Data Collection
Assign Bases
Assign Bases is available via Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data CollectionData Collection.
To assign bases to an Assessment Manager Project select an Assessment StageAssessment Stage.
Click the Add button to display the Base Enquiry window to search for the required bases. Bases can be removed from the list by highlighting the base and clicking the Remove button.
The Assigned Bases panel shows details for Name, Base Type, LA, School No, Control, and ActiveActive.
Project Enquiry
The Project Enquiry will allow the user to search the system to see if a Project already exists. To find the required Project enter a full or partial description in the Project Name fieldProject Name field.
Clicking the Search button returns a list, matching the selection criteria. You may expand or collapse the panel by clicking the Expand/Collapse iconicon.
Projects are listed under the headings of: Project Name, Project Type, Assessment Stage, Snapshot Date, Created By, Date Initiated and Last CalculatedLast Calculated.
Double click on a record or highlight a record and click the Open in New Window button to view the Project Details. If the Project is not found then click the New button to create a new one.
Click the Delete button to remove an item. You will be prompted with a warning messagemessage.
Census Options
Census Options are set up via Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data CollectionData Collection. Census Options allows the user to determine the content of the Exception Report, enabling the comparison of conflicts as well as identifying unknown and missing students. Students that are recorded against many schools are automatically flagged.
A project is used to view and manipulate incoming School Census xml files.
To delete a survey for a particular survey date select the date and click Delete Survey for Date button.
A Wizard is available allowing you to move through each panel by clicking the Previous or Next buttons instead of scrolling down the page. Click the Wizard button again to return to a scrollable form.
- Survey DateSurvey Date
Click on the dropdown arrow to select a Survey Date. The dropdown will only contain dates of existing surveys.
- Exception Report FiltersException Report Filters
The functionality of the Report Filters allows the comparison and identification of unknown and missing students. Students that are recorded against many schools are automatically flagged.
A checked item means that this type of conflict will be included in the report. The unchecked items will filter out the specific conflicts in the Exception Report:
- Unknown Student
- Missing Student
- FSM Eligible Flag Conflict –available for pre-2013 imported census files, where the <FSMeligible> value is still included.
- SEN Conflict
- SEN Rank and Need Conflict
- In Public Care Conflict
- Ethnic Code Set Conflict
- Inactive Student
- Exclusion Display Details - controls whether the Exclusion Detail will be included in the report.
- Exclusion Public Care - controls whether conflicts in the In Care status of an exclusion would cause the exclusion to be included in the report.
- SEN Provision - controls whether conflicts in the SEN Provision (SEN Stage) of an exclusion would cause the exclusion to be included on the displayed report.
- Grants and Benefits FSM Conflict
- Student FSM History Conflict
- Early Years Pupil Premium Conflict
When the required items have been checked, click the Save button.
Select either Grants and Benefits FSM Conflict or Student FSM History Conflict, to choose which FSM data in One to compare census FSM data with. Only one of the two options can be selected at a time.
- Selected BasesSelected Bases
Selected Bases lists the Bases that have been included in the Census for the given Survey Date.
The browse list shows the following information for each base: Base Name, School No, Status, Census, Count, Expected, Complete, Duplicated and Comments.
This was previously ‘Populate Base’ in v3.
SEN Returns
SEN/STATS2 Return Enquiry
The SEN2 Return Enquiry page is accessed via Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data Collection | SEN Returns | SEN2. From here you can search for existing SEN2 returns for Return Date >=2016 (Return Year >=2015).
The SEN2<=2014 / STATS2 Return Enquiry page is accessed via Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data Collection | SEN Returns | SEN2<=2014 / STATS2. From here you can search for existing returns for the SEN2 Return for Return Date <2016 (Return Year <2015). You can also search for existing returns for the STATS2 Return, irrespective of the Return Date or the Return Year.
- Search for an existing returnSearch for an existing return
- Select Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data Collection | SEN Returns | SEN2 / SEN2<=2014/STATS2.
- Enter a full or partial Return Name then click the Search button. Alternatively, clicking the Search button displays a list of all returns generated, based on the maximum number of records allowed by the search mechanism.
