News
System updates for each development release, such as new functionality, features and bug fixes and other non development news items relating to Get Information about Schools (GIAS).
These are news items that are no more than 6 months old. Select news archive if you want to see news items older than 6 months.
All news items show what was originally displayed at the time of publication, therefore some links in these news items may no longer work.
Advance notice - Archiving of Census Ward field as part of system release v4.41
w/c 1 November 2021
The geographic location field “Census Ward” is no longer used and is being archived as part of the next system release scheduled for the week commencing Monday 1 November 2021.
Please note - on the GIAS web site the field name is “Census Ward”. In downloads and extracts it has two paired columns titled the “CensusAreaStatisticWard (name)” and “CensusAreaStatisticWard (code)”.
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The impact of this change:
- This change will affect any download or scheduled extract file which contains these two paired data entities / fields “CensusAreaStatisticWard (name)” and the “CensusAreaStatisticWard (code)”. For example, the “All establishment data” download.
- When the “Census Ward” field is archived the “CensusAreaStatisticWard (name)” and “CensusAreaStatisticWard (code)” columns will disappear from the table and depending if only one or both data entities exist on the same file, all subsequent columns to the right will shift left by either one or two columns, i.e., MSOA. LSOA etc. will move to the left on the table.
Further information
Should you require any additional support with reference to this change or any other query regarding GIAS, please visit the contact page and complete a service request.
System update
22 September 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Fix to ensure the correct date format is used in an error message on the academy trust edit page.
- Addition of age range data to the service children’s education establishment type to meet the needs of the users of this data
- Update to ensure the Confirm Details option is always visible to applicable users, rather than only appearing when an account reminder notice has been issued, to improve the experience of users who want to review their establishment’s record more frequently than the minimum recommended period.
- Addition of links on the academy trust group details pages to their equivalent records in the Schools Financial Benchmarking and Compare School and College Performance services, to improve ease of cross-site navigation.
- Update to the frequently asked questions page to improve ease of navigation.
- Update to ensure only establishments with the correct status value are included in search results when the “include open schools only” checkbox is selected or unselected, so that search results meet user expectations.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Updated home page to help new and existing users better understand the purpose of GIAS and aide navigation around the site.
System update
7 September 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Update to correct the formatting of some breadcrumb links when the results of an establishment search are downloaded.
- Addition of a ‘Back to top’ link to lengthy page to improve ease of navigation.
- Update to ensure the typeahead feature in search fields also works when copied information is pasted into the field.
- Update to the breadcrumbs across multiple pages to ensure consistency throughout the site.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Updated home page to help new and existing users better understand the purpose of GIAS and aide navigation around the site.
Please note we are also scheduling a further release of GIAS at 18:00 on 9 September, during which time GIAS will be unavailable. This will be a non-functional system maintenance release and will not require users to take any specific action.
System update
10 August 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Additional automation to ensure any changes to the Local Authority field on an establishment’s record trigger an automatic update of the data in the corresponding Government Statistical Service (GSS) local authority code field and the Government Office Region (GOR) field.
- Formatting update to ensure the accessibility statement aligns with GDS standards.
- Update to the help page to include a section for the accessibility statement.
- Update to the order of the footer hyperlinks across each page to ensure consistency across the site.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Updated home page to help new and existing users better understand the purpose of GIAS and aide navigation around the site.
System update
27 July 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Addition of an updated privacy notice and set of privacy FAQs, to maintain data protection compliance and addition of a privacy link to the page footer to ensure compliance with the GDS GOV.UK style guide.
- Update to some download error messages to ensure synchronicity and consistency across the site.
- Accessibility update to ensure non-JS enabled users are still able to make use of the approve/reject changes tool where permitted.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Updated home page to help new and existing users better understand the purpose of GIAS and aide navigation around the site.
System update
13 July 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
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Data update to refresh the following variables with the latest data to be published by the Office for National Statistics:
- District
- Ward
- Parliamentary constituency
- Urban/rural description
- Middle super output area (MSOA)
- Lower super output area (LSOA)
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Update to ensure the confirm details banner are only visible for establishments with the correct opening/closure status.
