Creating the January 2021 Census Return - Rochdale Secondary Schools - EDIT Services
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Creating the January 2021
Census Return
Rochdale Secondary Schools
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Overview ........................................................................................................................................................................... 4
How has the Spring Census Return Changed ................................................................................................................... 4
Distinguishing between Home and First Language fields ................................................................................................ 4
Preparing Data for the School Census Return ................................................................................................................. 5
Spring Census 2021 Submission Deadlines ....................................................................................................................... 6
Where to get Help with Producing the Census ................................................................................................................. 6
Help and Assistance with Software Issues ........................................................................................................................ 6
Help and Assistance with Interpretation of DfE Guidelines ............................................................................................. 6
Guidance and Completion Notes ...................................................................................................................................... 6
Steps to Producing the School Census Return ................................................................................................................. 7
Preparing for the School Census ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Permissions Required ....................................................................................................................................................... 8
What Version of SIMS is Required?.................................................................................................................................. 8
Checking/Preparing Data for the School Census Return ................................................................................................ 9
Configuring the School Census Folder ............................................................................................................................. 9
Specifying the Security Message for Reports .................................................................................................................... 9
Completing the School Census ......................................................................................................................................... 10
Creating a New School Census Return ........................................................................................................................... 10
Checking Census Details ............................................................................................................................................ 11
Specifying the Selected Period on Census Day .......................................................................................................... 11
Checking/Editing School Information ........................................................................................................................ 12
Calculating Details ...................................................................................................................................................... 13
Editing Class Information ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Editing Timetabled Classes ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Adding Classes................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Deleting Classes ............................................................................................................................................................. 15
Editing Student Reconciliation ....................................................................................................................................... 15
Checking/Entering Top Up Funding Indicators ............................................................................................................. 16
Checking/Entering Post Looked After Arrangements ..................................................................................................... 17
Checking/Entering Attendance Information ................................................................................................................... 18
SIMS Attendance/Lesson Monitor Not in Use ........................................................................................................... 18
Entering General Information ........................................................................................................................................ 20
Entering Admission Appeals Totals ................................................................................................................................ 20
Creating and Validating the School Census Return ...................................................................................................... 20
Resolving Validation Errors and Warnings ................................................................................................................... 21
2
Producing/Printing a Detail Report ................................................................................................................................ 23
On Roll Basic Details Report .......................................................................................................................................... 23
Leavers Basic Details Report.......................................................................................................................................... 23
Exclusions Report ........................................................................................................................................................... 24
Absentees Report ............................................................................................................................................................ 24
SEN Report ..................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Address Details Report ................................................................................................................................................... 25
Free School Meal Eligibility Report ............................................................................................................................... 25
Learner Support Report .................................................................................................................................................. 25
Top-up Funding Report .................................................................................................................................................. 25
Post Looked After Arrangements Report ........................................................................................................................ 25
Printing the Detail Report .............................................................................................................................................. 25
Closing the Detail Report ............................................................................................................................................... 25
Producing/Printing the Summary Report ...................................................................................................................... 26
Authorising the School Census Return ........................................................................................................................... 27
Submitting the School Census Return File to the LA .................................................................................................... 29
Submitting the Return, Authorisation and Summary Reports to the LA using S2S ..................................................... 29
Copying a School Census Return .................................................................................................................................... 30
Accessing reports from previous Returns ....................................................................................................................... 30
Deleting a School Census Return..................................................................................................................................... 32
3
Introduction
Overview
This handbook provides the information needed by Secondary sites to complete the Spring School
Census 2021 using SIMS.
The Spring School Census return collects detailed information about school characteristics
and student details.
How has the Spring Census Return Changed
Recording and Collecting Attendance Information
For schools using Attendance, data will now be collected on all categories of school attendance,
rather than just absence.
For schools that do not use Attendance, it is now possible to record the following information:
Total number of sessions attending approved educational activity (T AEA Sessions)
Total number of sessions unable to attend due to exceptional circumstances (T Excep
Sessions)
Total number of sessions unable to attend due to Coronavirus (T Corona Sessions).
Changes to Detail Reports
The Exclusions Detail report has been updated to display up to three exclusion reasons.
Two new groups of attendance codes (Present and Approved Education Activity) have been
added to the Attendance report.
Create & Validate Routine
When creating and validating the return, a message is displayed if there are permanent
exclusions during the collection period without a corresponding final governor review result.
The message advises the user to check whether the permanent exclusions are ongoing and
allows them to cancel or continue with the process.
