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Spring Census – Thursday 15th January 2026

By 5th January 2026No Comments

We would like to remind all schools that the Spring School Census date is set for  Thursday 15th January 2026. It is crucial to ensure that all necessary data is accurately collected and prepared for submission. The final deadline to return the data to the Department for Education (DfE) is Wednesday, 11th February 2026.

Please be aware that your Local Authority may have an earlier submission deadline, so we recommend checking with them to avoid any delays.

Customer Support 

We will be available to take calls throughout the collection period so please do not hesitate to contact the help desk if you require support.

To help us resolve any issues as quickly as possible, please provide any query or error numbers when logging your ticket.

Any further updates will be shared via the MIS specific campaign news feeds on our customer portal (listed under Additional Resources).  Customers can also check the news section at https://www.schoolicts.co.uk/latest-news/ .

Consultancy Services – Census Support 

Flexible, expert-led support for statutory returns – our Data Services package is a flexible, remote solution designed to support schools through key statutory returns and annual MIS procedures. Whether you need help with one return or all of them, we work alongside your team to ensure data is clean, complete, and submitted correctly saving valuable staff time and ensuring compliance.

Pupil Census (Autumn, Spring, Summer) 

All support is delivered remotely by a trained MIS expert.

  • Preparation and validation
  • On-hand support during census week
  • Error resolution and validation support
  • Guidance on funding, attendance, and enrolment data
  • Collect upload and notes

To discuss your requirements, please get in touch via one of the following methods:

Training 

We will be running census training sessions on the following dates; please use the links below to book your place.

Arbor 

Bromcom 

SIMS 

The full training schedules can be found using the following link: https://www.schoolicts.co.uk/online-training/

Available Resources 

We have updated the customer portal with the latest guidance – School ICTS customer portal https://my.www.schoolicts.co.uk/

Please select the link to MIS specific guidance below:

Census Information 

We would like to draw your attention to the following important school census information which is informed by current guidance from the DfE.

Any further updates will be shared via the MIS specific campaign news feeds on our customer portal (listed under Additional Resources).  Customers can also check the news section at https://www.schoolicts.co.uk/latest-news/

Key Dates 

  • Census day 15/01/2026
  • Attendance collected from the start of 01/09/2025 to 31/12/2025
  • Exclusions collected from 21/04/2025 to 31/12/2025
  • Alternative Provision Placements collected from 02/10/2025 to 15/01/2026
  • Funding and Monitoring collected from 01/08/2025 to 15/01/2026
  • Learner Support collected from 01/08/2025 to 15/01/2026  (post 16 only)
  • Free School Meal Eligibility collected from 03/10/2025 to 15/01/2026 *

All collected for students on roll and leavers, except *only collected for students on roll.

Useful links for further DfE guidance: –

Contact

Please do not hesitate to contact the helpdesk if you require further assistance: –

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