To generate a return, click the New button to display the relevant SEN Return Details page.
- SEN Return DetailsSEN Return Details
The SEN2 Return Details page and the SEN2<=2014/STATS2 Return Details pages are accessed by selecting an existing return or creating a new return.
To generate a new SEN Return:
- Select Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data Collection | SEN Returns | SEN2 / SEN2<=2014/STATS2.
- Click the New button.
- Enter a Return name.
- Select the Return Type: SEN2, SEN2<=2014.
- Enter a Return Description.
- Select a Return Date.
- Enter a Return Year.
The Age on Date is automatically populated. - Click the Save button to generate the return.
The Created By, Date Initiated and Last Calculated fields are system generated and are populated or updated when the return record is saved.
When the data is generated, a list of questions (posed by the DfE for the SEN2 return and the SEN2<=2014 return) is displayed in the Question panel, showing the number of students included in the report for each question.
Selecting a question in the Questions panel populates the Reconciliation panel with student names along with their DoB, Student_ID and the assessment Requested date included in the report for that specific question.
Select a record in the Reconciliation panel, then click the Details button to drill-down to a specific student record.
Error Log
Click the Error Log icon on the Questions panel to display any records that have failed to be included in the report for one reason or another. The Name, Date of Birth, Student ID, Requested Date and an Error Description are displayed, enabling you to check the student record and rectify the problem.
The Return Name and Return Description fields can be edited after saving the return. Edited fields, when saved, will not affect the Last Calculated value.
Recalculate
If the return date is changed, the results of the return can be updated by clicking the Recalculate button at the top of the page. If the return is recalculated the Last Calculated field is automatically updated.
To print the Statutory Return and the Reconciliation Report use the Quick Report facility.
Printing the Statutory Return and Reconciliation Report
To open a printable version of the Statutory Return or the Reconciliation Report, select the appropriate Quick Report.
These are located in the Quick Reports panel and may be generated by highlighting the required report and clicking the Run down-arrow. This gives you the option to run as a Word document or as a PDF.
Selecting the required output will generate the report in that format.
The Reconciliation Report shows reconciliation data for the selected question; the Question Description is included in the report output. A Reconciliation Report can be run for each question.
- SEN2 ReturnSEN2 Return
The SEN2 return is produced by Local Authorities in England at the beginning of each year and is sent to the DfE for further country-wide data analysis. It is required by the Education Act 1996 and provides the major source of data on children and young people with statements of special educational needs (SEN) or Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP), introduced as part of the Children and Families Act 2014.
This information is different from the data collected as part of the School Census, which counts the number of pupils with statements and EHC plans (England only) in schools.
Students are only included if they are the responsibility of the Local Authority producing the return.
The SEN Returns menu consists of the following two returns:
- SEN2 – to accommodate the introduction of the EHCP.
- SEN2 <= 2014 / STATS2 – for pre/2015 SEN2 returns in England (and the previous STATS2 returns in Wales).
The SEN2 Return is accessed via Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data Collection | SEN Returns | SEN2 / SEN2<=2014/STATS2. Selecting an option displays the appropriate SEN Return Enquiry page, enabling you to search for an existing return or generate a new one.
- SENDSEND
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND)
SEND supports Local Authority (LA) teams undertaking the assessment and review of students with special educational needs, including those who are disabled. SEND supports the processes defined in the SEND Code of Practice 2014.
In England, the statutory statements and assessment process have been replaced with a joint assessment process and a single Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This plan brings together the support on which children and their families rely across education, health and social care.
Services work together to agree a plan that reflects the family’s ambitions for their child from the early years to adulthood (0 – 25 yrs). The process will be reviewed regularly to reflect the child’s changing needs and to clarify who is responsible for provision.
The existing SEN module has been left largely unchanged to allow for the transition from the SEN Statement to the EHC Plan. The SEN Statement, however, is now only available for historic purposes.
The following features are available to use with SEND EHCP:
- Children and Families Act 2014Children and Families Act 2014
As a result of the Children and Families Act 2014, the SEN2 return has been changed to allow the collection of information:
- on those pupils with a statement of special educational needs and an education, health and care plan separately.
