Keeping Your School Census Accurate and Straightforward

With significant implications for funding and institutional performance, getting census details right is crucial for schools. Here, Andrew Blench shares key tips to help you ensure your census is both accurate and straightforward

All maintained schools in England have a statutory duty to complete and return a school census for each term. The census dates and submission dates for this academic year are:

Autumn Census 

• census date – Thursday 3 October 2024
• return date – Wednesday 30 October 2024

Spring Census 

• census date – Thursday 16 January 2025
• return date – Wednesday 12 February 2025

Summer Census

• census date – Thursday 15 May 2025
• return date – Wednesday 11 June 2025

As a school business manager, it is likely that you either produce the census or line manage someone who completes this task. It is one of those tasks which isn’t particularly exciting, but the consequences of getting it wrong can be significant.

What’s in the Census?

The census is a snapshot of pupil data as it stands on census day. This includes data such as:

Pupil level data – overall numbers of pupils by age, key stage, gender, SEN, Pupil Premium, pupil reference number, names, dates of birth and post codes

Institution level data – opening times, LA number, establishment number, phone number, governance, number of classes, free school meals taken, admission appeals, attendance, suspensions, exclusions and 6^th form provision.

This is not an exhaustive list but gives an idea of how wide ranging this can be (a complete list can be found the GOV.UK website).

Why it’s Important to Get it Right

At an individual institution level, it determines levels of per pupil funding. If you underestimate how many pupils you have it will reduce the amount of funding you get. If you don’t record pupils first languages correctly this will impact English as an Additional Language (E.A.L.) funding for example. Even something as simple as the postcode recorded for a student can impact the overall levels of deprivation funding schools receive via the National Funding Formula (NFF).

Data from the October census is used to decide how much per pupil funding schools will receive in the following years budget. (the next April to March for LA Maintained and next September to August for academies). It is also used to measure the educational performance of each institution and can be used by Ofsted in terms of finding lines of enquiry to follow during their next inspection visit.

Top Tips for a Good Census Return

Take an Interest!

That might sound like a strange thing to say and if you are in a small setting, you probably have no other choice than to be interested. I must admit that in my first role as an SBM in a large secondary school I didn’t take enough interest. It was something that our data manager did, and I left it to them! That was and still is a foolish strategy.

Have a Sign Off Process

Make sure that someone else gets sight of the return and gives you the authorisation to submit. Usually, the head or principal. You may want to get other people in school involved in this process. For example, if you are sending off Post 16 data, involve the head of 6^th Form. The key thing is not just that the numbers look right, but also to compare them with the last census return. If they are significantly different, do you know why?

Data Quality

Embed data quality in all your admin processes. Especially in the run up to census day, make sure that everything has been entered to your pupil data system (SIMS/Bromcom etc) that needs to be and that any amendments to data have been made. For example, changing the reason for absence when new information comes to light. If your data processes are right all year round, then this shouldn’t be a big issue at census date. Look for missing data and you can do this by running a census report at any time of the year in most pupil MIS.

Universal Infant Free School Meals

The amount of UIFSM funding allocated is based upon the numbers of pupils taking a meal included in the October and January census. So, incentivise your school meals on census days. Get as many pupils taking a meal as possible through use of competitions and themed menus.

Software Version

Whatever MIS you use make sure that it is regularly updated with the latest updates from your supplier.

Each census once signed off and submitted gives an opportunity to revisit your 3-year budget forecast. If you use budget forecast software most systems have the option to enter different aspects of census data and recalculate funding allocations for future years based upon the data. So, refresh the pupil level data in your budget forecast at least 3 times per year.

Lastly remember that this is everyone’s census return not just yours. So, share the impacts of any changes with SLT and governors.