Summer 2025 Update

Key Items

New and Improved Reports landing page

Why are we making this change?

We are pleased to announce an overhaul of the Reports area of the database, a refresh which streamlines this area and improves the accessibility and visibility of the wide range of reports HEAT offers. This exciting development introduces the key updates to the Reports area.

Enhanced Navigation

A major improvement is the restructure of the content so it is aligned with the Evaluation Cycle, where Reports are now grouped within the relevant stage: Plan, Target, Record and Monitor and Analyse Impact.

This enhanced navigation will allow you to easily access Reports relevant to the stage you are interested in and showcases how our breadth of reporting options can support you throughout the evaluation cycle.

Centralised Reports

All reports are now available in the Reports area, which improves the visibility and accessibility of the wide range of options HEAT offers. Alongside the existing options in Reports, we have ensured additional reports, as indicated below, are either signposted to or made available under the relevant evaluation stage:

• Evaluation Plans
• Assessment of Performance Dashboard
• Event Reports
• Key Stage 4 Attainment Track
• Key Stage 5 Attainment Track
• Contextualised Higher Education Entry Track

Please note: The functionality to download your latest Key Stage 4 Track, Key Stage 5 Track and Contextualised HE Entry Track datasets via the ‘Download Data’ button is not available on the DEMO database. You will be able to use this new functionality on the LIVE database once the Summer 2025 Update has been deployed to LIVE.

Roles and Permissions

All available reports within the Reports area of the database are displayed regardless of individual user role permission. If you do not have relevant permissions to access a report, the system will alert you to this. Please contact the HEAT Point of Contact at your organisation for more information about your database role.

Improved Resource Access

You can now access additional resources directly from the Reports homepage, with a major development being the ability to download your organisation’s HEAT Track data and dashboard directly, improving efficiency and usability.

Additionally, as part of the work to enhance the user experience, you can now access User Guides and supporting documents from the i-Buttons in this redesigned area, making it easier than ever to find the information you need on the database.

Ambassador and Student record: Aligning fields values with HESA’s Data Model

Why are we making this change?

Data Futures is a new collection model that HESA have transitioned to which will facilitate in-year data collection, assurance and dissemination of higher education (HE) data. We are updating key fields on the Student and Ambassador records to align with the values used in the HESA’s Data Futures collection model, to ensure consistency with HESA’s approach to student-level data coding, which will support member data recording.

Where are we making this change?

Major changes are taking place to ‘Disability’, ‘Ethnicity’, ‘Nationality’ fields, fields with ‘Yes/No/Unknown’ values, alongside other fields in the Student and Ambassador record.

This update will add new values to indicated fields, and as such members need to be aware that there will be more field value options to use when updating their Student and Ambassador records. Both the archived and new values will be available alongside each other for one year (at a minimum, to be reviewed in due course), to allow members time to transition their data over to the new values.

The following is a summary of key field changes:

• Ethnicity fields: New field values will be added to indicated fields.
• Disability fields: New field values will be added to indicated fields, and the pre-existing data labels on indicated values will be updated to the new versions used in HESA’s Data Futures model.
• Nationality fields: A new ‘Nationality’ field and values will be added, and the old ‘Nationality’ field will remain available to support members to transition their data to the HESA Data Futures model. As per HEAT policy, the old Nationality field will be phased out in due course.
• Yes/No/Unknown fields: Indicated fields will be transitioned from the ‘Yes/No/Unknown’ model to the more detailed options used in the HESA Data Futures coding.

Further information and a list of fields impacted is available in our previous update, and a HEAT Field Values Changelog is also available to support members with this change. Please see the impact(s) listed below.

Ambassador record: New option to generate HESA Track data

Why are we making this change?

As part of the work to extend our research into the post-entry space and aggregate data across institutions, a new Ambassador option has been added to the HESA Track Report page.

