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LAD search tips

Structuring your search

The most difficult part of conducting a good search is deciding what search criteria to use and how to combine them.  The search criteria you use will largely depend on what you already know, but the more you know about the learning aim you want to find the easier it will be to find it!

  • Identify your search criteria (the more the better)
  • Decide how best to combine them
  • Wildcards will help to narrow the search
  • Lookup can help to populate some search fields
  • Refine your search as much as possible
  • More than one search may be required
  • If at first you don't find what you want, narrow the search and try again.

My search hasn't returned what I expected

Have you:

  • selected the right teaching year
  • deselected Recommended Aims if you wanted All Aims
  • used wildcards appropriately
  • cleared existing search criteria using the Clear button
  • selected a lookup value where appropriate

Combining Search Criteria

Entering a specific Learning Aim Reference or Awarding Body Aim Reference causes all other search criteria to be ignored.

In all other cases, search criteria work in combination.  However, certain combinations of search criteria are not valid.  No search results will be returned if you enter invalid combinations.  For example, HE Aims cannot be technical certificates.

How to carry out a new search or modify a search

Select the New Search or Modify Search buttons on the Aim Search Results screen.

  • New Search button.  Re-presents Aims Search screen with all the fields cleared.  Note:  The <Clear> button also clears all search criteria.
  • Modify Search button.  Re-presents Aims Search screen with previously entered search criteria.

Searching for learning aims from QCA or DfES

  • Enter a QCA Qualification Reference Number or DfES Accreditation Number directly into the Aim Reference field.  Note:  You can now enter '/' in the Aim Reference field.
  • QCA no longer put scheme numbers such as C&G 7261 7262 in learning aim titles, so scheme numbers are no longer reflected in the LAD.  Instead, search using any search criteria you know (e.g., %plumbing% in the Aim Title field).

Using Wildcards

Wildcards are useful if you have a rough idea of what you are looking for.  Use wildcards with:

  • Aim Reference
  • Aim Title
  • Awarding Body Aim Reference
  • Aim Type Code / Desc
  • LDCS Code / Desc
  • Awarding Body Code / Name
  • Sector Framework Code / Desc

Examples:

  • %engineering% in the Learning Aim Title field returns all learning aims with the word 'engineering' in the title
  • %nvq%prog%admin% will locate the learning aim 'NVQ in Artistic Programming (Administration)'
  • %f_sh% will return 'fashion', 'offshore', etc.
  • Enter %% in Aim Type, LDCS, Awarding Body or Sector Framework and select 'Lookup' to locate all the values for that lookup.

Using Lookup

There are two ways of using the lookup fields:

  • Search on a single lookup value - To find valid entries for Aim Type Code, LDCS Code, Awarding Body Code or Sector Framework Code enter as much information as you know (for either code or description) and click on the related Lookup button.  Select from the table displayed to populate the appropriate field(s) on the screen, then use the Search button to search for aims.  E.g., enter '%marine%' in Awarding Body Description and select 'Lookup' to return all Awarding Bodies with 'marine' in the description, select the appropriate lookup value and then click the Search button.
  • Search on multiple lookup values - Enter text surrounded by '%' in the description box for the related Lookup field and click the Search button.  E.g., enter '%marine%' in Awarding Body Description and click the Search button to return all learning aims with 'marine' in Awarding Body.

Finding New or Changed learning aims

To see a list of learning aims which have changed since a given date, use the 'Records New or Changed Since' field at the bottom of the Aim Search screen.  This field works in combination with other search criteria.

Note:  The LAD will only retrieve records for the selected Teaching Year (this field defaults to the current Teaching Year).

Finding Technical Certificates within a WBL Funding Category

  • Deselect Recommended Aims only (if required)
  • Select Technical Certificate Aims only
  • Select the Area of Learning equivalent to the WBL Funding Category (Note that Area of Learning is very similar to WBL Funding Category)
  • Click Search.

Finding Technical Certificates within a Framework

  • Deselect Recommended Aims only (if required)
  • Enter the Sector Framework Code (use Lookup if required)
  • Select Technical Certificate Aims only
  • Click Search.

The search returns all technical certificates within the selected framework.  Note:  This only returns technical certificates, and excludes NVQs.

Finding All NVQs within a Framework

  • Deselect Recommended Aims only (if required)
  • Enter 0036 in Aim Type Code and select Lookup
  • Enter the Sector Framework Code (use Lookup if required)
  • Click Search.

Note that this way of searching finds only NVQs, and excludes technical certificates.

Restricting search to available aims only

Selecting FE, WBL or ACL rather than Any Aim will return only available aims (status = 1) for that funding stream.

Finding aims related to HE

Selecting 'HE Aims' will display only aims with FE/HE status set to 'H', i.e. only aims marked as Higher Education.  Selecting 'FE Aims' will display only aims with FE/HE status set to 'F', i.e. will exclude aims marked as Higher Education.

Finding 'Access to Higher Education (HE)' courses

To narrow your search to 'access to HE courses' select:

  • 'QAA recognised access to higher education course' in the LSC Funding Status box.

Note:  In contrast the radio button for HE Aims will narrow your search to actual Higher Education learning aims as opposed to 'access to HE' courses.

Using Awarding Body Aim Reference

Note:  The Awarding Body Aim Reference is not populated for all learning aims.

Last Modified: 5 Jan 04