Skip to content

Administration and finance

School Census Bulletin 1


Date: 08 January 2025  

School Census Bulletin 1 – Spring 2025  

DfE School Census Date: Thurs 16th Jan 2025 Return Date: Tues 21st Jan 2025

As you may be aware, the statutory School Census for the Spring Term takes place on Thu 16th January. We strongly recommend that schools begin to prepare for the School Census by ensuring that, so far as possible, pupil databases are up-to-date and the relevant systems / accesses are in place.  

1. New data items 

  • SEN type – now includes an option for Down Syndrome.
  • Attendance codes has been updated to reflect the new codes which came into force from 19 August 2024 for the autumn term and will be recorded in the spring 2025 census.  Please see Appendix B attendance codes for full list (includes all new codes). The new codes for the autumn term will be collected in the spring school census.
  • Six new ethnicity codes have been added so the ethnicity groups now align with the 2021 Census (ONS).  These are ABRI (Asian – British), AWEL (Asian – Welsh), BBRI (Black – British), BWEL (Black – Welsh), and ORAB (Arab).  However the DfE are not using these where they have been reported in this census. They therefore suggest that schools that haven’t already made use of these codes should delay the use of them until the 2025/26 academic year.

The items listed below relate to the collection of childcare provision in the spring census.  Sims users: Scomis provide some detailed information on the changes in their spring school census bulletin, including the need for consolidated workstation patches.

  • Type of childcare – signposting off-site question – the ‘yes formal arrangements with another provider’ response has been updated from ‘including transport’ to ‘including escort’, now states “yes, we have formal arrangements with another provider for them to provide childcare to our pupils, including escort to or from the site”.
  • Childcare places availability – this new supplementary question will record if a childcare place is available for every parent who wants one
  • Childcare opening time – where off-site service response is ‘yes – formal arrangements’ this new supplementary question records whether the childcare provision is open from 8am or earlier (if before school) – applies to before school childcare
  • Childcare provider hours – where off-site service response is ‘yes – list of providers’ this new supplementary question records whether the childcare provision offers childcare covering 8am to 6pm – applies to before school childcare, after school childcare and holiday childcare
  • Childcare closing time – where off-site service response is ‘yes – formal arrangements’ this new supplementary question records whether the childcare provision is open to at least 6pm (if after school) – applies to after school childcare
  • Holiday childcare provider – where off-site service response is ‘yes – formal arrangements’ this new supplementary question records whether the holiday childcare provider is open from 8am or earlier and to at least 6pm – applies to holiday childcare

 2. SIMS users – latest fileset to resolve errors

Schools must have upgraded to version 7.220 or above and must have imported the most up to date fileset, 2903 at the time of publication.  If you are a hosted school the fileset is applied by Scomis for you. Non-hosted schools need to upgrade themselves and import the fileset, further details can be found on the Scomis Spring 2025 Census fileset webpage.  If you encounter any difficulties, please contact Scomis on 01392 385300.

Fileset 2903 will have been applied to hosted schools, all other schools please check the Scomis website for latest information. Scomis Spring 2025 Census fileset webpage.

3. Early Years Portal – closes 14th January 2025

For this spring census the early years portal and school census collections are based on the same week.  The early years headcount week is Sun 12th to Sat 18th January.

As the collections are based upon the same week comparisons of hours held in the two collections will be made.  It is therefore important that you complete the EY portal by then end of day Tues 14th January in order for the necessary checks to be completed on Weds 15th January and reports to be produced for census day (Thurs 16th January).   

4. Department for Education (DfE) Sign-in Portal – COLLECT 

We are aware, that some schools, have in the past encountered difficulties with their COLLECT access. We therefore ask that you check your COLLECT access by logging in to the DfE Sign in Portal as soon as possible https://services.signin.education.gov.uk/  

5. Further guidance 

Our School Census Quick Guide, Supporting Guide (indicating census data items in sims) and checklist are available at School Census  – Support for schools and settings (devon.gov.uk). CAPITA sims school census handbooks are available at the bottom of the Scomis school census webpage. 

If you have any queries, or if this is your first census, please email census@devon.gov.uk and someone from the Education Information Team will contact you to provide support and guidance.   

Kind regards,   

Education Information Team (EdIT)  

census@devon.gov.uk 

 

 


Top