26 June 2025

Statutory Returns

The new and updated features for the 4.48 release are as follows:

NI CDR
Header Business Impact Affected Topics

New validation rules

New validation rules for CDR have been added to the Validation Manager. The new validation rules are as follows:

New validation rules
The following validation rules have been added as errors:
  • 42: Level not equivalent to that prescribed by PLAQ.

  • 45: Level is invalid for Skills Focus enrolments.

  • 155: FT learner on additional enrolments where MOA not 22.

  • 184: Student hours are 15% greater than AOS total hours (15% rule) for Skills Focus.

The following validation rules have been added as warnings:

  • 185: Student Hours are 15% greater than Maximum GLH excluding SLDD 03 & 04.

Not applicable

Updated validation rules

Existing validation rules for CDR have been updated in the Validation Manager. The updated validation rules are as follows:

Updated descriptions
Various validation rule descriptions have been updated to improve accuracy, consistency, and so on. For example, the description for validation rule 300 has been changed from Essential Skills enrolment records where TARGET_LVL is Null to Essential Skills Target Level is null.
Updated rules
The following validation rules have been updated:
  • 16: Rule updated to remove the start date check  and return the latest postcode at time of the CDR run.
  • 31: Rule updated so that null is a valid student disability value if the disability is set to 99.
  • 39 and 60: Rule is now active by default.
  • 72 and 79: Rule updated to exclude course type value of 21 and student type value of 51.
  • 76 and 140: Rule updated to exclude student type value of 51.

  • 154: Rule changed to For full-time learners only (FT_IND=1), list all essential skills enrolments (qual aim 960, 961 or 962) where moa <> 22 and where full-time enrolment (moa 01/20) end_date is greater than or equal to the essential skills enrolment end date.

  • 167: Rule updated to add and is not null clause.

  • 271 and 277: Rule updated to include new valid value G.

  • 301, 302, and 303: Rule type changed from error to warning.

  • 319: Rule updated so that null is a valid student disability value if the disability is set to 98 or 99.

Note that the rule descriptions have also been updated to reflect the updated validation rules.

Not applicable

Priorities for validation rules

Two new fields have been added to the Validation Manager to indicate whether a validation rule is a Weekly or Monthly priority for the college.

The following validation rules have been set as monthly priorities:

  • 36: Subject Code is invalid

  • 37: Subject Code is missing

  • 42: Level not equivalent to that prescribed by PLAQ

  • 45: Level is invalid for Skills Focus enrolments

  • 55: MOA 22 enrolments with no MOA 1 or MOA 20

  • 60: EF Attend Mode is Invalid

  • 62: Expected length is greater than 50

  • 72: MOA is 1 and course duration < 30 weeks (FLU only)

  • 74: Hours per week is missing

  • 76: MOA is 1 and planned hours per week < 15 (FLU only)

  • 77: Total hours are missing

  • 79: Total hours invalid for SMOA (full time students and FLU only)

  • 105:  Regulated but Student Source of Funding is "18"

  • 110: AOS Start Date > AOS End Date

  • 112: Student Start Date > Actual End Date or Course End Date

  • 113: Student Start Date < Course Start Date

  • 116: Student End Date is NULL

  • 118: Student End Date is not equal to or before Course End Date

  • 132: Student MOA is 1 and RRQ/PLAQ code is NULL (FE and FLU only, excludes ESK)

  • 133: Student MOA 20 or 21 with no RRQ code (FLU only, excludes SLDD = 03)

  • 135: RRQ/PLAQ Code with no associated RRQ/PLAQ title.

  • 141: Student Year on course is missing

  • 153: FLU Mode of Attendance = 01 with accompanying MOA = 21

  • 184: Student hours are 15% greater than AOS total hours (15% rule) for Skills Focus

  • 204: Qual aim = 999 and RRQ code is present

The following validation rules have been set as weekly and monthly priorities:

  • 39: Level Is Null

  • 40: Level is invalid (Non-ESK)

  • 41: Level not equivalent to that prescribed by RRQ

  • 43: FE levels with HE Qual Aim

  • 44: HE levels with FE Qual Aim

  • 47: Course Mode of Attendance MOA is null

  • 48: Course Mode of Attendance MOA is invalid

  • 49: Student enrolment ATTEND_MODE is null

  • 50: Student enrolment ATTEND_MODE is invalid

  • 58: Continuing full-time students on more than 1 full-time enrolment

  • 59: Full-time learner on more than one full-time enrolment - Overlapping Dates

  • 61: Expected length is blank

  • 63: Unit length is missing

  • 64: Unit length is Invalid

  • 66: Progress Code not a valid CDR status

  • 70: Student year on course is invalid or greater than 5

  • 80: Course Type is missing

  • 81: Course Type is invalid

  • 83: Student Source of Funding is Null

  • 84: Student Source of Funding is invalid

  • 353: Step Up learner with invalid main course flag

  • 354: Step Up learner with no main course flagged

Not applicable

Deactivated validation rules

Various validation rules for CDR have been deactivated in Validation Manager. The deactivated validation rules are as follows:

  • 261: Dependants is unknown.

