The importance of uploading the RSQUAL file for WACE certification

Contact
Kerry Tarrant (08) 9273 6770
Kerry.Tarrant@scsa.wa.edu.au

Schools are reminded of the importance of ensuring the VET Qualification Results (RSQUAL) file is uploaded to the SIRS database at the end of each calendar year. The information in the RSQUAL file is used to allocate unit credit towards the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and to determine that a student has met the Certificate II or higher requirement.

Please note: The RSQUAL file must only be uploaded once the school has received written verification from the Registered Training Organisation (RTO) that the student has achieved the qualification.

Failure to upload this file will result in students not achieving their WACE and will therefore be considered not eligible for first round offers for entry into university and TAFE courses.

If there are errors in student achievement data after the deadlines that are a result of the school providing incorrect or incomplete data, the school will be charged a fee for updating the data.

Schools are also reminded that if the RSQUAL is not uploaded at the end of that year for Year 11 students who have completed a qualification this may also prevent students from achieving their WACE in the following year.

It is also important for schools to ensure that the RSQUAL file processes successfully to SIRS and any error messages are resolved before due dates. If a student does not have the correct number of units of competency linked to a qualification in SIRS the RSQUAL will not upload successfully.

The RSQUAL file should be uploaded at the conclusion of the year that the student completes the full qualification (whether that be Year 10, 11 or 12).

Schools should check that the qualification has been recorded correctly by running the report  CSE007 – VET qualifications achieved in full. The pathway to this report is: Reports > Other Reports > Report type: Achievements > Report: CSE007.

More detailed information about the RSQUAL file is provided in Section 8.6.5 of the Data Procedures Manual 2020. This publication is available on the Authority website at:

https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/data-procedures-manual.

Links are provided to database-specific software programs in Section 12 of the Data Procedures Manual 2020 using the above link.

2021 Activities Schedule availability

Contact
Jenny Offer(08) 9273 6313
Jenny.Offer@scsa.wa.edu.au

The 2021 Activities Schedule is available on the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority) website at three locations:

• https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/activities-schedule
• https://k10outline.scsa.wa.edu.au/home/resources/activities-schedule
• https://senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/further-resources/activities-schedule.

The 2021 Term Calendar will be available in Term 4, 2020.

The Outlook calendar will be available to download on a term-by-term basis. Any updates to the Activities Schedule will be noted in the Circular and replicated in new versions of the calendar.

The dates in this schedule are colour coded:

• Pink ★activity relates to or includes primary schools
• Orange ◆ dates are for items to be received by the Authority
• Blue 🌢 dates are for items to be available to or received by schools/providers
• Green ▲ dates are significant to schools and the Authority.

Please see the PDF, on the Activities Schedule page, with an explanation of changes to the Activities Schedule for 2021.

Collection of other than Year 12 students’ achievement data – 2020

Contact
Kerry Tarrant (08) 9273 6770
Kerry.Tarrant@scsa.wa.edu.au

This is an early reminder that the other than Year 12 achievement data is due to the School Curriculum and Standards Authority by Thursday, 3 December 2020 as per the 2020 Activities Schedule.

Information about collecting achievement data will be received by schools by Wednesday, 28 October 2020.

Schools will need to provide the achievement data for:

• Year 11 students enrolled in ATAR, General, Foundation, Preliminary and VET Industry specific courses, VET units of competency, VET qualifications and endorsed programs
• Year 10 and Year 11 students studying VET qualifications, VET units of competency and endorsed programs.

Reminder: Application for recording of enrolment and achievement in ATAR Units 1 and 2 for students in Year 10 in 2022 (Year 8, 2020)

Contact
Kerry Tarrant (08) 9273 6770
Kerry.Tarrant@scsa.wa.edu.au

Principals are reminded that Applications for recording of enrolment and achievement in ATAR Units 1 and 2 for students in Year 10 in 2022 (Year 8, 2020)must be received by the Authority no later than Thursday, 19 November 2020. The completed application form is to be emailed to certification@scsa.wa.edu.au.