Selecting ‘Ambassadors’ in the ‘Entity Type’ field enables members to generate HESA Track data for Ambassadors in a way which mirrors the existing Student HESA Track Report. This major enhancement supports ongoing development to facilitate post-entry evaluation.

For more information about the work we have undertaken to support members to record, monitor and evaluate post-entry interventions, please read our Research Blog post.

Permission and Role updates related to these changes

If your role allows you to ‘View Student HESA Data’, a new permission for Ambassadors labelled ‘View Ambassador HESA Data’ will also be applied. Any members who use Custom Roles will need to update these with the ‘View Ambassador HESA Data’ permission to access the data.

Notable Items

Postcode Profiler and associated fields: Removal of Archived version and depreciation of data fields

Why are we making this change?

This change is following on from Summer 2024 Update which released an updated version of the Postcode Profiler Report. This change archives postcode fields based on historical methods of measuring deprivation, retires the ‘Archived’ version of the Postcode Profiler Report, and removes the impacted fields from other areas of the database. This will improve the user experience by reducing repetition and streamlining the volume of information derived from postcode data.

Members need to be aware that if they are using any of the indicated fields for their targeting/profiling in the database, these fields will no longer be updated or available following the Summer 2025 Update.

Further information on this change and a list of fields removed from the Postcode Data text file is available in our previous update.

Institution record: Removal of three Ofsted fields

Why are we making this change?

This change is being deployed in response to the Department for Education’s deprecation of three fields providing Ofsted assessment information. It was identified by the HEAT Team when the monthly Institution update from the Department for Education failed to complete.

This change archives the following fields from the Institution record and other areas of the database:

• Last OFSTED Date
• OFSTED Rating
• Has Special Measures

Further information is available in our previous update. Please see the impact(s) listed below.

Student record: Improved logic of outreach fields

Why are we making this change?

This update improves the logic behind the calculation of the ‘First Participated in Outreach’ and ‘Last Participated in Outreach’ fields within the Activities tab of the Student record.

Previously, these values were calculated using a Student’s date of birth in the General tab. Using this information led to inaccuracy for individuals where the ‘Last Known Phase’ was not auto calculated. This update uses the Student’s ‘Last known Phase’ field to determine the values in the outreach fields in the Activities tab when manually entered.

Student record: Export Template updated to include ‘Potential Duplicate’ field

Why are we making this change?

To support with data management, we have added a new ‘Potential Duplicate’ column at the end of the Student Export template, supporting members to easily retrieve duplicate information from the database.

The system will return data in a comma separated list of any potential duplicate Student record that it matches.

Office for Students (OfS) Monitoring Report (for Uni Connect Partnerships): Count change update on Attainment Raising sheet

Why are we making this change?

In the OfS Monitoring Report, various rows in the Attainment Raising sheet calculated ‘Contact Hours’ by Activity. This change will calculate ‘Contact Hours’ by Registered Students. Please note: The OfS are aware of how these fields currently work and requested this amendment.

The rows affected are as follows:

• Average contact hours delivered to Y7 learners
• Average contact hours delivered to Y8 learners
• Average contact hours delivered to Y9 learners
• Average contact hours delivered to Y10 learners
• Average contact hours delivered to Y11 learners
• Average contact hours delivered across all learners (years 7-11)

Ambassador Contract Templates: Key Improvements

Why are we making this change?

This update introduces significant improvements to the management of Contract Templates within the Student Ambassador Programme.

In the Contract Templates area of the database, members can now view all Ambassadors assigned to a specific template, perform bulk actions and manage these with ease. When creating or managing a Contract Template, you can use the Ambassador tab to assign the template to a new Ambassador and update or delete existing templates from Ambassadors using the table.

Additionally, for each individual Contract Template assigned to an Ambassador, you can set key employment details such as ‘Date Signed’, ‘Start Date’, and ‘End Date’. These improvements streamline the contract assignment process, which was previously only possible through using the Contract tab on individual Ambassador records or the imports process, significantly enhancing accessibility and efficiency.