  • 264: Gender identity is unknown.

  • 315: Marital status unknown.

  • 316: Religious background unknown.

  • 317: Ethnicity unknown.

  • 318: Domicile unknown.

  • 321: Sexual orientation unknown.

  • 322: Religious belief unknown.

  • 323: Nationality unknown.

  • 324: Destination unknown.

  • 346: Destination unknown for step-up learner.

Not applicable

Updated fields

Existing fields included in the CDR return have been updated as follows:

  • SLDD field has been added to the Enrolments Details screen.

  • Final Year will now be set for any learner that has been marked as complete.

  • Work Placement Complete has been changed from a Yes or No selection to a drop-down list of reference values from the verifiers. Note that the Learner Manager > Enrolments grid has also been updated to reflect this change.

  • Has Disability field can now be edited and flood filled in the Learner Manager > Learners grid.

  • Priority order and logic for the derived fields IND_SI and IND_STU have been updated to match the new requirements from CNI.

Maintain Enrolments

New fields

New fields and the associated reference values have been added to ebs to enable the collection of additional information for the CDR return. The fields are as follows:

Learner Details
The new fields added to the Learner Details screen are as follows:
  • Speak English
  • Main Language
  • Main Language Other
  • National Identity
  • National Identity Other
Enrolment Details
The new fields added to the Enrolment Details screen are as follows:
  • Work Placement Format
  • Enrolment Claim Date

  • Achievement Claim Date

Note that the CDR output has also been updated to reflect the new fields in the return.

Learner Details

Maintain Enrolments

Collecting CDR Data

Tribal Professional Services configuration updates

More configuration changes to various grids that have previously been implemented by Tribal Professional Services following version upgrades, are now included in the base grid configurations. These changes enable Tribal Professional Services to focus on delivering additional functionality and added value for specific colleges. The changes to the base grids are as follows:

  • Flood Fill functionality for the column Learner Choice on the Learner Manager > Applications grid.

  • Flood fill functionality for the column Default Assessment on the Curriculum Manager > UI grid.

  • Editable values for the Grading Scheme column on the Curriculum Manager > UI grid.

  • Some verifiers that were previously user defined have been added to the CDR Verifiers.

Not applicable

Reference data update

The PLAQ List that was previously hard-coded into the export process for CDR returns can now be viewed in Reference Data. Note that only the Long Description, Awarding Organisation Name, and Active fields can be edited and records cannot be deleted.

The changes to the PLAQ list also changes the behaviour of the Curriculum Details > UIO screen as follows:

  • When the Qualification Number for an enrolment is populated with a value from the PLAQ list, the RRQ_SSATIER2 and Board Name fields are automatically populated with the values for the selected PLAQ record.

  • If the Qualification Number for an enrolment that is based on the PLAQ list is removed, the RRQ_SSATIER2 and Board Name fields are automatically removed for the enrolment.

PLAQ List

SCO FES
Header Business Impact Affected Topics

FES (Further Education Statistics)

ebs now supports the FES return for institutions in Scotland.

FES (Further Education Statistics)

FES Configuration

Various institution settings and reference data items have been updated to support the configuration of the FES return for institutions in Scotland.

Configure FES

FES fields

Various new fields and tabs have been added to ebs: central and ebs: ontrack Hub to support the collection of data required for the FES return.

FES Data

FES output

The ability to export files containing the required data for the FES 1, 2, and 3 data returns has been added to ebs: ontrack Hub.

Process FES return

UK HESA
Header Business Impact Affected Topics

UKRISRN field

A new field, UKRISRN has been added to the Enrolments > HESA Details tab. This field enables the collection and output of data for UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) to improve coverage for Research Council funded students.

Note the following for the UKRISRN field:

  • If the field UKRISRN is populated, and the enrolment is associated to HESA Level 1, UKRISRN will be included in the HESA export.

  • If field UKRISRN is populated and Engagement.RCSTDNT is 9997, UKRISRN will not be included in the export.

  • If the field UKRISRN is populated, and Engagement.INCOMMINGEXCHANGE exists, UKRISRN will not be included in the export.

  • If the field UKRISRN is populated, and Leaver.ENGENDDATE - Engagement.ENGSTARTDATE less than or equal to 14 days and the RSNENGEND = 03 05 11 OR 12, UKRISRN will not be included in the export.

  • If the value of UKRISRN is less than 7 characters, a leading 0 will be added to make it 7-character length.

Record HESA Data

Field updates

Various existing HESA fields have been updated as follows:

  • The Continuing Module field on Enrolments > HESA Details has been moved to the Redundant Fields section and removed from the HESA output.