- from birth to 25 years (for those with an EHCP).
- on pupils with ongoing assessments, or completed by 16th January, but no decision has been made.
- on requests for an assessment that were refused.
- on pupils with statements or EHC plans who were taken out of school to be educated at home.
- on pupils whose statement was issued within 20 weeks.
- on pupils transferring from existing statements or learning difficulty assessments (LDA) to EHC plans.
- on whether your LA is on target to transfer statements and LDAs within the required timeframes.
- on the number of personal budgets and direct payments taken up.
- on the number of cases going into mediation.
Alternative Provision Census
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides certain safeguards regarding the use of personal data by organisations.
The census of pupils in Alternative Provision (AP) is a statutory local authority census that requires the return of individual pupil records relating to their AP placements since the previous census day. This is to understand about where the placements are, how much they are used and what kinds of needs they are meeting.
- OverviewOverview
The Alternative Provision Census functionality is only available for Locale 1 – England.
AP Placement details are collected via the Student | Student Details | Alternative Provision History panel.
For DfE guidance on the Alternative Provision Census, click the following link: AP Census.
The census covers all school age pupils attending a school, not maintained by an authority for who the authority is paying full tuition fees or educated otherwise than in schools and Pupil Referral Units (PRU), under arrangements made (and funded) by the authority.
The ‘alternative provision’ includes the following provision:
- Independent school
- Hospital
- Non-maintained special school
- Not a school
- Further education college
- One on one tuition
- Other unregistered provider
- Work based placement
The Alternative Provision Census (AP Census) does not cover any student who is registered at an establishment for which one of the following is completed:
- The School Census for maintained nursery, primary, secondary, all-through schools (including academies and free schools) and maintained, non-maintained and hospital special schools, and PRUs (including AP academies and AP free schools).
- The Annual School Census for maintained General Hospital schools.
- The Early Years Census.
- Recorded on the individual learner record (ILR).
(Pupils at non-maintained special schools may however, also be in the scope of the AP Census if they are LA funded.)
Data for the pupils in the AP Census is extracted in XML format to upload to the DfE using the DfE supplied software, COLLECT. The return consists of individual records of students who are in Alternative Provision.
The Return is validated via Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data Collection | Alternative Provision | Alternative Provision Census Validation.
- Alternative Provision DetailsAlternative Provision Details
To add new Alternative Provision details:
- Select v4 Client | Focus | People | Students | Student Details | Alternative Provision panel.
- Click the Add button to display the Alternative Provision Details dialog. The School History panel displays the child’s school history.
- On the School History panel, highlight the base that is the child’s AP base and click Select AP Base at the top of the dialog.
This populates the Start Date and the AP Base (URN), if available, on the AP Detail panel. - On the School History panel, highlight the base that is the child’s base prior to AP and click Select Base prior to AP at the top of the dialog.
This populates the Base prior to AP (URN), if available, on the AP Detail panel. - Start Date is populated when the AP base is selected.
- Enter an End Date only when it is before the census date.
- AP Base (URN) is auto-populated, if available, when the AP base is selected in Step 3.
AP Base (URN), UKPRN and AP Setting Type are mutually exclusive and only one should be returned. Where the provider is not registered and does not have a URN or UKPRN, then the AP Setting Type (Table_ID 1215) must be selected. If one is not selected, the following message is displayed:
One of the AP Base (URN) or UKPRN or AP Setting Type must be provided. - Select a Placement Reason - mandatory, Table_ID 1216.
- Select an Attendance Pattern – mandatory, full time or part time.
- Enter the number of Sessions per Week – mandatory when Attendance Pattern is PT – Part Time, up to a maximum of 9.
- Select an Association – mandatory, Table_ID 1217.
- Select AP Type – This is an optional field for One, and is no longer required as part of the census, Table_ID 1034.
- Base prior to AP (URN) is populated when the base prior to AP is selected in Step 4.
- On the AP Detail panel, the Date of Change is populated with today’s date and is read-only.
- Click the OK button.
- Click Save on the student details.
