Summer 2024 – School Census Bulletin

Fileset 2701: Relevance to School Census Summer 2024 

ESS have informed us that when the Fileset 2701 is available (Date TBA) it will addressed the below errors and queries:

Version 23-24.1.7 of the DfE validation files

List of changes provided by the DfE

1. Pupil level errors amended: 3169, 3140, 3120, 3211, 5235, 3031, 3032, 3033, 3034, 3036, 3038, 3039, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1848, 1861, 1862, 3120, 5220, 6230, 1843, 1849, 1853, 3031, 3032, 3033, 3034 and 3036
2. Pupil level queries amended: 1849 and 1853

Table of what is included in School Census Summer 2024 for early years funding

ESS stated they the following table has now been corrected and should clarify what is required for early years funding in School Census Summer 2024.

DfE Date collection timetable and key dates

ESS have confirmed the dates for the Summer School Census as below:

The census date for the 2024 summer school census is Thursday 16 May with the deadline for approved submissions being Wednesday 12 June. The database will be closed to amendments from schools and local authorities on Wednesday 3 July.

 Early Years Q&A 

ESS have supplied some answers to questions that have been asked:

Question 5: Fileset 2701 and CWPsp (Consolidated Workstation Patch Spring Release) 2

(Details of release date for CWPsp2 or fileset will follow)

Do all schools subject to School Census Summer 2024 need both the Fileset and the patch for providing the census return to the DfE?

Answer

No, they aren’t both needed by all schools subject to School Census.

• • Fileset 2701 is need by all school subject to School Census.
  • CWPsp 2 is only need by schools subject to School Census who cater for early years children.

Please note the following where a school caters for early years children

• • It will avoid confusion for those schools if census returns aren’t created when only one of the two has been applied for the school.
  • Once the two have been applied, it is best to start a completely new census return, as returns created before application of CWPsp 2 will have a different structure to one created after application of the patch.

Question 4: Funding for 2-year-old children

Can a school receive funding for Funded Hours AND Expanded Hours for a 2-year-old child?

Answer

According to the latest DfE specification for School Census 2023/24 (version 1.5), where both apply for a child, the school can only indicate the Funded Hours. The following is the relevant note from the DfE specification.

Please note: In some circumstances, 2-year-olds may be eligible for both the 15-hour entitlement for disadvantaged 2-year-olds and the expanded entitlement but can only take up one of these entitlements.  In those circumstances, children should be recorded against the disadvantaged entitlement.

This means that a 2-year-old child could have no more than 15 hours funded by the DfE.

We understand that this restriction will be lifted for School Census Autumn 2024 This means that a 2-year-old child could then have up to 30 hours funded by the DfE.

Question 3: Funded Hours

Is there a dependency between Funded Hours and the 2-Year-Old Basis for Funding?

Answer

Yes, the DfE would not expect Funded Hours to be included for 2-year-old children unless one or more of the following three is indicated for 2-year-Old Basis for Funding.

1. Economic criteria
2. High-level SEN or disability
3. Looked after or adopted from care

Question 2: Early Years Pupil Premium Receipt (EYPPR)

Is the collection of EYPPR new for School Census Summer 2024?

Answer

It is new in two ways.

1. It is new for School Census Summer 2024 in that it has only previously been collected for spring school censuses.
2. It is new for any school census in that it is collected for 2-year-old children for the first time in any school census.

Question 1: 2-Year-Old Basis for Funding

Is the collection of ‘2-year-old basis for funding’ new for School Census Summer 2024?

Answer

It is new for School Census Summer 2024 in that it has only previously been collected for spring school censuses.

Early years data required for 2023/24 and 2024/25 censuses

ESS has supplied a table below that may be of help in regard to the Early Years data required, specifically highlighting the Summer 2024 Census:

I hope that the following table will help with any confusion regarding what data the DfE requires for early years in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 school censuses. The table is based on version 1.5 of the DfE specification for 2023/24 school censuses and version 1.0 of the DfE specifications for 2024/25 school censuses. I will update the table to take account of any changes beyond these versions of the DfE specifications in this area.

Early years funding 

ESS has supplied further information regarding the Early years funding:

Except for the COVID-19 years, the summer term school census is normally the simplest school census of the academic year both for suppliers of MIS and for schools to deal with, as they don’t normally contain any new elements for the summer census that have not already been introduced for the preceding school censuses of the academic year. However, for schools that cater for early years children there are up to four important areas of change, each of which is related to DfE funding.

1. ‘Expanded’ DfE funding for early years 

School Census Summer 2024 will be the first school census where data will be collected that includes children receiving the ‘expanded’ DfE funding of early years.

We have partially redesigned Tools | Statutory Returns tools | Update Early Years and the Early Years panel of Routines | Statutory Returns | Schools so that Expanded Funded Hours can be entered for two-year-old children with an Eligibility Code (formally known as the 30 hour code). This partial redesign is suitable for School Census Summer 2024. However, a further redesign will be needed for School Census Autumn 2024 to take account of Expanded Funded Hours being further expanded to take account of children as young as 9 months.

Although a disadvantaged two-year-old child could be eligible for both Funded Hours and Expanded Funded Hours, up until the end of academic year 2024/25, the DfE will not accept the sum of the two sources of funded hours for the child to exceed 15. This restriction to 15 hours in total is expected to be lifted for academic year 2025/26 onwards, which means that total funded hours for two-year-old children could then be up to 30 hours.

