Pupil registration helps to make sure schools are provided with accurate attendance registers and sufficient quantities of test materials for the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests. Schools were asked to use the Pupil registration section of the NCA tools website to register and confirm all children at the end of Key Stage 2 for the 2013 National Curriculum tests in May by the deadline of Friday 22 March.

The Pupil registration section of NCA tools is pre-populated with school census data for maintained schools, academies and non-maintained special schools that have placed a test order. All other schools must upload their own pupil registration data. Independent schools that have not done this by the deadline of Friday 22 March will not be allowed to participate in the tests.

All maintained schools (including special schools) and academies, as well as independent schools that have chosen to take the tests, should have logged into NCA tools to:

  • confirm that all of their children are registered and that each child’s details are complete and accurate;
  • add any children who are not on their school's pupil list;
  • remove any children that appear incorrectly on their school's pupil list;
  • give details of any children who are working below the level of a test; and
  • give details of any children who will be participating in a level 6 test.

Any children not registered for the level 6 tests by Friday 22 March are not now able to participate in them.

 
 Which children should be registered for the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests?

All children on the roll (register) at a maintained school, including academies, and in their final year of Key Stage 2 must be registered for the National Curriculum tests, even if they are working below level 3 and will not take the tests.

Children at independent schools that have placed a test order must also be registered for the Key Stage 2 tests.

Back to top
 I need to register a child for the level 6 tests but cannot access the page.

The deadline for registering children for the level 6 tests was midnight on Friday 22 March. No changes to level 6 pupil registration can be made after the deadline which is why you are unable to access this page in NCA tools. Any children not registered for the level 6 tests by the deadline will not be able to participate in them.

Back to top
 I am from an independent school and am trying to update my pupil registration details on NCA tools but cannot access the page.

The deadline for you to provide pupil registration details to STA was Friday 22 March. No changes to pupil registration can be made by independent schools after the deadline which is why you are unable to access the page on NCA tools. Because you missed this deadline your school will not be sent any test materials and will not be able to participate in the statutory testing at Key Stage 2 for this year.

Key Stage 2 test papers will be available for independent schools to download from the STA Orderline website in June 2013.

Back to top
 What is a pupil list?

A pupil list is the list of children that your school intends to register for the 2013 Key Stage 2 National Curriculum tests. 

A pupil list will be uploaded automatically to the 'Confirm children' page of NCA tools for schools that participated in the Department's school census.

Independent schools, non-maintained special schools that did not place a test order, pupil referral units and hospital schools must upload their own pupil list.

The pupil list must show all names of children who will sit the tests at your school in 2013, including children working below the level of the tests.

Back to top
 How do I register children working below the level of the tests?

To register all children as working below the level of the tests (code 'B'):

  • Log in to the Pupil registration section of NCA tools
  • Select ‘Children working below the level’ from the left-hand menu
  • Select the relevant subject(s) from the ‘working below the level’ section
  • Select 'Submit' at the bottom of the page

If an individual child is working below the level of the test in a subject:

  • Select the relevant subject(s) next to the child’s name in the table.
  • Select 'Submit' at the bottom of the page.

Children’s names will still appear on the your attendance register. On the day of the test you will need to complete the attendance register by writing a ‘B’ alongside the relevant child.

Back to top
 I have a child who does not speak English well enough to sit the tests. Can I delete them from my pupil list?

No. Children who are not able to take the tests because they have English as an additional language (EAL) should still be registered to take the tests. They should be registered as follows:

  • English grammar, punctuation and spelling and English reading tests – status code ‘B’ for ‘Below the level’ should be used when completing the Pupil registration section of the NCA tools website.
  • Mathematics – to establish the child’s level, teachers and language support staff should work together to translate the National Curriculum work into the child’s preferred language. If the child is at the level of the test, then the school should enter them and administer the test using appropriate access arrangements for the Key Stage 2 tests. If no access arrangements can be made then the child should remain as registered on the Pupil registration section of NCA tools. The code ‘T’ should then be put on the Attendance register and the child should not sit the test. Children working below the level of the mathematics tests should not take them.
Back to top
 I have a child working at the level of the tests but who cannot access them. What do I do?