An application form can be downloaded from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority website at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/forms/forms under the Enrolments tab.

Schools should apply only if the studies are part of a longer term program for students who are:

• either gifted and talented or
• accelerated language students.

For further information please refer to Section 7 in the WACE Manual 2020. This publication is available on the Authority website via the following link: https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/wace-manual.

WASN requests for 2021

Contact
Data Services (08) 9273 6344
numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au

dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au

All current students in Western Australia should have been allocated a Western Australian Student Number (WASN), and be registered with the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (the Authority). This number remains with the student throughout their school life. Schools need to recognise the importance of the WASN to avoid duplication of records and maintain continuity of student data.

From 12 October 2020, schools will only be able to request WASNs through the Student Information Record System (SIRS) for Kindergarten students commencing in 2021. If a student other than Kindergarten arrives at your school from another WA school, please check to see if they have a WASN first using the ‘Search for WASN’ process – explained in ‘How to Search for WA Student Numbers in SIRS’ in this circular.

Please note we do not issue numbers for Pre-Kindy students.

If you cannot locate a number, then contact numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au and give details of the student’s legal surname, legal first name, date of birth and academic year. It is also useful to include your school code in any correspondence. If schools request a WASN for a student who already has a number, the correct WASN number will be sent back to schools. The Authority will forward to schools new WASNs for those students without a number.

All secondary schools with a Year 7 intake can send a complete list (spreadsheet) of Year 7 students entering their school, including the student’s legal surname, legal first name and date of birth and the Authority will look up the numbers on their behalf.

A reminder that details of how to register students can be found in the Student Registration Procedures Manual 2020 – Primary Students found at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/publications/data-procedures-manual-2020 with links to assist schools using Integris (RTP), Civica Maze, and Excel. There is also a Guide to uploading Student Registration and Demographic (SRGDG) file found at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/349636/GUIDE-TO-UPLOADING-STUDENT-REGISTRATION-AND-DEMOGRAPHIC-FILE.pdf and some online training videos found at https://www.scsa.wa.edu.au/sirs-info/primary-schools.

How to Search for a WASN in SIRS

Contact
Data Services (08) 9273 6344
numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au

dataservices@scsa.wa.edu.au

Please refer to the September 2020 circular item regarding registration and enrolment of P – 10 students transferring between schools in Western Australia. By checking a student number, the system will also give you a student’s current academic year.

If a student arrives at your school from another school in Western Australia, or even from overseas/interstate, you have the ability to search in the Student Information Records System (SIRS) for that student’s Western Australian Student Number (WASN) using a family name, given name and date of birth.

All student registrations are recorded in SIRS by the end of Term 1. After this time, you will be able to search for students including the student’s previous school/s. You will know where to send a transfer note, if required.

1. Hover over Enrolments in the menu bar.
2. Click on Student Enrolment > Student Maintenance > Find Student Number (see image below).

The Find Student Number directory will appear (see image below). Enter the student’s Family Name, Given Name and Date of Birth.

3. Click Search.If the information you have entered exactly matches the information in SIRS, you will find a result even if the student is not at your school (see image below).

If the details you have requested are different from the information in SIRS (e.g. date of birth is different, Jackie is spelt as Jacky), no information will be found. In this case, please email numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au and provide the student’s:

• Family Name (Surname)
• Given Name (First Name)
• Date of Birth
• Academic Year
• Previous School (if known).

Troubleshooting: Search WASN

1. What happens if the requested information does not show?Email numbers@scsa.wa.edu.au and provide student name, academic year and date of birth.
2. What happens when a single year (e.g. 2012 to 2012) is entered in the date range?Only a result for that year will be returned.
3. What does it mean when the Department of Education is shown as the student’s main provider?
   It means the student is likely to be under a Notice of Arrangements or may have been on the Whereabouts Unknown List (more likely with Years 7, 8, 9 and 10).