ESS have produced a help guide which addresses a variety of errors…should you encounter any.  These errors are listed by their error code in the document attached and correspond with the one shown in SIMS in the errors and queries section of your return. Click here to see the document.

Stockton Borough Council – Submitting to Information and Improvement

Click here for instructions on preparing for your census.

Please contact Information and Improvement if you’re unsure how to submit your census to them.

Academies and Collect

For Academies please note that you need to submit your file to DfE via collect as well as the local authority. Information can be found in the appropriate completing the census in SIMS document. DfE guidance can be found here.

Click here to view acceptable notepad entries for Collect.

5th February 2026

Expected main changes compared to School Census Autumn 2025

The DfE has kindly provided an initial draft of its specification for School Censuses in academic year 2026/27. The following list is based on this initial draft, but experience suggests that the initial draft will be a good indicator of the general changes involved for the finalised specification.

• Normal yearly changes to snapshot data to reflect the reference data of the 1st of October 2026.
• Normal yearly changes to date span data to reflect the reference date and term dates.
• New items for existing collection areas.
  • Free school meals eligibility
    • Category of FSM eligibility – this will only be required for FSM eligibility records on or after 01/08/2026
      • TFSM (Targeted FSM eligibility): In receipt of Universal Credit and with a threshold income of £7400 not exceeded
      • EFSM (Expanded FSM eligibility): In receipt of Universal Credit but with a threshold income of £7400 exceeded

OFSM (Other FSM eligibility) category records are not relevant for school census.

• • • Date eligibility was last verified. This should not be more than 12 months previous.
  • Exclusions
    • Reason for cancellation
    • Date of review
    • Result of review
    • Was SEN expert present
    • Date of reinstatement
    • Reason for reinstatement
• New items/areas.
  • Kinship Care

    • During consultation, the DfE has described the change as a new data item and code set to capture data relating to pupils living in Kinship care. Kinship care meaning where a child is being raised by a friend or family member who is not their parent. 

    • Type indicator, i.e.
      • ND: Not declared (default)
      • KF: Kinship identified (formal arrangement)
      • KI: Kinship identified (informal arrangement)
      • KU: Kinship identified (unknown under what arrangement)
  • Breakfast club

The DfE has confirmed that this new data area for academic year 2026/27 will not be collected in School Census Autumn 2026, but will be collected for the first time in School Census Spring 2027 and for all subsequent school censuses.

• • Managed moves
    • Start date
    • URN of destination school
    • Reason for managed move