We would like to thank Northeastern University of London for their support for this development and part-funding of this work.

Ambassador Visa Categories: Important update

Why are we making this change?

This update introduces two new options to the Visa ‘Category’ field within the Employment tab of the Ambassador record. The two new options are as follows:

• ‘Student (Sponsored Study)’
• ‘Child Student (Sponsored Study)’

These new Visa options have been added to the database in line with updated UK government visa classifications. The ‘Student (Sponsored Study)’ category will mirror the logic of the  ‘Tier 4 (General)’ category and will default to a 20-hour work limit, while ‘Child Student (Sponsored Study)’ will default to a 10-hour work limit.

These changes reflect updated Visa categories introduced in 2020, replacing the older categories. In accordance with HEAT policy, the older ‘Tier 4 (General)’ ‘Category’ field option will be phased out in due course. As this older category will be archived in the future, members should consider future Visa Category selections as part of managing and creating Ambassador records.

Ambassador record: Introduction of duplicate record checking logic

Why are we making this change?

To support with data management, the system will apply a duplicate record checking logic to Ambassador records.

This improvement introduces the logic for Ambassador records created:

• Individually, using the ‘Creating new Ambassador’ page
• Via importing
• Processing an Ambassador Application Form

The duplicate detection functionality uses the same record matching criteria currently applied to Student records, helping to reduce redundant data entry and improve data quality.

Ambassador Import Template: Update to include ‘Activity HEAT ID’

Why are we making this change?

As we develop our evaluation of post-entry work, we are aligning the Ambassador record with the Student record to support members to record and analyse this data effectively. This change adds the ‘Activity HEAT ID’ field to the first column in the Ambassador Import template, allowing Ambassadors to be imported and registered to Activities. On the database, using the ‘Activity HEAT ID’ field will allow Activities to automatically be linked to Ambassador records via the Activities tab, and to Activity records via the Ambassadors tab.

Additionally, the ‘Status Updates’ and ‘New Invites’ fields will now be excluded from imports for organisations that do not have the Student Ambassador Programme enabled.

Please note: The ability to register Ambassadors to an Activity is separate to the registering of Students to Activities and to allocation of Ambassadors to Work Opportunities. This change does not impact Activity participant counts or attendance status nor does it impact Ambassador application or acceptance onto Work Opportunities.

Minor Items

Institution record: Introduction of section header i-Buttons

Why are we making this change?

To support members to find the help and information needed when using the database, i-Buttons have been introduced to the section headings of the Institution record. These provide helpful context, information and guidance to the relevant area of the tab.

Members can export the information included in i-Buttons across the database using the HEAT Data Dictionary, which is accessible in the Reports area.

Institution record: New behind-the-scenes alias field

Why are we making this change?

We are adding a new ‘Alias’ field to the Institution record to allow the entry of acronyms when searching for Institutions within the Institution area and in Public Forms.

As follow-on for this work, we will ensure that the name on the Institution record is the full organisation name, and any abbreviations (for example, OfS, DfE), will be entered into this new ‘Alias’ field to improve retrieving and working with an Institution record.

Activity record: Archival of the Registration Tool API endpoint

Why are we making this change?

Following the decommission of the Registration Tool, the ‘Show on Registration Tool’ Activity field was made visible and non-editable so members could export Activity records with this data if required.

This field was depreciated from the Activity record in the Summer 2024 Update, and it is HEAT policy to ensure this is fully removed one year later. This change archives the API endpoint, please see the impact(s) listed below.

Student record: Update to ‘Auto Calculate HE Entry Year’ field on Import template

Why are we making this change?

This update to the Student Import template enables members to change the ‘Auto Calculate Expected HE Entry Year’ field from ‘No’ (FALSE) to ‘Yes’ (TRUE) via the importing process, and ensures the template works as expected. The ‘Auto Calculate Expected HE Entry Year’ is a checkbox field within the General tab of a Student record.

