How to use your Data Cleansing and Counts Pack (SIMS/ Bromcom Spaces schools only)

Overview

The Data Cleansing and Counts Pack is essential to ensuring your data migrates over correctly to Arbor. It is split into two main phases:

Data Cleansing: The process of tidying up information in your current MIS (e.g. SIMS or Bromcom) before migration. The goal is to ensure data is accurate, formatted correctly, and stored in the right fields so it transfers to Arbor as expected

Data Counts and Checks: Comparing your current MIS data against the data in your Arbor site following migration, you’ll have the help of in site Arbor reports to check whether everything arrived correctly. 

The Timeline

Weeks 1-2: Download your Data Cleansing and Counts Pack from your Onboarding Space.

Weeks 2-3: Start your pre-migration data cleansing.

Week 4 Migration Day: Complete all data cleansing and record your final Data Counts before your migration starts.

Weeks 5-8: Perform post-migration data checks and counts to ensure your data has migrated correctly.

Pre Migration Data Cleansing (Weeks 1-4)

In this tab, you will find a list of tasks categorised by priority.

Status Column: Update the Status for each task (e.g. Not Started, In Progress, Complete) to track your progress.

Required vs. Recommended: Your Data Cleansing Pack categorises tasks into required and recommended. 

• Required: Essential for basic system functionality (like logging in) and should be completed in your current MIS. 
• Recommended: Can be completed in current MIS before migration or managed in Arbor after you go live if necessary.

Staff data cleansing examples

• Staff Email (Required): Ensure every staff member has a work email address set as "main and primary" in SIMS. This email becomes their Arbor username; without it, they cannot log in to Arbor.

• Current Contracts (Required): Ensure all current staff have an active business role and contract. If missing, Arbor may default their role to "Teacher" which may give them permissions they don't need within the site.

• Phone Numbers (Required): Remove special characters (like *) from phone numbers. International codes and spaces are acceptable

   

Student data cleansing examples

• Demographics (Required): Check that eligibility for Pupil Premium (FSM), In Care, and Service Child status has correct start and end dates. Without underlying eligibility criteria, students will not show as eligible in Arbor.

• SEN/ALN (Required): Verify that SEN statuses, categories, and needs have accurate history. If a status has an expired end date, the student will not appear as SEN in Arbor.

• Guardian Details (Required): Check that parent contact details (emails/phones) are stored in Section 5 (Family and Home) of SIMS, not Section 4 (Student Profile), to prevent them from migrating to the Students profile rather than the guardians profile in Arbor. 

Guardian data cleansing examples

• Guardian Records (Required): Ensure each guardian has an individual record (e.g., separate records for "Mr. Smith" and "Mrs. Smith") for accurate communication and GDPR.

• Parental Responsibility (Required): Confirm that primary guardians are correctly marked in your previous MIS

• Court Orders (Required): Compile a list of guardians with court orders. Note: Court orders do not migrate and must be manually added to Arbor after you are live

How to complete your pre-migration data counts

Before your final data backup is taken (in Week 4 on migration date), you must record your baseline figures from your current MIS (SIMS/ Bromcom) in the Migration Data Counts section, you will be comparing these figures with the data in Arbor after you go live.

Steps 1: Open your Data Cleanse and Counts Pack to the Migration Data Counts and checks tab

Step 2: In your current MIS, run reports to find your current totals for enrolment and demographic counts and enter these figures into their respective columns in the spreadsheet. 

Post-Migration Data Checks (Week 5 - 8)

Once you have access to your live Arbor site, you will use the reports built into Arbor to verify your data. This essential step ensures that the migration process was successful, and critically, that all necessary, complete, and accurate information arrived in the new system as expected.

Data Checks and Counts Reports in your Arbor MIS 

Search for the below reports in your Arbor MIS search bar or within the Custom Report Writer, which can be found by going to School > Custom Report Writer:

• Staff Data Checks
• Student Checks
• Demographic Data Counts

To compare the data in Arbor accurately, against your previous MIS, you must set the report to look at your migration date.

• Inside the reports, click the Edit button.
• Look for the Filter section.
• Change the dates from "Today" to your Booked Migration Date
• Ensure both the "Start Date" and "End Date" are set to that specific day.
• Click Save and View Report.

Staff Data Checks 

Open the 'Staff Data Checks' Report in Arbor.

Step 1 - Pick a Sample of 10 Staff that you’ll check the data of in this Arbor report, against their data in your previous MIS - SIMS/Bromcom. 

Step 2 - Verify the Details: We recommend checking the below in the report, against your records in previous MIS (SIMS/Bromcom):

• Identity: Legal Name, and DOB.
• Contact: Email Address, Phone Number 
• Employment: Roles, Contract  

Step 3 - Update Spreadsheet: If the data matches in both systems (Previous MIS and Arbor) Mark the Staff as Confirmed Correct in the spreadsheet. If it doesn't match, follow the steps in “What to do if you find a discrepancy”

Student Checks 

Open the 'Student Checks' Report.

Step 1 - Pick a Sample of 10 students that you’ll check the data of in this Arbor report, against their data in your previous MIS - SIMS/Bromcom.  Choose a mix of students with different enrolments, SEN status and FSM or Pupil Premium eligibility. 

Step 2 - Verify the Details: Check the below in the report, against your records in previous MIS (SIMS/Bromcom):

• Identity: Legal Name, UPN, and DOB.
• Contact: Primary guardian names 
• Medical: Medical conditions, dietary requirements, 

Step 3 - Update Spreadsheet: If the data matches in both systems (Previous MIS and Arbor) Mark the student as Confirmed Correct in the spreadsheet. 

If you find missing or incorrect data, follow the steps in “What to do if you find a discrepancy”

Compare Data Counts

Open the Migration Data Counts section of your Data Cleansing and Counts pack.  Look at the SIMS or Bromcom column figures, these are the numbers you recorded before leaving your old system and what you’ll be hoping to match when counting your data in Arbor.

Step 1 -  Follow the steps in the Enrolment Counts section to locate the enrolment figures in Arbor and fill out the Arbor fields in the spreadsheet. 

Step 2 -  Open Demographic Data Counts report in your Arbor site and make note of the totals in the Arbor section of your Spreadsheet. 

Steps 3: If the SIMS/ Bromcom and Arbor columns match, mark the status as Complete, if there is a discrepancy, follow the steps below.

What to do if you find a discrepancy

If any of your data counts or data checks do not match or you find missing information that should have migrated:

1. Verify the data is in your Previous MIS
2. If the data is present in your previous MIS, raise a ticket with the Arbor Support Team or your support partner if you are partner supported
3. Include screenshots from both your previous MIS and Arbor to help the team investigate.

Note: Remember that bespoke school assessments do not migrate and will need to be set up manually in Arbor, this guide will give you more information about what migrates and raising migration issues with Support.