Statutory – AP Census 2027 (3.90)

Description

FSM history with FSM verification date and category

Enhanced the Free School Meal (FSM) history export functionality for the AP Census 2027. The system now supports the export of both historical and current FSM eligibility instances. This includes two new optional XML tags:

• <FSMEligibilityVerificationDate>
• <FSMCategory>

The <FSMCategory> field supports specific values:

• TFSM
  Targeted FSM
• EFSM
  Expanded FSM
• OFSM
  Other FSM

This update ensures compliance with updated schema requirements for the 2026-2027 academic year. By capturing the last verification date and specific eligibility categories, FSM records become more accurate and traceable. Historical records (pre-September 2026) remain valid without these new fields, while new eligibility criteria are correctly handled for future terms.

LA Administrators should ensure that FSM eligibility records are updated with the relevant verification dates and categories within the system. The export automatically includes these optional tags in the <FSMinstance> block when the data is present.

Free School Meal (FSM) Category Validations

Updated and introduced new validation rules for Free School Meal (FSM) data to align with the AP Census 2027 requirements. This includes the following to ensure the accuracy of FSM categories and verification dates:

• Modifications to existing validation checks (1741 and 1853)
  • Validation 1741
    Errors trigger if a Service Child is incorrectly marked with an active TFSM category FSM period.
  • Validation 1853
    Ensures pupils under 4 receiving early years pupil premium have the correct FSM reason codes (RE or RB) when FSM is active.
• Addition of new checks (4061 and 4063)
  • Validation 4061 & 4063
    Users are prompted to provide:
    • a valid last verified date
    • a valid FSM category for any open eligibility periods

    This prevents the export of incomplete or invalid records.

Users must ensure that:

• FSM Category is correctly populated (e.g., ‘TFSM‘ where applicable).
• FSM Eligibility Verification Date is provided for all open periods.
  Must fall between 2026-06-01 and the Census date 2027-01-21.

Validation rules

Several validation rules have been updated and new rules introduced. This includes rolling forward date-based validations and implementing new logic for pupil identifiers and placement details.

These changes ensure that data exported by AP Census administrators is accurate. In particular regarding pupil ages, learner numbers, and placement timelines.

Administrators should ensure that pupil records are updated with the following criteria in mind:

• Unique Learner Numbers (ULN)
  Required for pupils aged 14 and over (born on or before 2013-01-15).
• Age Limits
  Queries now trigger for pupils younger than 2 (born after 2024-12-31) or older than 18 (born before 2007-09-01).
• Placement Dates
  Leaving dates must not be prior to 2026-01-15.
• Post Looked After Arrangements (PLAA)
  Code R (Residence Orders) is no longer valid for pupils born on or after 2014-04-22. These were replaced by Child Arrangement Orders.

Administrators can see the following updated validation messages and queries during the census generation process:

• 1570Q
  Prompts for a ULN for pupils aged 14+.
• 8300Q & 8305Q
  Flags pupils outside the expected age range (2–18 years old).
• 3100
  Prevents the return of placements that ended before the previous census day.
• 3006
  Triggers an error if an obsolete PLAA code (‘R’) is used for younger pupils.

Free School Meals (FSM), Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPP), Placement dates

These updates ensure that FSM data is restricted to valid timeframes and geographic regions. It also ensures that EYPP data is accurately captured for the appropriate age groups.

Administrators should ensure data entry follows these updated rules:

• FSM Eligibility Periods
  End dates must fall between 2026-01-16 and 2027-01-21. Periods without an end date are only valid for England (ENG).
• FSM Country Codes
  Must be valid UK country codes (ENG, NIR, SCT, or WLS).
• Early Years Pupil Premium (EYPPR)
  • Must be recorded (Y or N) for pupils born between 2022-09-01 and 2026-03-31.
  • Must be left blank for pupils born outside of this date range.
• Placement Dates
  Leaving dates must be before the census reference date (2027-01-21) and on or after the entry date.

AP Census Administrators can encounter the following updated validation triggers and error messages:

• 1763, 1764, & 1765
  Errors trigger for:
  • Invalid FSM end dates
  • Missing/invalid country codes
  • Active FSM periods outside of England
• 1846 & 1850
  Ensures EYPP is correctly recorded for under-4s and excluded for older pupils.
• 3005
  Prevents the export of invalid pupil leaving dates relative to entry and census dates.