Summer 2024 school census

As we approach the Summer 2024 school census, it is helpful to remind schools of their role and responsibilities in relation to census returns, as well as signposting useful support and resources.

As you may be aware, the council removed the school census offer post in 2019 as part of its budget strategy and the collections are now managed across the team rather than by a dedicated post. The council does not retain a budget to support schools with their MIS systems. ESS licenses are now purchased directly rather than through the LA.

This means that it is the responsibility of the school leadership to ensure that the statutory returns are completed by either the LA deadline for maintained schools or the DfE deadline for academies. Where academies buy into ELP data support, they should also aim to complete their return by the LA deadline.

You can find the latest information on the school census page on our EGFL, including the deadlines for returning this to the LA via the COLLECT system. We formally request that all LA maintained schools submit their return by Friday 17 May 2024.

We strongly recommend that all schools make dry runs of the statutory return in their MIS systems in advance of census day and make use of the familiarisation blade available on COLLECT to support their checking processes.

During the data collections, we will continue to provide support with resolving duplicates and DfE statutory errors and queries. It is the responsibility of schools to make these changes on their MIS systems as well as the COLLECT system in a timely manner.

We will continue to complete additional checks on the data and facilitate council teams (such as the FSM or SEN team etc.) working with schools to resolve data quality issues, however, we will prioritise checks on data that impact on either funding or core accountability measures.

In addition, schools will continue to receive a full range of data support services as part of their ongoing investment into ELP, including high quality comprehensive data analysis and reports based on statutory returns.

For the summer census, we also want to draw your attention to some data items that are being collected:

• All schools – School arranged alternative provision – you must return a URN for the placement if the provider has one. If they do not, then you should return their UKPRN. Only if they do not have either of these should you return their CH number and postcode.
• Schools with Nursery classes – expanded hours – this is a new data item for 2-year-olds that is collected termly.
• Schools with Nursery classes – eligibility code – this replaces the thirty-hour code and is also being extended to 2-year-olds with expanded hours greater than zero.
• Schools with Nursery classes – 2-year-old basis for funding – this will now be collected termly from summer 2024.
• Schools with Nursery classes – early years pupil premium (including basis for funding) – this is now being extended to 2-year-olds and will be collected termly from summer 2024.
• Schools with Nursery classes – DAF indicator – this is now being extended to 2-year-olds.

If you have any questions about the nature of the data team support for schools then please get in touch with Jen (bullj@ealing.gov.uk) or Shane (ryansh@ealing.gov.uk). Specific queries about returns should continue to be directed to the team inbox – schoolsdatateam@ealing.gov.uk.