Important: Notice of API Impact in the Winter 2026 Update

We are providing advance notice of three changes due for release in the Winter 2026 Update that will impact the HEAT API.

1. Activity Register endpoints

Activity Register endpoint /activities/{ID}/students now accurately reflects the values of the HESA Data Futures model. The Summer 2025 Update brought change as a consequence of the HESA Data Futures model, where key Student characteristics fields (such as ‘Young Carer’) moved from a Yes/No/Unknown option to a specific value. The Student and Ambassador endpoints were updated at the time, with this update seeing the Activity Register endpoints of Students and Ambassadors reflecting these changes.

2. Updating Postcode derived data with the latest available geographical values

The 2001 ‘Lower Super Output Area’ (LSOA) field is being archived, with LSOA 2021 and MSOA (‘Middle Super Output Area’) 2021 added as up-to-date alternatives. Please be aware that the archived ‘LSOA2001’ field will not be refreshed with the next postcode update. This change impacts /postcodedata and /students endpoints.

3. Updated API Permissions for special category data

API permissions have been strengthened to ensure any API access to special category data now has the appropriate Ambassador or Student Special Category permission when interrogating special category data within them. Any API User accessing special category data via the /students, /ambassadors, /activities/{ID}/students, and /activities/{ID}/ambassadors endpoints, must have the necessary special category permission.