Uploading Ascent KS3 Start Bands

Preparing Data

In Alps Ascent, students require a starting point from which progress is measured. This is called the Start Band. At the beginning of KS3, students are assigned start bands based on available prior attainment data, this might be KS2 scores, CAT4 results, teacher assessment, or a combination of these. This can be Year-Level or Subject-Level:

Year-Level Bands — Every student has the same start band across all subjects. This is ideal for schools that use a single prior attainment measure (such as a KS2 average) to set expectations.
Subject-Level Bands — Start bands vary by subject. A student might be Enabling in English but Developing in Maths, reflecting subject-specific prior attainment data (e.g., separate KS2 reading and maths scores, or CAT4 subscores).

The start band represents where a student is expected to perform and all progress measurement flows from it. In Alps Ascent, the number and naming of the start bands is fully configurable, so schools can use their own language and match the number of bands they use.

For Year-Level Start Band files need to be a csv file, structured with the following columns: Student ID, Tutor Group, Start Band. For Subject-Level Start Band files need to be a csv file, structured with the following columns: Student ID, Tutor Group, Subject 1, Subject 2, Subject 3,...

Example Data - Year-Level Bands

Example 1: Descriptor Bands

Student ID	Tutor Group	Start Band
HS123	9H	Accelerating
HS124	9A	Developing
HS125	9A	Emerging
HS126	9F	Developing
HS127	9P	Enabling
HS128	9H	Accelerating

Example 2: KS4 Target Grades

Student ID	Tutor Group	Start Band
HS123	9H	5
HS124	9A	6
HS125	9A	6
HS126	9F	7
HS127	9P	9
HS128	9H	6

Example Data - Subject-Level Bands

Student ID	Tutor Group	English	Maths	Science	Computing	History	Art
HS123	9H	Accelerating	Accelerating	Enabling	Accelerating	Accelerating	Enabling
HS124	9A	Enabling	Enabling	Accelerating	Enabling	Enabling	Enabling
HS125	9A	Accelerating	Accelerating	Accelerating	Accelerating	Accelerating	Accelerating
HS126	9F	Emerging	Emerging	Developing	Emerging	Enabling	Accelerating
HS127	9H	Enabling	Accelerating	Accelerating	Enabling	Enabling	Enabling
HS128	9P	Developing	Developing	Enabling	Developing	Enabling	Emerging

Importing Start Bands

To import the start bands file into Alps Ascent, navigate to the Data Management tab and select Start Bands. If needed, a template file can be downloaded in this page:

Once the csv file is prepared, click Upload File to open the import page. Select the Academic Year you are importing for and click next.

Select your csv file for import and click Upload.

Once imported, the file will be checked for errors. If any errors are found, you will need to correct the file and reimport. If no errors are found green ticks will appear.