August 2004/29
Core funding/operations
Allocation of places and funds

This report is for information and guidance

2003-04 statistics derived from HESA data

Guide to HEFCE web facility

This document is a guide to the HEFCE's web facility which generates several types of analysis from Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student data. Use of the web facility will help institutions to return accurate data to HESA, prepare for the 2005 National Student Survey, and to identify errors and forecasting discrepancies in HEFCE funding returns.

Table of contents and executive summary (read on-line)

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Contents

Executive summary

Introduction

Annexes

Annex A    Summary of changes since the HESES02 re-creation web facility
Annex B    Using the HEFCE web facility for 2003-04 statistics derived from HESA data
Annex C    Comparison of HESES03 and the HESES03 re-creation
Annex D    Comparison of the HESES03 re-creation and the HESES03 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects
Annex E    National Student Survey 2005 - provisional target list
Annex F    Comparison of RAS03 and the RAS03 re-creation
Annex G    Derived statistics used to inform the 2005-06 widening participation funding allocations
Annex H    Derived statistics used to inform any 2005-06 transfer of sports science activity
Annex I    HEFCE statistical publications
Annex J    Research degree rates of qualification (published as Annex G of HEFCE 2005/32)
Annex K    HESES04 non completion toolkit
Annex L    Invalid postcode list
Annex M    List of abbreviations

Technical appendices

Appendix 1    HESES03 re-creation algorithms
Appendix 2    Troubleshooting the differences between HESES03 and the HESES03 re-creation
Appendix 3    Problems of fit with the HESES03 re-creation algorithms
Appendix 4    HESES03 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects algorithms
Appendix 5    Troubleshooting the differences between the HESES03 re-creation and the HESES03 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects
Appendix 6    Problems of fit with the HESES03 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects algorithms
Appendix 7    National Student Survey 2005 - provisional target list algorithms
Appendix 8    RAS03 re-creation algorithms
Appendix 9    Troubleshooting the differences between RAS03 and the RAS03 re-creation
Appendix 10    Problems of fit with the RAS03 re-creation algorithms
Appendix 11    Widening participation derived statistics algorithms
Appendix 12    Sports science derived statistics algorithms
Appendix 13    HEFCE statistical publications algorithms
Appendix 14    Research degree rates of qualification algorithms (this appendix has been published as Appendix 10 of HEFCE 2004/47)
Appendix 15    HESES04 non-completion toolkit algorithms
Appendix 16    Invalid postcode list description

Executive summary

Purpose

1.    This document is a guide to HEFCE's web facility which institutions can use to check their Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) 2003-04 student data. It generates the following derived statistics:

1. Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey 2003-04 (HESES03) re-creation.
2. HESES03 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects.
3. Provisional target list of students that will be included in the 2005 National Student Survey (NSS05).
4. Research Activity Survey 2003 (RAS03) re-creation.
5. Derived statistics that are likely to be used to inform the 2005-06 widening participation (WP) funding allocation.
6. Derived statistics that are likely to be used to identify sports science and leisure studies activity for funding from 2005-06.
7. Derived statistics that will be used in HEFCE statistical publications.
8. Research degree rates of qualification (to be included in a later release of this publication).
9. Higher Education Student Early Statistics Survey 2004-05 (HESES04) non completion toolkit.
10. List of invalid postcodes.

Key points

2.    The use of the web facility will assist institutions in:

1. Returning accurate data to HESA.
2. Identifying discrepancies between forecasts in HESES03 and the outturn position for 2003-04.
3. Identifying errors in HEFCE funding returns.
4. Preparing for the first 2005 National Student Survey.
5. Estimating non-completion rates for HESES04.

3.    This document, together with the accompanying technical appendices provides:

1. Guidance for using the web facility.
2. Algorithms for generating the derived statistics.
3. Troubleshooting guidance for the comparison of HEFCE funding returns with the re-creations.
4. Details of problems of fit with algorithms.
5. Guidance for using the HESES04 non completion toolkit.

4.    The name of the facility has changed to the 'HEFCE web facility for 2003-04 statistics derived from HESA data' to reflect that it now generates derived statistics other than the HESES and RAS re-creations. We will refer to it as a web facility throughout this guidance. The derived statistics that are new to this web facility will be:

1. HESES03 re-creation based on cost centre sector norms for subjects.
2. Provisional target list of students that will be included in the NSS05.
3. Derived statistics that are likely to be used to identify sports science and leisure studies activity for funding from 2005-06.
4. Research degree rates of qualification.
5. List of invalid postcodes.

Relationship with 'Derived statistics from HESA data'

5.    Each year we publish 'Statistics derived from HESA data for monitoring and allocation of funding' in which we monitor institutions' HESES and RAS returns using HESA student data. If we find, either through comparisons with HESA data or any data audit, that erroneous data have resulted in institutions receiving incorrect funding allocations then we will adjust their funding accordingly (subject to the appeals process and the availability of funds). Any funding adjustments following the comparison of HESA 2003-04 student data with HESES03 are likely to affect the funding previously announced for 2003-04 and all subsequent years. Any funding adjustments arising from the comparison of RAS03 and the RAS03 re-creation are likely to affect the funding previously announced for 2004-05. Whilst the web facility is provided to complement the monitoring exercise it does not replace it.