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Data Collection
Release Note for Autumn 2021 (3.76)
Census data is used:
- for funding purposes
- by the department’s policy divisions
- by other government departments
- by local authorities
- by schools
- by external agencies
- by educational researchers
The census period is the time from the day after the previous census day to the current census day, inclusive. Pupil records and data collected within the census period are included within the census return on census day.
The census is collected annually on the third Thursday in January (20th January 2022) and the deadline for the census return to reach the Department for Education (DfE) is Friday 4th March 2022. Local authorities must liaise closely in the weeks running up to the census date to ensure that all appropriate pupils are included, and that accurate data is supplied from all providers by the deadline.
Local authorities must collect the data from AP providers and send it to the DfE via Collections Online for Learning, Education, Children and Teachers (COLLECT).
Access to COLLECT is via the Secure Access Portal. This enables registered users access the DfE’s systems.