You should consider using access arrangements to enable the child to access the tests. If you do this he/she should be entered onto the Pupil registration section of NCA tools and the attendance register as present and not 'T’ (working at the level of the tests but unable to access them).

If access arrangements are not used the child should be registered for the test in the Pupil registration section of NCA tools. You cannot enter code ‘T’ during pupil registration, this code can only be used on the attendance register.

If status ‘T’ has been recorded on the attendance register and the child does sit the test, his/her scripts must be sent for marking.

Back to top
 Can a school change the subjects that it wishes to register children for?

This depends on whether the school is an independent or a maintained school.

Independent schools can change the subjects a child will be tested on only if the school has placed a test order for that subject.

Maintained schools do not have this option. All children enrolled at a maintained school who are in their final year of Key Stage 2 in the 2012/13 school year must be registered with STA for all subjects, even if they are working below level 3 and will not take the tests.

Back to top
 I have accidentally removed a child from my pupil list. How can I add them back in?
  • Select 'Re-register a child' from the left-hand menu
  • Tick the 're-register' box next to the child's name you wish to return to the list
  • Select 'Submit'

If you have unintentionally removed your whole pupil list either follow these instructions for each child or select 'Upload multiple children' from the left-hand menu.

Back to top
 How do I edit incorrect pupil details in the Pupil registration section of the NCA tools website?
  • Select 'Confirm pupils' from the left-hand menu
  • Click on the child’s name in the pupil list
  • Make the necessary changes in the new window
  • Select 'Submit' to save these changes

If you have confirmed and submitted your pupil registration information you are able to edit this information by either selecting the child’s name from the list, or by adding or deleting a child by selecting the appropriate option from the left-hand menu. If you make additional changes to your pupil list you must reconfirm your pupil list.

Back to top
 Some of my census data is incorrect in NCA tools. How do I correct it?
  • Select 'Confirm children' from the left-hand menu
  • To edit an individual child, select their name on the pupil list

You can delete any children that appear on the list incorrectly. Any children that do not appear on the list but will participate in the tests can be added individually or as a multiple child upload.

It is important to ensure that your pupil data is accurate, up to date and matches the information held within your management information system (MIS). If any details such as UPN, child’s name and DOB have changed since census data was submitted, this should be changed in the Pupil registration section of NCA tools. This is to ensure that when teacher assessment data is submitted by schools later in the test cycle it matches the data already held. This also ensures that when the results data is returned to schools it matches the data held within the school’s MIS system.

Back to top
 How do I register early or late takers for the Key Stage 2 tests?

You can upload pupil data for early or late takers using the 'Add a child' option in the Pupil registration section of the NCA tools website.

Back to top
 How do I print a copy of my registered children for our records?
  • Log in to the Pupil registration section of the NCA tools website.
  • Select ‘Confirm pupils’ from the left-hand menu.
  • Select the ‘Print’ button located at the bottom of the page.
Back to top
 How do I confirm my registered children are correct?
  • Log in to the Pupil registration section of the NCA tools website.
  • Select ‘Confirm pupils’ from the left-hand menu.
  • Select the confirmation box at the bottom of the page to acknowledge your pupil data is correct.
  • Select ‘Submit’.

When you click ‘Submit’ you may get a red warning mark against some fields on the form. This indicates that pupil information may be inaccurate, for example a child’s date of birth is not within the expected Year 6 age range. If you have checked that this information is correct you can confirm and submit your pupil list even if the red warning mark remains visible.

You can still make changes to the pupil data even if you have confirmed the list of pupils is correct. If changes are made then you will need to re-confirm the pupil list by following the instructions above.

Back to top

Contact details

National Curriculum assessments helpline
Telephone: 0300 303 3013
Email: assessments@education.gov.uk