School Census Bulletin 1

Education Information Team

census@devon.gov.uk

Date: 10th January 2022

School Census Bulletin 1 – Spring 2022  

 

DfE School Census Date: Thurs 20th Jan 2022 Return Date: Tues 25th Jan 2022 

 

As you may be aware, the statutory School Census for the Spring Term takes place on Thu 20th 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. DfE Early Years Funding and Early Years Pupil Premium

The spring school census will be used to fund the early years block of the dedicated schools grant and the early years pupil premium for the 2022/23 financial year.  It is therefore important to make sure your census information is accurately submitted. 

 

2. COVID 19 and pupil absence

Schools must provide pupil level data for pupils who are recorded on the school admission register as at census day, irrespective of whether they attend school on that day. Pupils who are absent from school on census day, whether the absence is COVID-19 related or for other reasons, should be counted in schools’ census returns in the usual way.   

 

3. COVID 19 and Universal Infant Free School Meals (school lunches taken) and Free School Meals taken (FSM eligible pupils)

The DfE advise that where COVID-19 related absences occur and ‘school lunches taken’ are affected, a day and time when the situation is regarded as normal should be used instead. Schools can use the next normal day, an earlier day in census week or another day that reflects the normal situation. Where other days or times are used, schools must record these for audit purposes. Sims users: the school dinner taken panel in the census routine enables you change the reference date if required.  

Some scenarios do not qualify as an unusual circumstance and therefore pupils must be recorded as NOT having taken a school lunch:  

• If the school kitchen is closed and the school have not offered any alternative provision 
• Pupils who have changed their preference to bring a packed lunch  
• Pupils are absent for other reasons not connected to COVID-19. 

 

4. Changes to existing data items

• Classes – a new class activity has been added for RS – relationships education, RSE and health education, to allow classes on relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education to be recorded.

• Exclusions – fixed term exclusions are referred to as suspensions, whilst permanent exclusions remain unchanged.  Sims users: a new code has been introduced for suspensions in the exclusions lookup table.  Schools should record suspensions from September 2021 in preparation for the forthcoming returns which will collect autumn term exclusions (Spring and Summer 2022 census returns).

 

5. New Data Items

• Alternative Provision placements – The DfE would like all schools to record and submit data on alternative provision (AP) placements that have been arranged for their pupils.  The new data items are to be submitted termly with the first data being collected in the spring 2022 school census. This collection is voluntary in spring 2022 but the DfE encourage all participating schools to provide this information.  The DfE advise that this data will be mandatory from 2022/23 academic year onwards. See further information in the School Census quick guide. 

• Learner funding and monitoring – education recovery package – the DfE have introduced two new fields to identify pupils in receipt of elements of the education recovery package.  The data item is to be returned for any pupils who are either on roll on census day or became off roll since the start of the academic year.  See the Education Recovery Package, School Census Advance Notice and Scomis webpages for further information.

 

6. Reporting of early years hours for Afghan children under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Programme (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)

The DfE advise that schools should record zero funded hours for children who are registered pupils at their school.  This will avoid any double funding as Local Authorities will receive funding through the Afghan Resettlement (Education) Grant 2021-22, which includes funding to provide the early education entitlements for this financial year.  

 

7. SIMS users – latest fileset to resolve errors

Schools must have upgraded to version 7.202 or above and must have imported the most up to date fileset which includes the official DfE validation and summary report files (fileset 2003 at the time of publication). If you are a hosted school, Scomis will have applied this automatically for you.  If you encounter any difficulties, please contact Scomis on 01392 385300. Non hosted schools need to download the filesets from the Scomis website and apply themselves, see the Scomis webpages for further information. For the latest SIMS census information go to: Spring 2022 School Census Bulletin – SCOMIS.  

 

8. 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/.   

 

9. 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 (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