School census

Spring school census 2025

The spring school census will take place on Thursday 16 January 2025.

We ask schools to return their census by Friday 17 January 2025.

We also continue to request that academies submit their return promptly on COLLECT and send us a full CSV export of their census submission as early as possible after census day.

We highly recommend that you perform a trial run prior to census day. Then, hopefully on 16 January it will just be a case of running the census and submitting it to the LA (or the DfE for academies).

DfE have a familiarisation blade for each Census available a few weeks before the live collection, so you can use it to check your data in advance of the census. This usually remains available until 4pm on the Friday before census week, and DfE strongly recommends that schools use this facility to check their own data in advance of the collection going live on the 16 January.

Changes for the spring census (FAO schools with nursery classes)

Early years data items

Following the introduction of expanded hours entitlement for working families and the expansion of data items beginning in the summer 2024 census, reminder that the following will be collected in spring 2025:

Detailed below are the new data items and changes to existing data items:

• Expanded hours has been extended to record up to 15 hours for children from 9 months old with working parents
• Eligibility code (formerly known as “thirty hour code”) is being extended to 9-month-olds with expanded hours greater than 0
• 2-year-old basis for funding will be collected termly (started in summer 2024). This is not required for 2-year-olds taking up the expanded entitlement hours
• Early years pupil premium (including basis for funding) is being extended to 9-month-olds from autumn 2024, and is now being collected termly
• DAF indicator is being extended to 9-month-olds.

Other changes

• Attendance reason associated code set has been updated to include new codes effective from 19 August 2024.

View other changes here: Complete the school census - Changes for 2024 to 2025 - Guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Checking your return

Please ensure you check your return thoroughly before submitting, and once you have submitted your return on COLLECT that you review any errors or queries and take the appropriate action or add an appropriate note. The COLLECT help guides below provide guidance on how to view your errors and queries, how to add notes on COLLECT and how to view your reports.

Please also ensure you check all of your reports on COLLECT to make sure you are happy with your submission – in particular you must resolve any pupils who appear on your duplicate reports between yourselves and another school.

Here is the DfE guidance on checking your data.

Where does school census data go? (pdf)
This document provides information on what your census data is used for and why it is important to submit accurately and on time

Training

We recommend that you keep up to date on new developments with school census by attending training where provided by your MIS support provider.

DFE specifications

The DfE are no longer producing pdf booklet guidance, instead guidance is available on the following link:

Complete the school census (GOV.UK)

If you require any information regarding MIS file versions or where data should be entered, or how to run the census within your MIS please refer to your MIS technical support provider.

COLLECT help guides

Viewing your errors and queries in COLLECT (pdf)

Adding notes for queries in COLLECT (pdf)

Moving a child from OnRoll to OffRoll on COLLECT (pdf)

Sending a CSV export of your school census to the Local Authority (for academies) (pdf)

Viewing your school census report on COLLECT (pdf)

Further COLLECT help guides are available on request for maintained schools and academies who buy in to the ELP or data service (including guidance on amending FSM eligibility, learning aims, enrolment status, part time flag, hours at setting/funded/extended/expanded hours, school arranged AP details, SEN top up funding flag and UPN).