October Returns
Rules Report
Contents:
1. Background and procedure
2. 2015/16 changes
3. New for 2016/17
1. Background and procedure
The Rules Report is a summary of all warnings and errors pertaining to both School and Pupil
data stored on PPOD.
Early October is the time for schools to finalise their pupil data for October Returns purposes.
The ‘Rules Report’ in the ‘October Returns’ section of ‘Your Options’ menu will allow schools
to generate a report of errors and warnings for their pupil cohort and allow the user to correct
these errors and warnings prior to submitting the school’s October Returns to the
Department.
This will bring you to the ‘Rules Report’ page. The errors and warnings are listed under three
tabs – Rules, Pupil and School.
The ‘Rules’ tab groups pupils in accordance with the rule that is being broken. By clicking
on the number shown in the ‘Count of Broken Rules’ column, a list of pupils for whom the
rule has been broken will be displayed in the ‘Batch Update’ facility. This will enable the
user to make the same correction/amendment for all of the affected pupils at the same
time. It is important to note that pupils must be in the same ‘Programme’ and ‘Year’ to
apply the correction/amendment to that group of pupils only.
Return to the ‘Rules Report’ page and select the ‘Regenerate Rules Report’ Button. This
updates the error screen so that amendments are taken account of. Continue to correct all
errors and warning in the same manner, ensuring that you regularly click on the
“Regenerate Rules Report” button to update your progress.
The ‘School’ tab is for information only and will display any errors or warnings as it relates
to the ‘School’ data only. To correct the ‘School’ errors please contact the PPOD helpdesk.
The ‘Pupil’ tab will enable the user to correct errors and warnings for an individual pupil.
When you click on the ‘Pupil’ tab a list of pupils will appear with the relevant error/warning
recorded beside the individual pupil. Selecting the pupil will bring you to the ‘Maintain Pupil’
page where the necessary correction/amendment to the pupil’s record can be made.
When all errors and warning have been cleared, the following page will appear. It may not
be possible to clear all errors/warnings but it is in the best interest of the school that any
errors that can be corrected are corrected, and a brief written explanation is provided to the
Department when the school is submitting its October Returns paperwork for the
outstanding errors.
When you have cleared all the errors and warnings that you can, you are ready to submit
your October returns to the Department. Any warnings that cannot be cleared should be
explained in writing and submitted to the DES with the October Returns paperwork.
2. 2015/16 changes
New Rules
Rule W328 – is a WARNING where a pupil is in an exam year, e.g. Junior Cert Yr. 3/Leaving
Cert Yr. 2 but doesn’t have the ‘Exam entrant’ box ticked. This is included to ensure that all
pupils who are due to sit exams are marked accordingly for entry to State Exams.
Rule E334 – is an ERROR to show that the school has not completed the Book Rental Details
under Update School Details  Miscellaneous  Text Book Rental or Loan Scheme. Schools
must ensure that this is completed in order to proceed. This error will be displayed under
the ‘School’ tab.
Fatal Errors
There are a number of rules that we are enforcing for this year’s October Returns. These will
display as errors rather than warnings. You will not be able to proceed with the generation
of the October Returns until all errors have been rectified. Twelve rules below will display
under ‘Pupil’ tab and one under the ‘School’ tab (E334). You may proceed with warnings but
a written explanation must be included with the October Returns paperwork i.e. CMA/OL20
report.
The fatal errors are as follows:
E46 CHECK MAX SUBJECTS TAKEN (to ensure PLC pupils are not taking more than one
course)
E55 CHECK MIN ONE SUBJECT TAKEN (to ensure that at least one subject is added)
E141 INVALID SUBJECT COMBINATION - HISTORY & HISTORY EARLY MODERN
E142 INVALID SUBJECT COMBINATION - GEOGRAPHY & ENVIRONMENTAL SOC STUDIES
E143 INVALID SUBJECT COMBINATION - HISTORY & ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL STUDIES
E144 INVALID SUBJECT COMBINATION - IRISH & COMMUNICATIVE IRISH
E145 INVALID SUBJECT COMBINATION - ART DESIGN & ART CRAFTWORK
E230 PRE CHECK RECOGNITION - IRISH CHECK (to ensure pupil is taking Irish or has an Irish
Exemption)
E233 CHECK LCVP MODERN LANGUAGE (to ensure LCVP pupil is taking mandatory Modern
European Language)
E296 CHECK SUB PROGRAMME (to ensure that a pupil with sub-programme indicator is
taking a subject for another programme)
E302 INVALID LCVP SUBJECT GROUPINGS (to ensure that pupils have correct groupings as
per circular 040/2013)
E303 CHECK LVCP YEARS 1 and 2 - Mandatory subjects (to ensure LCVP pupils are taking
link modules as per circular 040/2013)
E334 CHECK BOOK RENTAL DETAILS COMPLETED (to ensure book rental details have been
completed on PPOD).
3. New for 2016/17
New Warnings:
W335 CHECK MAX EXAMINABLE SUBJECTS TAKEN (8) (Leaving Certificate pupils must not
have more than eight examination subjects)
W336 CLASSICAL STUDIES AND LATIN INVALID COMBINATION
W337 CLASSICAL STUDIES AND ANCIENT GREEK INVALID COMBINATION
W338 CHECK MAX EXAMINABLE SUBJECTS TAKEN (11) (Junior Cycle pupils must not have
more than 11 examination subjects)
New Fatal Error:
E339 CHECK JC AND JCSP YR 3 SUBJECT LEVEL AT B, X (subject cannot be taken at Foundation
level or level X)