Broadcast makes file sharing smarter by ensuring the right schools get the correct files. You can easily target individual schools or groups by recognising identifiers in file or folder names and using simple naming rules. Whether you’re sending a single document or an entire folder, Broadcast streamlines distribution so your audience always receives exactly what they need, when they need it.
How Does it Work?
Broadcast determines the audience for a file using the Underscore (_) character. The underscore is the identifier in the file name, which lets the system know when the naming rule ends and the file name begins. Everything to the left of the underscore will be treated as the naming rule.
Starting a file name with a school's six-digit URN or seven-digit establishment number, followed by an underscore, will ensure only that school receives that file. Please ensure you use the seven-digit DfE number and not the four-digit one.
Example: A file named 9991234_Targets.xls will only be received by the school with the DfE number 9991234, and the file name will be Targets.xls.
The naming convention also works on folders. Files contained in a folder that uses the school naming convention will ensure that only that school receives all the files within that folder.
Example: A folder containing five files named 9991234_Documents ensures that the school with the DfE number 9991234 receives all five files, saving you from applying the naming rule five times.
Please note that the naming rules only work on the file and one parent folder. A naming convention on a folder two levels up will not apply to anything two levels below it in the folder structure.
You can use either the URN or DfE number as the naming convention, as long as it matches a school in your LA.
Please note: If the file name contains multiple underscores, Broadcast won't recognise it and will be treated as a global file.
Using a broadcast feature called Broadcast Groups, it is possible to distribute the same file or folder of files to a cluster of schools. Please see the Broadcast Groups guide for more information.
What are global files?
Global files are files distributed to all schools. For security purposes, your LA has to opt in to this functionality by contacting our Support team. Once opted in, you can upload files to every school by ensuring there is no naming convention.
By default, global files is switched off and any files you try to send globally will be deleted immediately when published (you'll receive an email to let you know).
If you wish to opt into global files, please contact Nexussupport@angelsolutions.co.uk.
Please Note: If you opt in to Global files, incorrectly named files, or files sent to a school that doesn't exist on Nexus will not be matched and will be sent to all schools. Nexus Admins and the file distributor will receive an email to alert you of the global file being sent.
If you use Broadcast in conjunction with Batch Reports, when creating the batch, you must select either a folder structure ending with the DfE or the 'none' option. Otherwise, there's no naming match, and the reports will be treated as global files. Depending on your opt-in status, they will be published to everyone or deleted.
Naming Examples
| Mask | Example | Description | Rule applied |
| URN | 124355_Finance.xlxs |
The name is a URN belonging to a school in the LA. |
The file will only be visible to the school with that URN and the document will be named Finance.xlxs. |
| DfE Number | 9012014_Finance.xlxs |
The name is a DfE number belonging to a school in the LA. |
The file will only be visible to the school with that DfE number. The document will be named Finance.xlxs. |
| Group | Primary_Finance.xlxs | The name matches a Broadcast school group. | The file will be visible to all schools within the 'Primary' Broadcast group. It will be named Finance.xlxs. |
| No mask | Finance.xlxs | There are no identifiers. | If your LA has global files on, the file will be uploaded to all schools. If your LA has global files off, the file will be deleted. |