Winter 2026 Update

Key Items

Redesigning the Student Higher Education Tracking Tab

To support members with Student data cleaning and preparation for Higher Education (HE) Tracking, we are updating the Student Higher Education Tracking tab on the database homepage.

This update will improve the layout, content and links within the tab to better align with the HE Track Snapshot criteria, making it easier for members to identify and access relevant Student records.

These improvements aim to provide clearer information about HE Tracking requirements and help members prepare their Student data more effectively.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the Student Higher Education Tracking tab on the HEAT database homepage (members only).

Notable Items

Removing individual Beneficiary Institutions via Activity Imports

To make it easier for members to manage Institutions on Activity records, we are introducing improvements to the Activity import template that allow individual Beneficiaries to be removed without affecting others linked to the same Activity.

Previously, members could only remove all registered beneficiaries from an Activity using #NULL within the ‘Beneficiary Institutions’ column on the ‘Activities’ sheet of the Activity import template.

This update introduces more flexibility when managing Activities in bulk, allowing members to selectively remove Beneficiary Institutions and their associated Student registrations while retaining those that should remain linked to the Activity.

Why are we making this change?

To make it easier for members to manage Institutions on Activity records, we are introducing improvements to the Activity import template that allow individual Beneficiaries to be removed without affecting others linked to the same Activity.

Previously, members could only remove all registered beneficiaries from an Activity using #NULL within the ‘Beneficiary Institutions’ column on the ‘Activities’ sheet of the Activity import template.

This update introduces more flexibility when managing Activities in bulk, allowing members to selectively remove Beneficiary Institutions and their associated Student registrations while retaining those that should remain linked to the Activity.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the Activity import template, specifically the Activities and Beneficiaries sheets, and affects the associated Activity and Session records within the database.

Addition of ‘HE Year 05’ to Activity Year Group options

A new ‘HE Year 05’ option is being added to the ‘Year Group’ field on Activity records to support the monitoring of Activities involving students in their fifth year of higher education.

This will be particularly useful for members delivering programmes involving students on longer degree courses, such as Medicine, allowing these Activities to be recorded and reported on more accurately.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the ‘Year Group’ field within Activity records on the database.

Additional ‘Delivered By’ Options for Activity records

The ‘Delivered By’ field on Activity records is being expanded to include two new options: ‘Post-Entry Practitioner’ and ‘Student Recruitment Officer’.

Why are we making this change?

These additional values will allow members to more accurately identify the roles of staff involved in delivering Activities, supporting more detailed recording and reporting of Activity delivery.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the ‘Delivered By’ field within Activity records on the database.

Updates to LSOA and MSOA Geography fields

The geographical information available within the system is being updated to align with the latest deprivation measures. This includes introducing new Lower Layer Super Output Area (LSOA) and Middle Layer Super Output Area (MSOA) 2021 codes and names, alongside updates to the existing LSOA and MSOA 2011 field labels.

These changes follow the introduction of the 2025 Indices of Deprivation measures for England and Wales in the 2026 Postcode Profiler Refresh. The legacy LSOA 2001 field will also be archived, following the previous retirement of the POLAR3 deprivation measure.

Where are we making this change?

These changes will affect the Postcode Profiler Report (members only) and its underlying data, as well as the Geography tab on Student and Ambassador records within the database.

Changes to deleting Required Field List Values

We are introducing additional checks when bulk deleting Field List values (members only), to improve data integrity and prevent required fields from being left without a value.

Why are we making this change?

Previously, deleting Field List values could result in records being left with blank values, even where the field was mandatory.

This update ensures that when deleting a value from a required Field List, members must select a replacement value before the deletion can proceed. This will help maintain data completeness and consistency across records.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the bulk actions functionality within the Field Lists page, available to those with the required permissions in the My HEAT area of the system.

Improved System Accessibility

As part of this update, we have introduced several accessibility improvements to make the database more user-friendly and easier to navigate.

These changes include the introduction of a new ‘Hidden Fields’ icon to clearly indicate which fields have been hidden from view, alongside adjustments to text and background colours to improve readability and alignment with accessibility contrast guidelines.

These improvements aim to provide a clearer, more consistent and accessible experience for members using the database.

For further information on our accessibility work, please see our announcement: Completion of Accessibility Review 2026.

