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