  • To align with HESA quality rules, only data from the field Main Subject 1 on Academic History > Award Outcome Details will be outputted as the EntryQualificationSubject.

Record HESA Data

WAL NI

HESA Post Graduate ITT

A new HESA Post Graduate ITT section has been added to EnrolmentsAttainments, with the following fields:

  • Degree Class

  • Degree Type

  • Degree Subject

Note that these fields will be outputted as PostGraduateEntryQualificationAward.

Manage Attainments

Record HESA Data

ENG ILR
Header Business Impact Affected Topics

Attaching student type to fee waiver - Reference Data

The ILR Waivers tab in Reference Data has been updated to include a new Student Type column. This column provides a drop-down list based on student types set in the Special Defaults reference data, allowing users to link a fee waiver to a student type for each funding year.

Fee Waivers

New Event Indicator (EVI) fields

New Learning Delivery Funding and Monitoring type and codes have been added for recording events as they occur during learning as required by the 25/26 ILR specification. The new fields are as follows:

Enrolment Details

A new tab, Event Indicator (EVI) can be used to add records. These records are valid for enrolments with a Funding Model of 37 (Skills Bootcamp) and Aim Type of 1 (Programme Aim). The new tab has a grid with the following fields:

  • Funding Year

  • Type

  • Code

  • Date

  • Include in ILR?

ILR Manager

A new tab, Event Indicator (EVI) can be used to search for records. The grid has the following columns available:

  • Funding Year

  • Person Code (Learner)

  • Surname (Learner)

  • Forename (Learner)

  • Middle Names (Learner)

  • Initials

  • DOB (Learner)

  • Include in ILR?

  • Enrolment Details

  • Learning Aim Ref

  • EVI Code (Learning Delivery FAM)

  • Date From (Learning Delivery FAM)

  • Created Date

  • Created By

  • Updated Date

  • Updated By

Note that the ILR output has also been updated to include the new fields.

Event Indicator (EVI) Screen

New English and Maths minimum hours fields

New Learner Funding and Monitoring types and codes have been added for minimum planned teaching hours for English and Maths eligible qualifications for counting towards the 16-19 Maths and English condition of funding.

The new fields, English Minimum Hours and Maths Minimum Hours, have been added to Learner Details and ILR Manager > ILR tab.

Note that the ILR output has also been updated to include the new fields.

Learner Details Screen

Contact Preference Entity related fields in Learner Details and ILR Manager has moved to redundant section

Contact preference entity related fields have been moved from Other Details to Redundant Fields (From 2025/26 Onwards) on the Learner Details tab.

The contact preference fields have also been moved to the right-hand side of the ILR Manager > ILR grid. The Contact Preference option has also been removed from the colour key below the grid.

Note that the Contact Preference entity in the ILR Output File has also been removed for FY32 and beyond.

Learner Details Screen

Updated Labels of Learning Delivery HE Fields on ebs Central Screens

The labels of the Learning Delivery HE fields have been updated as follows:

Learner Details

Socio Econ Ind is now Socio Econ Class (Ind).

Domicile is now Country Perm Add.

Enrolment Details

Socio-Economic Indicator is now Socio-Economic Classification (Indicator).

UCAS Application Id is now UCAS Scheme Code.

ILR Manager - ILR

Country of Domicile is now Country Perm Add.

ILR Manager - HE

Socio Econ Ind is now Socio Econ Class (Ind).

UCAS App No is now UCAS Sch Cd.

Note that the XML tags for the above fields have also been updated.

Learner Details Screen

HE Details Screen

Using the ILR Grids

 

Reference data updates

The following items have been added to the reference data for ILR:

  • ILR English Minimum Hours (LearnFAMType EMH)

  • ILR Maths Minimum Hours (LearnFAMType MMH)

  • Event Indicator (LearnDelFAMType EVI)

Not applicable

Updates for Funding year 32

ILR has been updated to include updates for funding year 32 as follows:

  • ILR Reference Data

  • ILR Surveys Record

  • ILR Return Views

  • ILR Return Output file

 

Not applicable

Output file updates

The Pathway and Framework Code have been removed from the ILR output file.

Not applicable

National Insurance number validation

National Insurance number validation has been updated.

Not applicable

WAL LLWR
Header Business Impact Affected Topics

Expected end date field added

A new column, Expected End Date, has been added to the following grids to enable institutions to meet the statutory requirements:

  • Learner Details > Suspensions tab

  • LLWR > LLWR Wideboys > Suspensions tab

Note that the LLWR output has also been updated to include the new field.

Manage Suspensions

NZ SDR
Header Business Impact Affected Topics

Actual Course Fee field automatically calculated

The Actual Course Fee field is now calculated automatically rather than having to be entered manually.

Maintain Enrolments