You can edit a record by highlighting it and clicking the Edit button to display the Alternative Provision Details dialog. Make the required changes, and then click the OK button to save.
To remove a record, highlight it then click the Remove button.
- Alternative Provision Census ValidationAlternative Provision Census Validation
Data for the Alternative Provision Census Return is collected annually on the third Thursday in January.
The AP Bulk Allocation functionality, which enabled the AP type to be updated in bulk was removed in the One Autumn 2017 release (3.64). This is because the AP type is no longer required, and AP placement information is now recorded against an individual student.
Enter the Basic Details relating to the return and click the Validate button. This validates the Census data against the data processing rules. Any errors are displayed in the Exception Log. Click the Retrieve button to generate the .XML file at the specified location. The Export File Name text box displays the name of the Census File.
- Basic Details (AP Census Validation)Basic Details (AP Census Validation)
- Select Focus | Data Collection | Alternative Provision | Alternative Provision Census Validation to display the Alternative Provision Census Validation dialog.
On the Basic Details panel, the Census Date is auto-populated to 17/01/2019.
The Path for Export Files is auto-populated but can be changed by clicking the folder. - Click the Validate button.
You are asked to confirm that you wish to validate the AP Census.
A message informs you:
Validating Census, please wait…
This processes all Local Authority students who have an allocated AP Type. If there are no errors, a message at the bottom of the screen informs you:
Validation Successful, All Census data validated successfully.
Click Retrieve button. The following message displays at the bottom of the screen:
All Census data retrieved successfully.
The .xml file is stored in the folder set out in Path for Export Files as:
820_AP_YY_1.xml
Where: 820 is the LA number
AP is the Alternative Provision Census
YY is the year
1 is the monthAny errors are displayed in the Exception Log.
For DfE guidance on the 2021 Alternative Provision Census, click the following link: AP Census.
- Select Focus | Data Collection | Alternative Provision | Alternative Provision Census Validation to display the Alternative Provision Census Validation dialog.
- Exception Log (AP Census Validation)Exception Log (AP Census Validation)
The Exception Log is populated with a list of Students under the following headings: Surname, Forename, Student ID, DOB, Error Type and Error Description, displaying any errors detected during the process.
Since the list of students may be very large you can use the Looking For field along with the Search bySearch by field to locate the first/nearest student matching the criteria.
A student may have several errors or warnings, for example:
Percentage of pupils on census day reported as having…….
Surname is blank
Date of Birth is out of range for Census
Insufficient Address details
Post Code is invalid or blank
Ethnic Origin is blank
Pupil may already have been included in the School/PRU Census
Unique learner number must be provided for pupils…..
More than one pupil record with the same ULN.A Print button is available on the Exception Log panel.
A Student Details button is available to return to the Student Details to correct the listed errors. When all the errors or warnings have been removed the AP Census can be validated again.
- General Data Protection RegulationGeneral Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) provides certain safeguards regarding the use of personal data by organisations, including:
- the department
- local authorities
- schools
The GDPR and the DPA 2018 details the rights of those (known as) data subjects about whom data is held, such as:
- pupils
- parents
- teachers
This includes (amongst other information that we are obliged to provide):
- the right to know the types of data being held
- why it is being held
- to whom it may be communicated
For more information on how the department processes data, click the following link: Data Protection
EOTAS Returns
All Local Authorities (LAs) in Wales are required to provide the Welsh Government (WG) with pupil level data, for all pupils for whom the LA is financially responsible for the provision of education, whether that be in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) or in other forms of alternative provision referred to as Educated Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS).
- OverviewOverview
The EOTAS Census provides student data in respect of those students not in school. It will also provide additional data on those pupils previously in school but no longer on a school roll, as well as students who may not previously have been registered at school. It is expected that the data which is used to complete the EOTAS Census return will be regularly maintained within the Local Authority thus providing the LA with ongoing data about this vulnerable group of children.
The EOTAS Census is generated in v4 Client via Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data Collection | EOTAS Returns.
To run this return the user must have read-write access to the EOTAS Census menu (which is only visible for Locale 3), the EOTAS Census Search page, EOTAS Census main page, Home Education Headcount and Summary Reports.
