What: This guide shows you how to switch on Assessment Levels in Play, set up your list of levels, and record which level each pupil has reached.
Why it matters: Each level belongs to one of four attainment bands: Entry, Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced. The Arts Council annual data return counts pupils by these bands. Setting these up now means your data will be ready when the report arrives in a later release.
How: work through the sections below in order.
Before you start: switch it on
Assessment Levels stay hidden until the feature is turned on for your school and your user role has the right access.
| What you need | Who sets it | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Feature: Arts Council statistics (F_NATIONAL_STATISTIC_UK) | SpeedAdmin support | Both Assessment Levels screens |
| Right: ACCESS_ART_BOARD_STATISTICS | SpeedAdmin Champion, on the user's role | Both screens |
| Right: MANAGE_COURSE_SETUP | SpeedAdmin Champion, on the user's role | The Settings screen only (the whole Course setup menu) |
- If you would like this feature, raise a ticket with SpeedAdmin support and ask for the "Arts Council statistics" feature to be switched on.
- Give the rights above to the staff who will manage levels or record them on pupils. Staff who only record levels on pupils do not need MANAGE_COURSE_SETUP.
- Check that the user can now see "Settings" > "Course" > "Assessment Levels"", and the "Assessment Levels" tab on the student card.
Note: Legacy assessment level rights do not apply in Play. Granting them will not make the screens appear.
Step 1: Create your assessment levels
- Go to "Settings."
- Click "Course"
- Open "Assessment Levels."
- Click "Create."
- Enter a "Name", for example Grade 1, Grade 5 or Prep (up to 255 characters).
- Choose a "Band" (see Step 2).
- Click "Create," then repeat for each level you use.
The list shows Name and Band (Arts Council data return), sorted by name, 20 per page.
Step 2: Put every level into a band
The band is what the Arts Council return counts. You set it once per level, not per pupil.
If Grade 5 is Intermediate, every pupil with Grade 5 counts as Intermediate.
| Band | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Entry | Lowest attainment band |
| Foundation | Second band |
| Intermediate | Third band |
| Advanced | Highest attainment band |
- In "Settings" > "Course" > "Assessment Levels,"
- Click on the pencil icon next to any levels without specific bands selected.
- Choose its "Band" from the drop down and click "Update"
Important: pupils on a level with no band are not counted in the return. Levels that existed before this release have no band, so go through your full list once and band every level.
Step 3: Recording a pupil's assessment levels
- Go to the pupil's Student card.
- Open the "Assessment Levels" tab.
- Click "Create."
- Fill in the boxes in the pop up (see the table below).
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Assessment Level | Yes | Chosen from the list you made in Step 1 |
| Course Code | Yes | Chosen from the national course code list. This list is set nationally and cannot be edited by your school. |
| Date | No | Used for sorting only |
- Click "Create" and the information now shows on the tab.
The tab lists all the pupil's levels, newest date first, with the columns "Name", "Course Code" and "Date".
If a pupil is merged into another pupil, their assessment levels move to the remaining pupil.
Step 4: Managing your levels
Rename a level or change its band
Open the level in "Settings" > "Course" > "Assessment Levels" and edit the name or band., by clicking on the pencil icon.
Changing a band changes how every pupil on that level is counted straight away. No history of earlier bands is kept.
Correct a pupil's level
Student assessment levels already entered cannot be edited, they can only be deleted by navigating to the "Assessment Levels" tab, click the bin icon at the end of the row, then add a new row with the correct details.
Delete a level
You can only delete a level that no pupil holds. If it is in use, you will see a message such as:
The number counts every pupil row with that level, across your whole database. Remove the level from those pupils first, then delete it. Any unused levels are able to be deleted straight away.
Visibility
| Action | Where it is logged |
|---|---|
| 1-Level created, renamed, re-banded or deleted | Log button on the level's row in Settings (requires the audit log right) |
| 2-Level added to a pupil | The pupil's audit log: "Assessment level added" |
| 3-Level removed from a pupil | The pupil's audit log: "Assessment level removed" |
1-
2-
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to check |
|---|---|
| I can't see Assessment Levels anywhere | The Arts Council statistics feature is not on for your school (contact support), or your user is missing ACCESS_ART_BOARD_STATISTICS |
| The student tab shows, but Settings has no Assessment Levels (or no Course setup at all) | Your user is missing MANAGE_COURSE_SETUP |
| The Band dropdown is empty | Contact SpeedAdmin support; this is not a rights issue |
| "Level X is used 10 times, so you can't delete it" | The level is still on 10 pupil rows. Remove it from those pupils first, then delete |
| A level is missing from the pupil's dropdown | Create it first in Settings > Course setup > Assessment Levels |
| A course code is missing | Course codes come from the national list and cannot be added by your school |
| A pupil's row has a level but a blank course code | The code is no longer in the national list. Delete the row and add it again |
| Pupils are missing from band counts | Their level has no band. Set one in the guide |
Things to be aware of
- The Arts Council report is not in this release. This release records and classifies the data. The report will follow in a later release.
- One shared list per system. Levels are not set per school or department, they are the same across the entire system.
- Band changes apply to everyone on that level, including past records. No band history is kept.
- Not linked to Legacy. Assessment levels and rights in Legacy are separate from Play and do not carry across.