Case studies

Resilience Capability Survey

SDA delivered the Civil Contingencies Secretariat’s most recent resilience capability survey, a complex enquiry to establish the resilience and readiness status of all UK responder organisations, utilities and Local Authorities and thereby prepare for civil or other emergencies.

PSQS

We have delivered the Professional Services Quality Survey on behalf of the PSQS consortium since 2015. PSQS allows universities to benchmark their professional services for strategic development purposes. SDA have developed, evolved and delivered the programme from inception to date.

SENSE

We worked with NCF to build and deliver SENSE, NCF’s extremely successful national voluntary system which allows people identifying themselves as problem gamblers to exclude themselves from all UK land-based casinos.

At the British Casinos Awards on 6th February 2018, SENSE was highly commended by British Casino Operators in the category ‘Best UK CMS/software product’

JRRP

We successfully delivered DWP’s Job Retention and Rehabilitation Pilot, a joint project between DWP and DH that was funded by HM Treasury.

Statistical Databank

We have worked in partnership with Southwark Council since 2005 to develop and maintain its Children’s Services Statistical Databank, providing access to a wealth of statistical data and ongoing data exchange facilities including School Profiles and a range of data collections.

Financial Benchmarking Reports

SDA have created Financial Benchmarking Reports for individual schools and distributed these since 2016 to date. The benchmark reports promote best practice by allowing schools to compare themselves with other similar schools.

School Performance Tables

SDA delivered the flagship School Performance Tables for over twenty years, until 2016. During our tenure we developed them from their original paper format to the web-based statistical powerhouse that we have grown used to today.

Key to Success (KtS)

SDA’s KtS pupil data tool is used by all UK Local Authorities and schools to track pupil attainment as well as their migration between schools. SDA staff (many of whom have worked previously in local and national government) were party to the legislation that enabled Local Authorities to search national pupil data in their role as ‘corporate parent’ using the KtS tool.

Single sign-on

SDA provided integration of DfE services for local authorities with the Employee Authentication Service (EAS), followed by integration of services for all schools with the Department’s ‘Secure Access’ single sign-on solution.

Research and Statistics Gateway

SDA designed and built the Research and Statistics Gateway (RSG) that provided easy access to the wide range of departmental statistical publications and data

School Census/ Workforce data collection

SDA provided an important contingency solution that was used for the collection of school census and school workforce data.

In Your Area

One of the DfE’s first geolocation websites, SDA’s ‘In Your Area’ allowed users to access key facts and figures about education and skills at a granular level, for example Parliamentary Constituency, or even Ward. In Your Area was inducted into The National Archives in October 2012.

Interactive LSYPE

SDA provided a digital data management tool for the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (iLSYPE).

Conversion between tabulation software

SDA automated the conversion from the Qstat tabulation package syntax to SPSS syntax. Just one of our many conversion solutions to assist Departmental statisticians.

Data processing solutions

SDA provided many processing solutions to assist with data dissemination, including provision of: e-results (key stages 2 & 3) to schools and LAs; Unique Learner Numbers for year 9 pupils, and; question/item level data

Online Eligibility Services

SDA provides a commercial Online Eligibility Checking System which exploits the DFE’s ECS API, providing parents and Local Authorities with premium eligibility checking services to determine statutory educational benefits. Though we still refer to the system as ‘Online Free School Meals’ (our original offer), these services also include: Pupil premium; Early years pupil premium; Free school meals; Early education entitlement, and; 30 hours extended funding entitlement.
Our services are also used by thousands of schools, providing benefits to 400,000+ children nationwide.

Online Eligibility Services

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council uses our ‘Online Early Years Education Entitlement” (OEYE) and “Online Early Years Pupil Premium” (OEYPP) systems to provide all 320 of the Early Years settings for which it is responsible with the means to instantly identify those children who qualify for these entitlements.

Online Eligibility Services

Birmingham City Council uses all of our Online Eligibility Services to provide the 1486 schools and Early Years settings for which it is directly responsible with the relevant system(s) to instantly identify those children who qualify for their respective entitlements.

Online Eligibility Services

Bromley Council uses our ‘Online Early Years Education Entitlement” (OEYE), ‘Online Early Years Pupil Premium’ (OEYPP) and Online Extended Funding Entitlement (OEFE) systems to provide the 917 Early Years settings for which it is responsible with the means to instantly identify those children who qualify for these entitlements.

Online Eligibility Services

Buckinghamshire Council uses our ‘Online Early Years Education Entitlement” (OEYE), ‘Online Early Years Pupil Premium’ (OEYPP) and Online Extended Funding Entitlement (OEFE) systems to provide the 917 Early Years settings for which it is responsible with the means to instantly identify those children who qualify for these entitlements.

Online Eligibility Services

The London Borough of Croydon uses our ‘Online Early Years Education Entitlement” (OEYE) and “Online Early Years Pupil Premium” (OEYPP) systems to provide the 377 Early Years settings for which it is responsible with the means to instantly identify those children who qualify for these entitlements.

Online Eligibility Services

Hampshire County Council uses our ‘Online Free School Meals” (OFSM) system to provide all 544 schools for which it is responsible with eligibility checking services to instantly identify those children who qualify for free school meals and pupil premium.

Online Eligibility Services

Kent County Council uses our ‘Online Free School Meals” (OFSM) system to provide all 642 of the schools for which it is responsible with eligibility checking services to instantly identify those children who qualify for free school meals and pupil premium.

Online Eligibility Services

Medway Council uses our ‘Online Free School Meals” (OFSM) system to provide the 91 schools for which it is responsible with eligibility checking services to instantly identify those children who qualify for free school meals and pupil premium.

Online Eligibility Services

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead uses our ‘Online Free School Meals” (OFSM) system to provide the 47 schools for which it is responsible with eligibility checking services to instantly identify those children who qualify for free school meals and pupil premium.

Online Eligibility Services

Southampton City Council uses our ‘Online Free School Meals” (OFSM) system to provide the 79 schools for which it is responsible with eligibility checking services to instantly identify those children who qualify for free school meals and pupil premium.

PANDA

SDA created a system to enable Ofsted to produce school PANDA reports.

ePANDA Web Portal

SDA designed, implemented and maintained separate school and local authority ePANDA web portals. These disseminated a variety of information including PANDA.

PICSI reports

SDA produced pre-inspection context and school indicator (PICSI) reports for schools.

Forms S1-S4

SDA transformed Ofsted’s paper-based inspection process into a digital solution known as Enhanced Data Collection (Forms S1-S4). Initially provided to schools chosen for inspection, the solution was so success that it was extended to all schools.

Self-Evaluation (1)

SDA created and delivered the initial self-Evaluation Form (SEF) Pilot for schools.

Self-Evaluation (2)

Following on from a successful pilot where feedback from schools was incorporated into the final delivery, SDA provided a fully managed service to deliver the Self-Evaluation Form.

School Inspection Survey (SIS)

SDA provided a digital solution to obtain feedback from schools regarding school inspection.

Becta Home Access Scheme

SDA delivered web services enabling Becta to validate applications for the DCSF-funded ‘Home Access Grant’ against the National Pupil Database, facilitating applications from disadvantaged pupils for a grant towards the purchase of a laptop and broadband subscription.

Teacher Training Performance Tables

Often known for the publication of school and college performance tables, SDA also created the first comparison tables measuring teacher training for the Training and Development Agency, responsible for initial and in-service training of teachers and other school staff in England.

Teacher assessment data collection

SDA created a website that was used by all schools in England for the collection of teacher assessment data.
XML data were processed and provided as data feeds to QCA administrators monitoring and reviewing the core national curriculum.