Consolidated Database Patch 3 (26311)
Capita have now released Consolidated Database Patch 3 26311 which will apply the following additional features to the Spring Census Return:
School Census Spring 2021 (England)
DOL (Date of leaving) for pupils with an enrolment status of subsidiary dual registration
This patch will ensure that pupils included as leavers in the return, who left the school with an enrolment status of subsidiary dual registration, have their DOL included in the census return.
Academic year starting in August
This patch ensures that the census application can cope with an autumn term beginning in August. The patch has been released to all schools and is now available to apply if required
We have received the following update from DfE regarding Spring School Census 2021:
Data collection timetable and key dates
The census date for the 2021 spring school census is Thursday 21 January with the deadline for approved submissions being Wednesday 17 February. The database will be closed to amendments from schools and local authorities on Wednesday 17 March.
We strongly encourage schools and local authorities to submit their census returns to the department as soon as possible so that we can provide additional support where needed. Schools or local authorities should contact us straight away if they anticipate any issues in making a complete census return.
Spring school census 2021 known issues
Error 2265
For exclusions with a Start Date on or before 31.07.2020, Reason can include other.
Error message
Exclusion reason is invalid.
This error will not show in SIMS if Reason has been recorded with one of the five new exclusion codes which are only valid if the exclusion start date is => 1 August 2020. However, the error will show when it is loaded onto COLLECT.
Error 2280
For exclusions with a StartDate on or after 01.08.2020, where the Category is present, at least one of three reasons must be provided. The use of ‘Other’ is no longer a valid exclusion reason for exclusions with a StartDate on or after 2020-08-01.
Error message
Where exclusion category is present, valid exclusion reason/s must also be provided.
This will trigger in SIMS if exclusion Reason has been recorded with any of the five new exclusion codes and the exclusion start date is => 1 August 2020.
However, this error will disappear once it is loaded onto COLLECT and only genuine errors will remain.
School summary tables 8 and 9
It has been identified that the school summary report is using the wrong age reference and therefore tables 8 and 9 of the summary report will not count all pupils in receipt of the early years’ pupil premium. Please note, there is an early year’s pupil premium report available to all schools via the reports section of COLLECT.
Error 1741 – where a service child is also recorded as fsm eligible
A child must live with the parent (either full or part time) who is in the forces to be recorded as a service child. If the parents are separated and the child lives with the parent in the forces, but the other parent is eligible to claim for free school meals then the child can be recorded as both a service child and also FSM eligible. A notepad entry must be provided to explain this is the case.
If the pupil was previously FSM on or after the 31 March 2018 and the parent/s have joined HM forces since, the pupil has FSM protection and therefore can be recorded as both a service child and FSM eligible. A notepad must be provided to explain this is the case.
The school will qualify for both elements of the pupil premium.
Pupil premium 2021-2022
On 17 December, the Government announced that the pupil premium rates will remain unchanged for the financial year 2021-22 and that, from 2021-22 onwards, pupil premium allocations for mainstream and special schools will be based on the October census. Pupil premium funding for the financial year starting on 1 April 2021 will therefore be based on the October 2020 census instead of the January census as would have previously been the case. We have now published further information on this administrative change on www.gov.uk. It can be found under “allocation changes from 2021 to 2022”.
Pupil premium COLLECT report
As the spring school census will only be used to inform the pupil premium allocation for PRUs, AP academies and AP free schools, the report will only return pupil numbers for these school types. For all mainstream schools and special schools, the pupil premium report will be made available in the autumn census.
Notepad explanations
Returns must have a notepad explanation for errors and/or queries. Where validation queries are raised in COLLECT, an explanation will be required for these queries in the return level notes field within COLLECT. Please note that the department will require sufficient detail in these explanations to allow the queries to be accepted and returns authorised.
Available on the school census website is a guide detailing what is regarded as an acceptable notepad entry for queries on the census return. Within this workbook there are separate tables for school level queries, pupil level queries and term on term queries.