- Update to the on-screen instructions provided to users accessing an establishment record in edit mode, to improve general understanding.
- Fix to remove a duplicate filter on the governor search page.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Updated home page to help new and existing users better understand the purpose of GIAS and aide navigation around the site.
System update
29 June 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
- New feature to allow the GIAS support team to set and configure system notification banners to better alert all users to important notices.
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Fix for an issue preventing the account reminder banner from displaying to users until the record for the establishment has been updated at least once.
- Correction of a spelling mistake on the breadcrumb for the governor search page.
- Update to ensure UK provider reference number (UKPRN) changes triggered by a change in the UK Register of Learning Providers (UKRLP) data feed are recorded as such in the GIAS record change history, rather than being attributed to an action taken by the establishment user.
- Iterative update of the user journey to add an establishment to a federation, to improve user experience.
- Further updates to various page breadcrumbs to allow clearer navigation across the site.
- Update to ensure the wording on the user satisfaction survey banner displayed as part of the system maintenance page is consistent with the same banner displayed on other site pages.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Refresh of the ONS geospatial data items following the Northamptonshire local authority structural changes (opens in new tab) in April 2021.
System update
16 June 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Inclusion of local authority nursery schools in the scope of the automated account reminder functionality, to improve data quality for that establishment type and an update to the content of the email reminder template to improve the clarity of the message.
- Update to the on-screen account reminder notification banner to allow approved users to confirm no changes to the record are required.
- Addition of an error message to cater for a user or user’s script attempting to access the group record of a non-existent UID.
- Update to ensure consistency of single-academy trust and multi-academy trust terminology across all onscreen content. (NB. No changes will be made to content within pre-prepared downloads, extracts or the downloads of search results).
- Update to the cookie banner component to ensure continued compliance with the relevant GOV.UK pattern.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Refresh of the ONS geospatial data items following the Northamptonshire local authority structural changes (opens in new tab) in April 2021.
System update
2 June 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
- Latest iteration of the save filter set feature for users who have signed-in to GIAS.
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Fix for a bug that meant the banner prompting users to review and update or confirm the details of their establishment’s record was not being displayed to users within a special post-16 establishment.
- Update to the error messages generated by the local authority search option, to cover the scenario where there are no open schools within a particular local authority (e.g. a pre-LGR authority).
- Update to the page breadcrumbs to enable clearer navigation across the site.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Refresh of the ONS geospatial data items following the Northamptonshire local authority structural changes (opens in new tab) in April 2021.
Important notice for Tax-Free Childcare providers
The Department for Education (DfE) and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are working together to update the GIAS establishment details held by the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) service.
If your establishment’s details are correct on GIAS then it is not necessary to make any amendments to your GIAS establishment record.
Once the establishment details have been updated in the TFC service you will be able to register your establishment or access your existing account if there has been a change in headteacher, principal or manager details.
The latest update of GIAS establishment details held by the TFC service has been completed, using data taken from GIAS on 4 May 2021.
A fresh update of the GIAS establishment details held by the TFC service will be performed on a termly basis, with the next update expected around the start of the autumn term for the 2021 to 2022 academic year.
Contact points and further details about the TFC service and how TFC providers can access their account can be found here (opens in new tab).
System update
19 May 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
- Update to the page for children’s centre linked sites to include provision for recording the main email address and alternative email address.
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Update to ensure the UKPRN field for an academy is visible in all viewing modes.
- Update to ensure users can access the user satisfaction survey even when the system maintenance and other static pages are being displayed.
- Update to ensure the service name is displayed consistently across all pages.
- Update to the frequently asked questions (FAQs) page under the help section, to improve user experience.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Refresh of the ONS geospatial data items following the Northamptonshire local authority structural changes (opens in new tab) in April 2021.
System update
4 May 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
- Addition of clearer prompts to remind establishment users when they should update their establishment’s contact details and provide clarity on how contact information is shared.
- Update to the tool tips and email address usage information to reflect the above changes.
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Addition of a confirmation page to help users review the changes they are proposing when editing the record for an academy trust.
