Guidance

New 3a batch schema

Updated 4 August 2021

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lrs-organisation-portal/new-3a-batch-schema

Introduction

We are writing to inform you the Learning Records Service is launching a new 3a batch schema. From the 1st July 2019, the 3a schema replaces the current 1a, 1b and 2a versions.

Organisations can continue to submit both Verification Only (CHK) and Full (FUL) submission types using the 3a format.

Below explains who is affected and what action organisations must take before the current versions are decommissioned.

Impacted users

This change affects Learner Registration Bodies (such as; Training/Learning Providers, Schools, Academies or LA) directly acquiring or managing their ULNs from the LRS Organisation Portal using batch services. Specifically, users responsible for producing, LRB CSV or XML files.

CSV template

If your organisation acquires and manages their ULNs using CSV, you can switch over immediately and begin to use the new CSV template. The new template is available on GOV.UK.

Validation tool

The validation tool has also been updated to handle the new 3a version.

XML schema

If your organisation exports, uploads and subsequently downloads and imports XML files all from your MI system into the LRS Organisation Portal, you will need to speak to your MI supplier or IT team as they will need to make some changes.

MI vendors have been briefed on the upcoming changes. They have also been sent a copy of the communications.

What’s new?

The new 3a schema is in line with some of the key ULN changes made earlier this year on the portal:

  • new 3a batch schema now includes UCI and UPN fields
  • MiddleOtherNames field renamed to MiddleNames
  • AbilityToShare has been replaced with PrivacyNoticeSeen and will only accept values 0 and 1. 2 will not be accepted
  • updated validation tool to validate 3a files

The exceptions functionality (on the LRS Organisation Portal) has been updated with the following:

  • a new return code ‘RC012 Incorrect identifier format’, where either the UCI and/or UPN is submitted with an incorrect format
  • after selecting ‘Process’ for exceptions (RC006-RC008) the optional fields are populated if they were included in the batch
  • after selecting ‘Process’ for exceptions (RC009-RC013) the optional fields are displayed and can be searched on
  • where optional fields were included in the batch and a new learner is registered, these fields are pre-populated
  • where optional fields were included in the batch and a learner is updated, the fields will be updated (except for the UPN)

Future release

Resolved exceptions report

Users will still be able to export the resolved exceptions report but as a 2a version. The new 3a version will be released later in the year, consisting of the UCI and UPN field changes.

Action required by 31 July 2019

XML organisations exporting XML files should use the new XML scheme, which can be found on GOV.UK.

Please ignore this communication if you are a school or academy in England, Wales or Northern Ireland using S2S (England), C2K (Northern Ireland) or DEWi (Wales) as this change does not apply to you. Please ignore this message if your organisation uses web service operations (i.e. MI system to MI system).

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