Minor Items

Extension of Institution data to Successor records

To improve consistency across Institution records and provide easier access to Institution profiling data, we are expanding the existing functionality that automatically copies data from closed Institutions to their single successor Institution.

Why are we making this change?

Currently, this functionality applies to data within the Geography tab. This update will extend the same approach to the Attainment and Destinations tabs, ensuring that relevant data from closed Institutions is also available on their successor Institution records.

Data will only be copied where it does not already exist on the successor Institution record, ensuring that existing information is not overwritten or removed.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the Attainment and Destinations tabs within Institution records on the database.

Inclusion of All Activities in Activities Including Sessions Exports

The ‘Activities Including Sessions’ and ‘Activities Including Sessions with Students’ exports will now include all Activities, regardless of whether they have Sessions attached.

Why are we making this change?

Previously, these exports only included Activities with associated Sessions. By including Activities without Sessions, members will have a more complete view of their Activity data, supporting more accurate monitoring and reporting of engagement.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the ‘Activities Including Sessions’ and ‘Activities Including Sessions with Students’ exports within the database.

Inclusion of ‘Unconfirmed’ attendance status in Activity Exports

Previously, where a Student’s attendance status was ‘Unconfirmed’, the ‘Student Attended’ column would appear blank in Activity exports.

Why are we making this change?

We have corrected this so that ‘Unconfirmed’ is now displayed as a value, allowing members to distinguish between unconfirmed attendance and missing information when reviewing and reporting on Student engagement.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the ‘Student Attended’ column in the following members only exports:

• Activities Including Students
• Students Including Activities
• Activities Including Sessions with Students
• Activities Including Beneficiary Institutions with Students

Resolution of negative Student counts in Activity Beneficiary tables

An issue was identified on some members’ Activity records where negative Student counts could appear in the ‘Unknown’ column of the Beneficiary Institutions table.

Why are we making this change?

This may have occurred when merging duplicate Student records, where a Student inherited Institution information from another record.

We have corrected the calculation to prevent these incorrect negative figures from appearing, improving the accuracy of Student participation information within Activity records.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the ‘Unknown’ column within the Beneficiary Institutions table on Activity records in the database and Activity exports.

Removal of the Event Programme Event Info Role Permission

Following the removal of the legacy Event Info functionality from Event Programmes (members only) in the Summer 2026 Update, we are removing the associated ‘Import Event Programme Event Info’ permission from roles within the database.

Why are we making this change?

As this functionality is no longer available, the permission is no longer required. This change will help streamline role configuration by removing an obsolete permission and ensuring that available role settings reflect current database functionality.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the Roles and Permissions area within the database. The ‘Import Event Programme Event Info’ permission will be removed from both existing roles and the configuration options for new roles.

Changes to Student registration permissions for Activity Sessions

To improve consistency in how Student registration permissions are applied across Activities and Sessions, we are updating the permissions required to register Students through the Activity Session Beneficiary Institutions table.

Why are we making this change?

Previously, users with only the ‘View Students’ permission could register Students to Activity Sessions. This update ensures that users must have either the ‘Register Students’ or ‘Edit Students’ permission to carry out this action.

This change aligns the Session registration functionality with the existing permission requirements for the main Activity Beneficiary Institutions table, ensuring a consistent approach to managing Student registrations.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the Beneficiary Institutions table within Activity Sessions on the database.

Strengthened permissions for Special Category Data

Existing security measures prevent users without the relevant ‘View Student Special Category Data’ or ‘View Ambassador Special Category Data’ permissions from generating exports or reports containing this information.

Whilst most users on the system cannot see exports generated by others, we have found, through permission testing, roles where an individual can access other user’s exports and reports, the system was not checking for the special category permission.

Why are we making this change?

The system now checks to ensure that users can only download exports and reports containing special category data where they have the appropriate permissions, regardless of who originally generated the file.

We have also improved how permissions are applied when accessing records shared by other Institution Groups. Where your organisation shares special category data with another organisation, both the sharing arrangement and the individual user must have the appropriate permissions to access this information. These changes ensure that existing special category data permissions are consistently enforced, helping to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive information.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the exports and reports pages with records containing Student or Ambassador special category data within the database.

The additional permission checks will apply to the following member-only exports and reports where special category data is included:

• Student and Ambassador exports, including Event Programme Applications and Survey Results exports where special category data is included
• HEAT Delivery and Infographic Reports where raw data is included
• Higher Education Track Reports
• Monitoring Dashboard Reports
• Matched Comparator Group Reports

New Search and Filter Options for Student Duplicates

To make it easier for members to identify and manage duplicate Student records, we have introduced new search and filtering functionality to the Student Duplicates page.

