BROMCOM – Quick Summary Guide – Pre-checks and Generating School Census
This FAQ is a quick check list for updating information before Census.
For Schools wanting the latest documentation for Census and using Bromcom – Click here to jump to the relevant section.
Census Date: Thursday 15th May 2025 DfE return date Wednesday 11 June 2025
PRE-CHECKS BEFORE YOU START YOUR CENSUS
| School Characteristics |
Config>Admin>Characteristics |
| School Core details |
Config>Admin>Core Details |
| Attendance N Codes |
Reports>Attendance>Attendance by Code/Meaning – using ‘Code’ and selecting ‘N’ to search |
| Attendance Missing Marks |
Reports>Attendance>Attendance Analysis Exports or Reports>Attendance>Attendance by Code/Meaning – using ‘Meaning’ – ‘Missing Mark’ to search |
| *Select Students Module and ‘Add/Remove Additional Columns’ to check what information is in your MIS | If you find information is incorrect or missing – please see below quick routes to amend the information as required |
| If unsure of any of the below areas check DfE | Complete the school census – Data items 2024 to 2025 – Guidance – GOV.UK |
Access to areas listed below are subject to Roles and Permissions – if not available speak to your Administrator
| Student Registration Enrolment Status – Key Data |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Enrolment from left menu – then on right hand side go to Key Data panel to change click on edit pencil and add enrolment status |
| Missing UPN or ULN |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Enrolment from left menu – then on right hand side go to Key Data panel to change click on edit pencil and add UPN or ULN number |
| SEN Provision and Needs |
Students – Select Student/View- Select Special Education Needs from left menu – add SEN details |
| FSM |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Meal & Transport (or select from ALL menu at top right) – add Free School Meal start date |
| Pupil Premium |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Funding & Allowances (or select from ALL at top right) – Pupil Premium Tab (Note: If you have imported your Pupil Premium previously, you may still need this area to add pupil premium for pupils who have enrolled since last import) |
| Top Up Funding |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Funding & Allowances (or select from ALL at top right) – Top Up Funding Tab |
| Early Years Pupil Premium |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Funding & Allowances (or select from ALL at top right) Early Years Pupil Premium Tab |
| Eligibility Code and Basis for funding – 2 year old |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Funding & Allowances (or select from ALL at top right) – Additional Information Tab |
| Learner Monitoring – (in receipt of tutoring) |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Funding & Allowances (or select from ALL at top right) – Learner Monitoring Tab |
| Service Child |
Students – Select Student/View and click on pencil edit icon to right on student name – Details are in Additional Details Tab (NOTE: Their is also a tick box on Contact details of parent (for reporting purposes) where you can tick the contact as a member of armed forces) |
| Youth Support Service Agreement |
Students – Select Student/View and click on pencil edit icon to right on student name – Details are in Additional Details Tab |
| Young Carer |
Students – Select Student/View and click on pencil edit icon to right on student name – Details are in Additional Details Tab |
| Post Looked After Arrangements |
Students – Select Student/View and click on pencil edit icon to right on student name – Details are in Additional Details Tab |
| Ethnicity, Religion & Language |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Ethnicity & Religion (or select from ALL at top right) – Select appropriate tab |
| Traveller Status |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Ethnicity & Religion (or select from ALL at top right) – Ethnicity Tab |
| EAL |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Profile from left menu – Scroll down to find Ethnicity & Religion (or select from ALL at top right) – Languages Tab |
| Alternative Provision |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Enrolment from left menu and Scroll down to Alternative Provision (or select from ALL at top right) – Add details |
| Suspensions and Exclusions |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Behaviour from left menu – Scroll down to Exclusions (or select from ALL at top right) – please remember if a permanent exclusion the “Confirmation and Appeals Record for the Exclusion” must be recorded or you will have errors on your census. |
| Looked After |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Safeguarding from left menu and Scroll down to Looked After (or select from ALL at top right) |
| Child Protection |
Students – Select Student/View – Select Safeguarding from left menu and Scroll down to Child Protection (or select from ALL at top right) |
CREATING CENSUS
| Create Census | Modules>Census>School – Check Term and Year are correct top right hand corner then Select – New and Generate |
| Check Parameters panel (Do not change any dates) | |
| Check School Details panel | |
| Save & Validate – you will now have a file called “2025 Summer Census – 001” | |
| Working on Census | Select latest copy of Census e.g. 001 and select View summary / View Errors etc. |
| Work on the errors you find on your Census | |
| You can tick the ‘x’ in far column when you have cleared the error for your own record of what you have done but it will not clear the errors off this created census when you ‘save status’ it will just save the status of the errors you have ticked so far | |
| Generate new Census | If you have cleared multiple errors or all errors in your MIS you must then generate a New Census to see your errors removed from the Census – when done this will be called “2025 Summer Census – 002” – you can do this as many times as you wish and you will see the errors and queries reducing on each NEW Census you create. However; |
| REMEMBER – when generating new Census | IMPORTANT NOTE: You will need to “reset to latest census“ each time you create a NEW Census for the Pupil Reconciliation and Pupil School Lunch if you have completed these area’s – IF YOU DO NOT YOU WILL LOSE THE INFORMATION and need to fill it out again. This must be done therefore BEFORE you Save & Validate the newly created census. |
| Reports for Census | Once you have created your first Census you will be able to use the reports in the Reports>Census area to print out and check information in your census |
| Summary Report | On your Census Screen, highlight the latest census you have created and click View Summary to get the latest Summary Report of your last Census created. |
| Please Note | Be aware that if you have made changes in your MIS AFTER you have made a final copy of your census, this information WILL NOT be in your your final copy unless you generate a new census (as above). |
| Authorise Census | When you are happy with your Census, (which may be called something like “2025 Summer Census – 015” by this point) you can highlight the appropriate census and click on Authorise – this will add a date to the Authorised Column and your Census will NO LONGER be editable. If you need to make further changes you will have to go to a previous copy (i.e. “2025 Summer Census – 014”) which may or may not have all your changes in it. You can not edit an Authorised copy of the Census. |
| Download your Census | Highlight the Authorised copy of the Census and click on View File – this will download an XML copy of your Census to your downloads ready to be uploaded to DfE |
* you can delete the older copies of Census (i.e. copy 001 / 002 etc), however, please be aware if you delete the last copy that you have “reset to latest census” you will have to re-do the information upon generating new census
Documentation – Bromcom
All Information released by Bromcom can be found on the Bromcom Census page – School Census – Bromcom
- Thursday 15th May 2025 is census day
- Wednesday 11th June 2025 is your census submission deadline (unless otherwise advised by your Local Authority)
Census guide School Summer Census Guide – Bromcom
Errors guide School Summer Errors Guide – Bromcom
For further information preparation for the upcoming Census click: How can I prepare data and be ready for the School Census Return?