The business data architecture (BDA) is one part of the overall enterprise architecture for the Education, Skills and Children's Services (ESCS) system. It is intended to be the authoritative model of the business data that is used in the system.
Previous business data architecture releases only included ISB data standards that had been approved. This release includes standards which are approved, awaiting approval and in development.
Document version 3.05 (ERD data model version 3.18) was published on 16 April 2012. The latest document version is 4.04 (ERD data model version 4.24) which was published on 21 January 2013. It should be read alongside the business data architecture definitions and notation.
Summary of the modifications from document version 3.05
Reviews, feedback and workshops have necessitated the issue of a fourth major version.
The Schools Performance Data (SPD) Programme required that the data items and controlled list values in the Common Basic Data Set (CBDS) be supported by the business data architecture. The BDA was reviewed accordingly and the data items and code values were integrated as necessary.
The SPD looks at the data from a schools perspective and so, to ensure a wider coverage, the schools processes and data were compared to other areas of education including Further and Higher Education and vocational before the business data architecture was modified. Whilst the analysis carried out a level of due diligence into the non-schools sectors, extensive stakeholder engagement was not possible in these other areas and therefore there may be additional work required in the future to fully support non-schools learning.
The changes fit into five categories:
• Further levelling of sub-types by applying strict normalisation rules;
• Raising the level of some entities that were quite specific to be more generic. This involved adding/amending/removing some entities;
• Increasing the scope of certain subject areas;
• Adding new subject areas or deleting subject areas where the entities have been consolidated; and
• Decomposition of entities and fully attributing their primary keys and adding non-identifying attributes as required for delivery of data standards.
The changes are described in further detail in the section 'Subject area overview and principal modifications from version 3' contained in document version 4.04 of the business data architecture.
Changes to the business data architecture overview
• Two new areas have been added to learner services. These are qualification and qualification assessment.
• The assessment area in the children, learner and families services area has been qualified as personal assessment as per the aforementioned change.
Changes to the format of the business data architecture document
• Technical information on the notation and data modelling techniques used in the models is available from the glossary tab on the ISB website.
• The ISB data standards have been removed and are available separately on the ISB standards library. An overview of each data standard is included.
• Each of the subject area models will identify which data standards are applicable to it to assist with context.
It is intended for use by, for example, ICT procurers, system developers, programmers, data modellers and statisticians.
Questions regarding the status of the data standards should be directed to the ISB Secretariat.