Why are we making this change?

Members can now search through scanned duplicate records and filter the results by Student HEAT ID and/or Institution. This will help members locate specific duplicates more efficiently and streamline the process of reviewing and cleaning Student data.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the Student Duplicates page within the database.

Introduction of the NOT Operator to Activity search filters to deleting Required Field List Values

Members can now use the NOT operator (!) when filtering Activity records (members only), allowing specific values to be excluded from search results.

Why are we making this change?

This additional filtering option provides greater flexibility when searching for Activities, making it easier to narrow down results and identify relevant records.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the filters available on the Activity search page within the database.

Student Ambassador Programme Items

Exclusion of unpaid breaks from Ambassador Accepted Hours

To improve the accuracy of Ambassador working hour calculations, we are updating how Accepted Hours are calculated for Work Opportunities to exclude unpaid breaks.

Why are we making this change?

Previously, unpaid break hours were included in an Ambassador’s total Accepted Hours for the week, month and year. This update ensures that only working hours are counted, providing a more accurate reflection of the hours an Ambassador is scheduled to work.

This change will also help members manage working hour restrictions, particularly for Ambassadors with visa-related working limits, by reducing the risk of unpaid breaks incorrectly contributing towards their permitted working hours.

Where are we making this change?

This update affects the Accepted Hours displayed in the Ambassador table within the Applicants tab of Work Opportunity records.

This change will not affect Timesheets or the calculation of hours recorded through Timesheets.

Access to previously accepted Work Opportunities for unavailable Ambassadors

Ambassadors who are marked as unavailable, archived or out of contract will now be able to continue viewing their previously accepted Work Opportunities through the Ambassador Portal.

Why are we making this change?

Although these Ambassadors will remain unable to apply for new opportunities, retaining access to their existing Work Opportunity information will allow them to review previous commitments and provide greater transparency over their accepted opportunities.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the Work Opportunities area within the Ambassador Portal.

Addition of Activity Department to Timesheets and Expenses

To make it easier for members to identify and manage financial records across different departments, we are adding an ‘Activity Department’ column to the Timesheets and Expenses tables within the database.

Why are we making this change?

This update will allow members to quickly identify which department an Activity is associated with when reviewing and processing financial records. The new column will also be sortable, making it easier to organise and locate relevant information.

Where are we making this change?

The new ‘Activity Department’ column will be available in the following areas of the database:

• Main Timesheets and Expenses Entity tables
• Ambassador records > Finance Tab> Timesheets and Expenses tables
• Activity records > Finance Tab > Timesheets and Expenses tables

The ‘Department’ field will also be added to Timesheet and Expenses exports.

API Items

Updates to Activity Student API fields to align with HESA Data Futures

The Student information returned through the HEAT Activity Students API is being updated to reflect HESA’s Data Futures model.

Why are we making this change?

Following previous developments to align Student and Ambassador fields with HESA Data Futures, several legacy True/False fields were replaced with new list-based fields to provide more detailed and accurate information.

This update ensures that the Activity Student API payloads reflect the new field values, supporting members in accessing consistent Student information through the HEAT API.

For further background, please refer to our previous announcement, ‘Upcoming development: Update to align Student and Ambassador field values with HESA’s Data Futures model’.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the /activities/{ID}/students endpoint within the HEAT API.

Addition of Evaluation Group functionality to Student Activity Registrations via the API

Members registering Students to Activities through the HEAT API will now be able to assign or update their Evaluation Group as part of the registration process.

Why are we making this change?

Previously, Evaluation Group information could not be set through this API functionality. Introducing this option will provide greater flexibility when managing Student registrations and help streamline data recording for evaluation purposes.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the following HEAT API endpoint:

• /activities/{ID}/students

Student Special Category data permission checks in the HEAT API

An issue was identified within the HEAT API where users without the ‘View Student Special Category Fields’ permission could still retrieve special category information when accessing Student records associated with Activities.

Why are we making this change?

This update corrects the permission checks to ensure that special category data is excluded from API responses where the user does not have the required permission, strengthening the protection of sensitive Student information.

Where are we making this change?

This update applies to the following HEAT API endpoint:

• /activities/{id}/students