2. Two-year-old basis for funding

Previously, two-year-old basis for funding was only collected on a yearly basis via School Census Spring. However, starting with School Census Summer 2024, two-year-old basis for funding will be collected on a termly basis via each of the three School Censuses of the academic year.

For School Census Summer 2024 there are two different ‘sources’ of two-year-old funded nursery hours, i.e. Funded Hours and Expanded Funded Hours. Schools will need to remember that the choice of ‘two-year-old basis for funding’ relates to Funded Hours and NOT to Expanded Funded Hours.

3. EYPPR (Early Years Pupil Premium Receipt)

Previously, EYPPR was only collected on a yearly basis via School Census Spring. However, starting with School Census Summer 2024, EYPPR will be collected on a termly basis via each of the three School Censuses of the academic year. Moreover, starting with School Census Summer 2024, it will be collected for two-year-old children, as well as continuing to be collected for three- and four-year-old children. CWPsp 2 or above is needed for this change to the DfE specification.

A further redesign will be needed for School Census Autumn 2024 to take account of the inclusion of EYPPR for children as young as 9 months.

4. DAF (Disability Access Fund) indicator

The DAF indicator continues to be collected for each of three school censuses of the academic year. However, starting with School Census Summer 2024, it will be collected for two-year-old children, as well as continuing to be collected for three- and four-year-old children. CWPsp 2 or above is needed for this change to the DfE specification.

A further redesign will be needed for School Census Autumn 2024 to take account of the inclusion of the DAF indicator for children as young as 9 months.

Late changes to the DfE specification

ESS have reported that they have checked through the DfE’s late changes to its specification for School Census 2023/24 and have determine that changes will be needed for the following two areas.

1. EYPP (Early Years Pupil Premium) Receipt

Until the most recent version of the DfE’s specifications for School Census 2023/24, the move from once-a-year collection of EYPP Receipt in the Spring Census to collection in all three termly censuses was to commence with School Census Autumn 2024. The late changes to the DfE specification brings this forward to commence with School Census Summer 2024.

Moreover, School Census Summer 2024 becomes the first school census to collect EYPP Receipt for 2 year old’s, i.e. inclusion of pupils who were two years of age on the 31/03/2024.

As well as the impact on the Early Years panel of the census, we will have to provide an EYPPR detail report.

2. DAF (Disability Access Fund) indicator

Until the most recent version of the DfE’s specification for School Census 2023/24, the extension of DAF to include 2-year old’s in the three school censuses of the academic year was to commence with School Census Autumn 2024. The late changes to the DfE specification brings this forward to commence with School Census Summer 2024, i.e. take account of pupils who were two years of age on the 31/03/2024.

As well as the impact on the Early Years panel of the census application, we will have to revise the Early Years detail report and the functionality provided via menu route Tools | Statutory Returns Tools | Update Early Years.

All the changes to SIMS stemming from the DfE’s very late change to its specifications will be provided via CWPsp (Consolidated Workstation Patch Spring Release) 2.

Problem with validation query 1881Q 

ESS have informed us of a know issue currently.

We believe that when validation 1881Q is applied to School Census Summer 2024 it is checking for attendance in 2023 (31/03/2023) when it should be checking for attendance in 2024 (31/03/2024). This means that it will incorrectly trigger for pupils who joined the school for academic year 2023/24, e.g. all pupils in year 7 in a secondary school.

We have reported our findings to the DfE.

Early years funding

ESS have informed the following in regard to Early years funding

Except for the COVID-19 years, the summer term school census is normally the simplest school census of the academic year both for suppliers of MIS and for schools to deal with, as they don’t normally contain any new elements for the summer census that have not already been introduced for the preceding school censuses of the academic year. However, for schools that cater for early years children there are two import changes related to DfE funding.

1. ‘Expanded’ DfE funding for early years 

School Census Summer 2024 is the first school census where data will be collected that includes children receiving the ‘expanded’ DfE funding of early years.

We have partially redesigned Tools | Statutory Returns tools | Update Early Years and the Early Years panel of Routines | Statutory Returns | Schools so that Expanded Funded Hours can be entered for two-year-old children with an Eligibility Code. This partial redesign is suitable for School Census Summer 2024. However, a further redesign will be needed for School Census Autumn 2024 to take account of Expanded Funded Hours being further expanded to take account of children as young as 9 months.

Although a two-year-old child could be eligible for both Funded Hours and Expanded Funded Hours, up until the end of academic year 2024/25, the DfE will not accept the sum of the two sources of funded hours for the child to exceed 15. This restriction to 15 hours in total is expected to be lifted for academic year 2025/26 onwards, which means that total funded hours for two-year-old children could then be up to 30 hours.

2. Two-year-old basis for funding

Previously, two-year-old basis for funding was only collected on a yearly basis via School Census Spring. However, starting with School Census Summer 2024, two-year-old basis for funding will be collected on a termly basis via each of the three School Censuses of the academic year.

Now that there are two different ‘sources’ of two-year-old funded nursery hours, i.e. Funded Hours and Expanded Funded Hours, schools will need to remember that the choice of ‘two-year-old basis for funding’ relates to Funded Hours and NOT to Expanded Funded Hours.

Table of what is included School Census Summer 2024 for early years funding 

ESS have supplied the following table and hope this will clarify what is required for early years funding in School Census Summer 2024.

Summary of data to be reported to the DfE by this summer census

Census reference day 

The census reference day for School Census Summer 2024 is Thursday the 16th of May 2024.