Bulk Import Children

Overview

The bulk import feature allows you to add multiple children to the system at once from a CSV or Excel file. The system will validate your data, match existing parents by email, and show you a preview before importing.

Import Columns

The import template supports 24 columns:

Child Identification

• InternalCode - Your internal reference (optional, used for matching existing children)
• FirstName - Child's first name (required)
• LastName - Child's last name (required)
• DateOfBirth - Date of birth in DD/MM/YYYY format (required)
• NhsNumber - NHS number (optional)

Child Address

• AddressHouseNo - House number
• AddressLine1 - Street name
• AddressLine2 - Additional address line
• AddressLine3 - Additional address line
• Town - Town or city
• County - County
• Postcode - Postcode

Primary Parent

• PrimaryParentFirstName - First name
• PrimaryParentLastName - Last name
• PrimaryParentEmail - Email address (used for matching existing parents)
• PrimaryParentPhone - Mobile number

Second Parent

• SecondParentFirstName - First name
• SecondParentLastName - Last name
• SecondParentEmail - Email address (used for matching existing parents)
• SecondParentPhone - Mobile number

Funding Details

• FundingType - 'Universal' or 'Extended'
• FundingEligibilityCriteria - e.g., 'Universal15Hours', 'Extended30Hours_WorkingParents', 'TwoYearOld_Disadvantaged'
• HoursPerWeek - Number of funded hours
• SessionClaimType - 'TermTimeOnly' or 'Stretched'

How Child Matching Works

The system automatically detects if a child already exists:

1. InternalCode Match - If you provide an InternalCode that matches an existing child's reference, the system will update that child's details
2. Name + DOB Match - If FirstName, LastName, and DateOfBirth exactly match an existing child, that row will be marked as 'Exists' and skipped
3. Partial Match - If a child has the same name but different date of birth, it's flagged for review

How Parent Matching Works

Parents are matched by their email address:

• If a parent with the same email already exists in the system, the import will link that parent to the child (not create a duplicate)
• If the email is new, a new parent record will be created
• This prevents duplicate parent records when importing children from the same family

The Import Process

Step 1: Download Template

Go to Children → Bulk Import and click 'Download Template' to get a CSV file with all the correct column headers and example data.

Step 2: Prepare Your Data

• Fill in the template with your children's data
• Use DD/MM/YYYY format for dates
• Leave optional columns blank if not needed
• Save as CSV or Excel (.xlsx)

Step 3: Upload & Preview

Upload your file and the system will show a validation preview with:

• Summary cards - Total rows, new children, existing children, conflicts, invalid rows, new parents, parents to link
• Status badges for each row:
  • New - Will create new child
  • Exists - Already in system (will be skipped)
  • Update - Matched by InternalCode, will update
  • Review - Needs manual review (possible conflict)
  • Invalid - Has validation errors
• Parent status - Shows whether each parent will be created new or linked to an existing record
• Validation errors - Missing required fields, invalid dates, etc.
• Warnings - Issues that won't block import but should be reviewed

Step 4: Select Rows to Import

Use the checkboxes to select which rows to import:

• Valid rows are automatically ticked
• Invalid rows cannot be selected
• 'Exists' rows are automatically unticked (will be skipped anyway)
• Use 'Select All Valid' or 'Deselect All' buttons for quick selection

Step 5: Confirm Import

Click 'Confirm Import' to process the selected rows. The results page shows:

• Number of children created, updated, and skipped
• Number of parents created and linked
• Detailed row-by-row results
• Any errors that occurred

Validation Rules

• Required fields: FirstName, LastName, DateOfBirth
• Date format: DD/MM/YYYY (e.g., 15/03/2021)
• Email validation: Parent email addresses must be valid format
• Age range: Children should be between 0-10 years old (warning if outside range)
• Hours: Should be between 0-50 per week

Tips for Successful Imports