Accessing the EOTAS Returns menu option opens the EOTAS Returns Census Enquiry page.
- EOTAS Returns Census EnquiryEOTAS Returns Census Enquiry
The search screen provides the functionality to search and check the previously run/saved census enquiry files.
Criteria can be set for the search on the Description, Census Date and/or Run Date. Clicking the Search button returns a list of EOTAS returns matching the criteria.
Double click or click the Open in New Window button to view details of the selected census in the EOTAS Returns Census Details page or click the New button to generate a new census return.
Clicking Delete allows you to delete census returns no longer required or any generated in error.
- EOTAS Returns Census DetailsEOTAS Returns Census Details
This page allows you to view details of a previously run census or generate a new census return.
The Basic Details panel enables you to set the parameters for the return.
Before generating the Census you can record the head counts for Home Educated student by clicking the Home Education Headcounts button.
To generate a new EOTAS file
- Enter a Description (mandatory).
- Select the Census Date (mandatory).
- Enter the number of hours taken to complete the EOTAS Census in the Survey Completion Time field (mandatory).
- Set the Path for Export Files (mandatory); the default path is C:\Documents and Setting \UserName\My Documents, this can be changed.
- Select the Summary Reports Language (you can view the report in Welsh or English).
- Click the Save button.
- Click the Generate button to generate the individual student level data for the return. A message informs you that you will receive a Workflow Message on completion.
The system generates a list of the students successfully included in the return (this would exclude students specifically excluded from the file because they have failed validation tests). This can be seen on the Students Included panel.
Following generation of the census any exceptions are displayed in the Exception Log panel. The messages may be printed if required.
- Correct any underlying student level data highlighted in the Exception Messages, and re-process the individual student level data by clicking the Generate button again, if necessary.
- If not recorded earlier, enter headcount figures by age and gender for those pupils educated at home via Home Education Headcounts.
- Click the Summary Reports button to review and print the report in the language of your choice; check that the summary data is as expected.
- Click the Save as XML button to save the census file to a location of your choice.
- The file must then be sent to the WG.
The process generates a file in XML format; a typical file name will be 660XXXX_EOT_WAGXX20_001.XML with a maximum of 27 characters.
The first three characters indicate the Local Authority Number, followed by XXXX. XX20 is the year and 001 is incremental which indicates the number in the series.
If a return is generated in error or a version is not required click the Delete button on the EOTAS Returns Census Enquiry page.
For more information on the XML message structure, click the following link: Software Dev Forum
- Rules for InclusionRules for Inclusion
- Ethnicity (mandatory in EOTAS)
This is mandatory for students aged 5 or above as at the 31st August of the year before the EOTAS Census Date.
If the Ethnicity tag is not recorded the student will be omitted from the file and an Exception message will be added to the Exception Log.
If a student is not of statutory school age this is optional. - Free School Meals Eligibility (mandatory in EOTAS)
The system will first check to see if there is a current authorised Free School Meal claim recorded in the One Grants & Benefits module on Census Date. Else it will check Free School Meals eligibility from One version 4 Student Details | FSM History panel, FSM flag applicable on Census Date. - Hours of Provision (mandatory in EOTAS)
If there is a student Provision record valid on the day of the Census, the Hours Allocated will be used. If the Hours Allocated is 0 this will be included but a warning message will be added to the Exception Log. - In Care (mandatory in EOTAS)
If there is a Student Details | (Looked After Child) Public Care record valid on Census Date then the child will be considered to be In Care, otherwise they will be considered to be not in care. The mandatory Care Authority will also be retrieved from this record. - National Identity (mandatory in EOTAS)
This is mandatory for the EOTAS for all students of statutory school age (5 or above) as at the 31st August of the year before the EOTAS Census Date. If the National Identity is not recorded the student will be omitted from the file and an Exception message will be added to the Exception Log.
