Autumn and spring term 2020/21

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Reporting in Higher Education Providers

Data guidance

Published

Description

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Coverage

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File formats and conventions

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Data files

All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.

HE COVID cases and isolating figures 2020_21 Terms 1 and 2

Filename
he_covid_data_terms_1_2_updated_v2.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2020 Week 45 to 2021 Week 14
Content

This file contains weekly data on confirmed COVID-19 cases and numbers of students thought to be self isolating at Higher Education Providers (HEPs) from the week to 04 November 2020 to the week to 07 April 2021. It also contains estimated weekly case rates from the week to 04 November 2020 to the week to 16 December 2020.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
dateReporting period 7 days to
response_rateOverall response rate
responses_self_isolatingNumber of providers reporting estimates for students known to be self-isolating in the 7 days to the reporting date
seven_day_case_rates_per_100000_staffStaff weekly estimated case rate per 100 thousand
seven_day_case_rates_per_100000_studentsStudent weekly estimated case rate per 100 thousand
students_self_isolatingEstimates for number of students known be self-isolating at these providers
weekly_covid_cases_staffTotal number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in staff known to HE providers
weekly_covid_cases_studentsTotal number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in students known to HE providers
Footnotes
  1. The student travel window between 3 and 9 December and the national lockdown from 4 January mean that term time residence is likely lower in the weeks from December 3rd than previously.
  2. Response rate here means the proportion of providers that made at least one data return to the Office for Students COVID-19 reporting tool during the 7 day period.
  3. Rapid lateral flow tests were launched for HE on 27 November 2020. The bulk of tests in the Autumn term were taken in December to support safe student travel during the winter break. Testing resumed to support safe return to study in January.
  4. Cases are those that are known to providers and confirmed by polymerase chain reaction test (up to 26 January) or polymerase chain reaction/lateral flow device tests (from 27 January).
  5. For Higher Education Providers who have reported an estimate for students self-isolating in the reporting week, we take the most recent reported estimate and sum to produce a sector summary. Providers who did not submit an estimate during the reporting week are excluded from the counts. See Methodology for more details.
  6. Rates are calculated from providers that returned valid case data and a valid estimate for headcount for the Autumn term.
  7. Estimated case rates per 100,000 for staff and students are rounded to 1 decimal place.
  8. In line with DfE guidance issued in December 2020, the number of students in scope for in person teaching is limited in the Spring term. We estimate that 19% of students were in scope from the start of the Spring term (mainly clinical and teacher training courses, 'tranche 1'), and 49% were in scope from 8 March (all students on courses with practical or practice based elements, 'tranche 2').
  9. Number of providers returning data is shown rather than response rates because during term 1 providers were only asked to return data on self-isolation if they self-reported more than 25 cumulative cases in the previous 7 days. Response rates are therefore less helpful in contextualising this statistic.
  10. A national lockdown was in place between 5 November and 2 December 2020.
  11. Estimates for totals known to providers to be self-isolating are rounded to the nearest 100.

HE COVID Higher Education tiers of restriction 2020_21 Term 1

Filename
he_covid_data_tiers1.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2020 Week 45 to 2020 Week 51
Content

This file contains weekly data on the number of Higher Education Providers (HEPs) reporting their education tier of restriction, and number and proportion of providers in each tier from the week to 04 November 2020 to the week to 16 December 2020.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
dateReporting period 7 days to
HE_prop_tier_level_1Proportion of HEPs in Tier 1
HE_prop_tier_level_2Proportion of HEPs in Tier 2
HE_prop_tier_level_3Proportion of HEPs in Tier 3
HE_prop_tier_level_4Proportion of HEPs in Tier 4
HE_tier_level_1Number of HEPs in Tier 1
HE_tier_level_2Number of HEPs in Tier 2
HE_tier_level_3Number of HEPs in Tier 3
HE_tier_level_4Number of HEPs in Tier 4
returning_providers_tiersNumber of providers returning Higher Education Tiers of Restriction
Footnotes
  1. Proportions are of those Higher Education Providers returning education tier of restriction data, not the whole sector.
  2. Where providers reported a change in tier of restriction during the 7 day period, we report the latest. Providers are able to report different tiers for different locations (such as separate campuses). Where they have done so, we report the highest tier.

Key_stats_2

Filename
key_stats_terms_1_2_updated.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2020/21 Autumn and spring term
Content

This file contains the figures for the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases known to Higher Education Providers (HEPs) in students and staff from 01 August 2020 to 07 April 2021.

Variable names and descriptions

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable nameVariable description
total_covid_casesTotal number of confirmed COVID-19 cases
total_covid_cases_staffTotal number of confirmed staff COVID-19 cases
total_covid_cases_studentsTotal number of confirmed student COVID-19 cases