- Addition of a video guide (opens in new tab) to the governance guidance page to support academy trust users who are responsible for updating their trust’s governance information.
- Update to the news page pop-up modal to improve clarity for all users.
- Update to the help page layout and content to improve clarity for all users.
- Update to GIAS library settings to ensure continued support for GOV.UK Notify.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
- Refresh of the ONS geospatial data items following the Northamptonshire local authority structural changes (opens in new tab) in April 2021.
Consultation
Webservices housekeeping exercise – proposal to delete extracts
We are proposing to delete the following webservice extracts as they have not been generated for some time.
If anyone is using them, please complete a service request form letting us know no later than Tuesday 25 May 2021.
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Extract name: All Open Schools.xls
Extract id: 13635
Date last generated: 04/03/2018 -
Extract name: portalupdate.csv
Extract id: 13390
Date last generated: 28/03/2018 -
Extract name: LeicestershireExtract.csv
Extract id: 13492
Date last generated: 08/03/2019 -
Extract name: Headteachers.csv
Extract id: 13796
Date last generated: 30/08/2017
System update
21 April 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Fix for a bug preventing some scheduled extracts from generating correctly when a user attempts to access them manually via the downloads page.
- Fix to correct an issue preventing some users from filtering search results on all of the group statuses that they have permission to view.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Clearer prompts to remind establishment users when they should update their establishment’s contact details and provide clarity on how contact information is shared.
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
System update
13 April 2021
An updated version of the Get information about schools (GIAS) service has been released to all users. You do not need to take any specific action unless otherwise indicated below.
This release includes the following improvements:
- Addition of the new user satisfaction survey. We use the feedback from this survey to plan and prioritise future improvements. We encourage all users to make regular use of this survey, even if they have used it before.
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Bug fixes and fine-tuning to improve the overall user experience, including:
- Fix for a bug causing the academy trust’s UKPRN number to be displayed on the individual establishment’s record instead of the UKPRN for that academy when reviewing at trust level.
- Update to remove outdated references to edubase on some pages.
- Fix to ensure the order of tabs displayed on a group’s governance page is the same irrespective or whether or not the user is using the edit mode.
- Fix to ensure users who complete a change to an establishment’s record are returned to the expected page after the change has been submitted.
- Additional explanatory text to the news and news archive pages to better explain the purpose of each page and the point-in-time nature of the links included in historical news posts.
- Update to the page breadcrumbs to enable clearer navigation across the site.
In future releases we plan to include:
- Clearer prompts to remind establishment users when they should update their establishment’s contact details and provide clarity on how contact information is shared.
- Additional details to help users better understand and use the different daily downloads provided on the downloads page.
- Improvements to the file format options offered to users when downloading search results or pre-prepared downloads.
Provider Data Improvement Programme - Discovery
A discovery is starting in April 2021 that will look to capture the user requirements and business needs of key users of provider data, while at the same time look at what provider data is mastered and held across the DfE estate and how it is governed. Capturing this information is vital in allowing us to progress in improving the quality of provider data, both for operational and analytical purposes, inside and outside our organisation.
We will be starting to contact stakeholders from mid-April. If you are approached can you try and make some time to meet with the team and feed into the discovery. We appreciate time is of a premium at the moment, but your opinions are essential to the success of the project moving forward.
Additionally, if you would like to be involved in the discovery and ensure your requirements are captured, you can do so by emailing ds.deliverysupport@education.gov.uk with ‘data provider discovery’ in the subject line. Can you please include a sentence in the body of the email describing your use of provider data and your team/organisation.
Thank you in advance for your help and support.
About the Get Information about Schools service
Welcome to the Get Information about Schools service.
This service replaces the previous EduBase system. You can use it to find details about schools, children's centres, academy trusts and sponsors, and school federations in England. Some information about Welsh establishments is also available.
Establishments can also update their records using this service.
All content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0, except where otherwise stated. The Open Government Licence does not cover personal information as defined in data protection legislation. Any personal information that is processed further by any organisation for other purposes will be subject to the terms of data protection legislation.