If a student is not of statutory school age this is optional. - NCY – National Curriculum Year (mandatory in EOTAS)
This is sourced from the student’s current NCY at the time of generating the Census. Therefore if the Local Authority generated an EOTAS Census in the academic year following the Census Date, rather than generating during the Census Date’s academic year, then the NCYs would be incorrect with respect to the Census Date. - Postcode (optional in EOTAS)
This is sourced from the student’s current correspondence address at the time of generating the Census. - SEN Needs (mandatory in EOTAS)
The system will output the first two SEN Needs either from One v4 SEN Assessment Involvements or One v3 SEN Assessments active on Census Date, or if none exist, it will output the first two SEN Needs imported from schools active on Census Date if any exist. These are accessed in v4 Client via Focus | People | Student | Student Details – Links Report – SEN Needs. - Unique Learner Number (ULN)
The Unique Learner Number (ULN) is an important administrative tool, which brings benefits for learning providers and learners. The ULN is allocated for pupils aged 14 and over in maintained schools in Wales. It is an optional field; the maximum length specified for this tag by the Welsh Government is 10.
Further information and guidance on ULNs can be found at: Learner Registration - Unique Pupil Number (UPN)
A unique pupil number (UPN) identifies each pupil attending a state funded school. Allocated on first entry to a school, the UPN is generated using a nationally specified formula and is expected to remain with a pupil throughout their school career regardless of any change in school or local authority.
It is possible that there will be a number of pupils for whom a UPN has not been allocated, e.g. a pupil who has never been registered at a maintained school. If a UPN cannot be found for a pupil, a new UPN must be allocated by the LA, using the UPN generator located at the following location: Unique Pupil Numbers
A UPN should not appear in printed format. If this does happen, the printed document should be kept securely and shredded immediately to prevent inappropriate use or breach of security.
- Ethnicity (mandatory in EOTAS)
- Exception LogException Log
The Exception Log panel displays all student validations, enabling you to check for data issues once the census file has been generated. The panel is accessed via Focus | Analysis Reporting | Data Collection | EOTAS Census | EOTAS Batch | Exception Log.
Use the Looking For and Search By fields to locate the required EOTAS census validations. You can only select censuses that have already been created and generated. All the validations can be printed, if required.
Once you have selected a census, you can use the validation information to update the relevant student records and re-generate the affected census. You should then check the panel again to ensure that all validation criteria are met.
The browse lists the census under the following headings:
- Name
- Student ID
- Gender
- DOB
- NCY
- UPN
- Failure ID
- Message
The Failure IDs displayed on the exception log are the same IDs that are provided in the latest Welsh Government (WG) Common Basic Dataset (CBDS). The latest WG CBDS can be found at the following location: Software Dev Forum
Early Years Census Statutory
The Department for Education (DfE) mandates that an early years census is returned of private, voluntary and independent (PVI) providers and children. This enables Local Authorities (LAs) and those, such as software suppliers working on their behalf, to prepare the necessary processes and data to ensure compliance.
- OverviewOverview
The early years census is collected annually on the third Thursday in January. The data provided must apply to the PVI provider as of the census week.
The census does not cover local authority maintained nursery schools or nursery classes in maintained schools and academies, which are included as part of the School Census and which are included as part of the annual school census.
The early years census is required from any PVI setting, where one or more of their children (aged 2, 3 and 4 years as at 31st December) are receiving early education that is funded by the DfE.
The DfE have made a number of changes to the data collection requirements for the SEN2 Return and the business logic used when generating the return has been updated to reflect this.
- ChildmindersChildminders
Childminder Agencies enable individual childminders a choice as to whether to register directly with a LA and submit an individual return direct to the LA. Or to register with a Childminder Agency where the agency will submit an individual return for each individual childminder that is registered with that agency.
Childminder agencies are required to submit an individual level return for each childminder registered with them.
Independent childminders (who are not part of an agency) are required to submit a childminder return to their local authority.
Childminder Provider Category codes are defined via Tools | Administration | Lookups | Table_ID 1202 Childminder Provider Category.
- Early Years Census EnquiryEarly Years Census Enquiry
- Enter the search parameters and click the Search button to display summary information about existing census records.
- Select a census record and click the Open In New Window button to see the details of the existing early years census returns.
- Click the New button to create a new early years census return.
