How can I prepare data and be ready for the School Census Return?
The School Census will collect individual characteristics and pupil records three times a year
Autumn Census / Spring Census / Summer Census
This FAQ is designed to help you through this process and inform you of the data that is collected in the census and how you could prepare in advance and be ready on CENSUS DAY.
DfE guidance – Complete the school census – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Scomis Bulletin – Spring 2026 School Census Bulletin – SCOMIS
For information on what Schools and which pupils to include please see this guide: Complete the school census – Which schools and pupils to include – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
We highly recommended that Pre-Census work is carried out by all schools and a Dry Run of the census is done in advance of Census Day. Please ensure your records are up to date in the following areas (where applicable to your School type) by:
Running reports / Having Practice or Dry Runs
The Census will be collecting information from the following areas: (definition links below )
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Pupil names and basic information Numbers on roll (Used for funding) Personal information for pupils Language Code (Used for funding) Free School Meals (Used for funding) School Lunches taken – needed on day of census not for dry run (Used for funding) Youth Support Services Agreement (Secondary) Service Children in education indicator (Used for funding) Funded entitlement hours (Used for funding – Nursery) Funded extended hours (Used for funding – Nursery) Eligibility code (Nursery) Hours at setting (Used for funding – Nursery) 2 year old basis for funding Disability access fund indicator (DAF) Early Years pupil premium (Used for funding) Top-up funding (Used for funding) Post looked-after arrangements (Used for funding) Learner funding and monitoring (FAM) Pupil enrolment status (Used for funding) Class type Pupil date of entry (Used for funding) Pupil date of leaving Part-time indicator Pupil boarder indicator (Used for funding) Pupil actual national curriculum year group (Used for funding) Pupil SEN provision Home information including address Suspensions and Permanent exclusion Termly Attendance* Post 16 data (Used for funding) Post 16 Student data (Used for funding) Post 16 Learning Aims (Used for funding) |
*Please check you have no missing marks from the last two terms in your Registers and that all exclusions or suspensions have been recorded and agree with your recorded attendance.
The definition of all items collected in the School Census can be found here: Complete the school census – Data items 2025 to 2026 – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The data will be collected with a reference date of Census Day, however, some data will be collected between certain date ranges below:
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School Census 15/01/2026 – Spring 2026 |
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| Information Collected | From date | To date |
| Attendance | 01/08/2025 | 31/12/2025 |
| Exclusions | 21/04/2025 | 31/12/2025 |
| Free School Meals (FSM) (current pupils only) | 03/10/2025 | 15/01/2026 |
Details of how to submit School Census can be found here: Complete the school census – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Additional information on Early Years can be found here: Early years census – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Additional information for Post 16 can be found here including the Education and Funding Skills Agency (ESFA) tool : Use the ESFA post-16 census tool – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and more information from DfE 16 to 19 education: funding guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Your Pupil Premium information can be found here: Pupil premium: allocations and conditions of grant 2025 to 2026 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Pupil premium available from – Get Information About Pupils (GIAP) site. GIAP can be accessed via DFE sign in (if you do not have a DfE sign in account you can click here – Create a DfE Sign-in account
Additional Alternative Provisions information is available: Alternative provision census – Guidance – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Privacy Notices – August 2024 DfE document An explanation of privacy notices (publishing.service.gov.uk) was substantially updated and revised as part of data protection review in 2024. It can be accessed via the privacy notices section of the data protection in schools policies and procedures guide
Completing the School Census – A guide to Collect and completing your School Census that you have uploaded is available here: Complete the school census – Check your data – Guidance – GOV.UK
A guide to ‘Using Collect’ is available here: COLLECT guides for schools and local authorities – GOV.UK
MIS Documentation
Bromcom – Documentation Centre