Previously, this field could not be toggled to ‘Yes’ via import, which limited bulk updating options. The change brings this field in line with the behaviour of the ‘Auto Calculate Phase’ field, providing greater flexibility and consistency in data recording and management.

Public forms: Update to the ‘Sex’ field on Surveys, Ambassador Applications, and Event Programme Forms

Why are we making this change?

This update addresses a bug where the ‘Sex’ field was being inadvertently overwritten with ‘Unknown’ when a submitted Survey response or Event Programme Application matched a Student record, but did not explicitly include a selection of a value in the ‘Sex’ field.

The fix ensures that the ‘Sex’ field is only changed if applicants explicitly select an option, which prevents unintended overwrites caused by default values on public forms. This correction applies to Surveys, Ambassador Applications, and Event Programme Forms.

Event Programmes: Addition of new field to provide information about Referees

Why are we making this change?

To support members using the Referee functionality on the database, a new field labelled ‘Referee Member of Staff Description’ has been added to the General tab of Event Programme Forms’.

This field will appear on Event Programme Forms where the ‘Referee Approval Process Required’ field is selected. This update replaces the static purple banner, allowing members to provide a customised description per programme. The field can be populated with information about the Referee option(s) an applicant will see when completing a form, offering greater clarity during this process.

Extension of character limit for ‘Name’ fields across the database

Why are we making this change?

Across the database, the character limit for ‘Name’ fields are being increased from 50 to 100 characters to offer greater flexibility in the recording of individual data.

‘Name’ fields in the following areas of the database have been updated:

• Users
• Students
• Ambassadors
• Ambassador Applications
• Event Programme Applications
• Referees
• Surveys
• Institution Contact

Role Permissions

Any new permissions added to the system will automatically be included in the appropriate default Roles (members only). Any members who use Custom Roles will need to consider whether to update their Custom Roles with any new permissions. New permissions added to default Roles:

‘View Ambassador HESA Data’

• Coordinator
• Lead
• Coordinator Lite
• Lead Lite
• User + (Associate member)

API

For those utilising the HEAT API, it is important to familiarise yourself with the following changes:

• Postcode Profiler and associated fields: Removal of Archived version and depreciation of data fields
• Ambassador and Student record: Aligning fields values with HESA’s Data Future Model
• Institution record: Removal of three Ofsted fields
• Activity record: Archival of the Registration Tool API endpoint

Accessibility

There are various changes in this update which improve the way we support accessibility needs. To ensure the database is as inclusive as possible, we have made the following updates:

• Improved functionality to upload files and access areas of the database via keyboard navigation
• Improved text formatting and contrast, making text clearer and easier to read
• Amended display of drop-down lists in Event Programmes to improve accessibility

If you would like to know more about how HEAT continually seeks to improve accessibility, see our Accessibility Review available on File Store (members only).

System and Performance

Custom Data: Institution Cognitive search implementation removes option to fuzzy match Custom Data values

Why are we making this change?

As part of our ongoing migration to move search functionality to a dedicated Azure Searching Service, cognitive searching is being implemented to Institution records. This migration is part of an ongoing and phased project, which has already been implemented to other parts of the database and will be rolled out to other main areas of the system over time.

This enhancement to the search functionality in Institutions will help the system narrow down which fields it needs to search through so it can intelligently identify which fields are relevant. This improvement to searching will help return results more efficiently.

User record: Password Reset and Login Audit Improvements

Why are we making this change?

This change is an improvement to the User record, enhancing the information logged on the Audit tab when a user requests to reset their password on the system, and fixing an issue affecting the ‘Expiry Date’ and ‘Remove expiry after next login’ fields.

This change introduces an additional log entry in the Audit tab of a User record when a user resets their password.

Additionally, if a user has a value set in the ‘Expiry Date’ and the ‘Remove expiry after next login’ fields, these were not being cleared as expected during the password reset process. This change rectifies this to ensure the fields clear correctly.