- COLLECT (EY Census)COLLECT (EY Census)
The data collection covers all LAs in England that are expected to provide data on all early years providers and children in their authority. The census uses COLLECT (Collections Online for Learning, Education, Children and Teachers) as the data collection mechanism.
The DfE will form an expected list from the previous year’s return, which LAs can check on COLLECT once the data collection is live. LAs can notify the DfE of any changes before the collection via the DfE helpdesk.
The DfE has provided a data entry spread sheet that enables the input of the file header and individual child record information. On completion of entry of the data, the file can then be converted to XML format, via the spread sheet, to allow for uploading to COLLECT.
The data entry spreadsheet is available on the DfE’s website: EY Census
- Early Years Census FileEarly Years Census File
The Early Years Census file consists of the following two levels:
- Establishment
- Child
Each level comprises one or more modules (a subset of a data level). Both levels are returned together as a single data return for each EY Setting.
The return contains the following three modules for each establishment:
- Establishment Characteristics
contains the following information: LA number, LA URN, OFSTED URN, establishment name, postcode, contact details, EY Provider category, EY Setting type. EY daycare, maintained school relationship, establishment partnership, weeks open per year, EY funding weeks, opening and closing times. - Staff Information
contains the following information about the staff working at the early years setting: number of staff with relevant qualifications, teacher status, professional status. It does not include volunteers. - Child Statistics
information collected is based on those PVI settings that have any funded children (aged 2, 3 or 4 as at 31st December) at the time of the census. In such settings, a separate count is required of 2, 3 and 4 year old children, both funded and unfunded.
The return contains the following four modules for each child:
- Child Identifiers
contains the child’s name, date of birth and gender. - Child Characteristics
contains the child’s ethnic code (optional) and the number of funded hours and childcare hours, disability access fund, number of hours at the setting, total funded hours (Spring), and the EY pupil premium. - Child SEN
contains the child’s special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision. - Home Information
contains the child’s home address.
For the purposes of this collection, a child’s age is defined as:
- 2 years old
- 3 years old
- 4 years old
- Early Years Census Functionality (Statutory)Early Years Census Functionality (Statutory)
The early years census return is accessed in v4 Client via Focus | Early Years | Census Return. This opens the Early Years Census Enquiry page.
- Early Years Census ReturnEarly Years Census Return
The Early Years Census Return page is divided into three panels:
- Basic Details
- Providers
- Error Log
Basic Details
- Enter a Batch Description; this is a mandatory field.
- Click on the calendar drop-down to populate the mandatory Setup Reference Date field.
- Click the Browse Folder button to locate an Output Folder on your local drive, where the census returns are saved.
Providers
- Click the Add button to display the Search Childcare Provider browse.
- Select the providers to be included in the census.
- Highlight the provider and click the Service and Details button to view further information about the provider and select the Service for Census.
- Click the Save and Populate Services button to save the record.
- Click the Generate button to generate the return and add the details onto the application server. The generation process pre-populates the establishment level information from current funded services at the provider; this includes opening times information, staff numbers and qualification level, and child number.
When the return is generated, the XML file is stored in the output folder on the application server as follows:
820_EY_YY_1.xml
Where: 820 is the LA number
EY is the Early Years Census
YY is the year
1 is the monthThe data entry spreadsheet is available on the DfE’s website: EY Census
When the census return has been generated the Basic Details | Run Date field is updated and a Workflow Message appears on the Home page. Clicking the message takes you to the Census Return Batch Details[Name] page. The list of providers is updated with the ReturnID, the Warning Message and the ServerPath.
All providers must have a valid Service for Census selected in order to generate the census. Update the Provider Service Details or select the missing Service for Census by clicking on the Service and Details button.
After the census has been successfully generated, click the Validate button.
Click the Retrieve button to save the file to the specified Output Folder on your local drive.
Error Log
The Error Log panel is populated when the EY Census is generated. It lists the name of the Provider and an Error Description for that file. Click the Details button to view complete error details.
Save the error log to the location of the specified Output Folder.
Use the error log to fix the file and then regenerate the census return.