Distinguishing between Home and First Language fields
There are a numbers of errors that can be triggered where a pupil’s First Language code is
missing or invalid. In order to identify which field relates to these errors it is now possible to turn
OFF the Home Language field in SIMS as this field of information is not collected by Census.
Click on Tools | Setups | School Options and tick the option Hide Home Language. When you
view a Pupil’s Ethnic/Cultural panel you will see that the Home Language Option has now been
hidden. The data has not been deleted, it is just stored in the background and can be reported on
if required. The information will still be included on CTFs regardless of the option selected here.
Please note that this option turns off the Home Language field for all users not just the person
who carries out this routine.
4
Preparing Data for the School Census Return
Before beginning the process of producing the return, it is advisable to spend time ensuring
that all school level and student level information is present and up-to-date in SIMS. For
example, ensure that school details are correct, all new students have been added to SIMS, all
leavers have been recorded, all exclusions have been recorded, Special Needs entitlements
have been updated etc.
The following information is collected from Secondary sites for the School Census Spring 2021
Return.
School Level
Characteristics: LA number, DfE establishment number, school name, school phase,
school type, highest national curriculum year, lowest national curriculum year, intake type,
governance, school email address and telephone number.
Admissions Appeals (if applicable Academies, Voluntary Aided schools, etc.): lodged,
withdrawn, heard by independent admissions committee, upheld (decided in parents
favour) and rejected.
Pupil Reconciliation: part-time pupils not at school, private study pupils and pupils at
another school.
Class Information: class name, number of teachers in class, number of teachers on
planning and preparation time (PPA), number of adult non-teachers in class, class year
group, number of pupils in the class from the host school, number of pupils in the class from
other schools (guest pupils), reason for class size exception and number of pupils to which
the class size exception reason applies.
Class type, key stage, class activity.
Miscellaneous:
free school meals taken
childcare provision on site, signposted off site childcare provision, type of childcare (e.g.
before school, after school, etc.), opening time and closing time, number of childcare
places, childcare provider, other schools and number of weeks that the childcare provision
is open.
Student Level
Student Identifiers: UPN, former UPN, surname, forename, middle names, former
surname, preferred surname, date of birth and gender.
Characteristics: Ethnicity, first Language, Free school meal eligibility start date, end date
and UK country in which the eligibility applies, first language code, funded hours and hours
at setting. Free Meal Taken (UIFSM), Post Looked after arrangements, Service Children in
education indicator, Top-up funding, Early Years Pupil Premium Receipt, Two Year Old
basis for funding.
Status: Enrolment status, date of entry, date of leaving, part-time indicator, boarder
indicator, actual national curriculum year group and class type (primary schools only).
Special Educational Needs: SEN provision, SEN type ranking, SEN type for each SEN
need, member of SEN unit (sometimes called special class) indicator and member of
resourced provision indicator
Termly Exclusion Information (13/04/2020 to 31/12/2020): exclusion category, reason(s) for
exclusion, exclusion start date, actual number of sessions from which the pupil was excluded,
SEN provision (formerly stage), exclusion review date, exclusion review result, exclusion
reinstatement date and exclusion review SEN expert.
5
Student Home Address Information: pupil's home address details, including post code and
unique property reference number (UPRN).
Termly Attendance Information (from the start of the 2020 Autumn term to 31/12/2020):
possible sessions, sessions missed due to authorised absence, sessions missed due to
unauthorised absence, attendance codes (reason for absence) and number of sessions missed.
Spring Census 2021 Submission Deadlines
Details of how to submit your authorised return to the LA using S2S are shown further on in the
guidance on page 30 – these instructions have changed slightly from previous years please ensure
that you follow them correctly.
PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO SUBMIT YOUR RETURN BY THE DEADLINE OF
WEDNESDAY 27th JANUARY 2021.
Where to get Help with Producing the Census
Help and Assistance with Software Issues
Should you have any software issues or require any assistance with producing the Census in SIMS
then please contact a member of The SIMS Team on:
Telephone Number: 01706 927777
Email: ictservicedesk@rochdale.gov.uk
Help and Assistance with Interpretation of DfE Guidelines
Should you require any clarification on the DfE Guidelines when producing the Census then please
contact the LA Data Team on:
Telephone Number: 01706 927829
Email: school.census@rochdale.gov.uk
Guidance and Completion Notes
The Guidance Notes and the Error Listing from the DfE are posted in the MIS Section of our website
at www.edit.org.uk . An email will be sent, to our Census Contacts, containing a link to any SIMS team
documentation relating to the Census.
6
Steps to Producing the School Census Return
The process of producing the School Census can be separated into a number of
steps, some of which might need to be repeated in order to eliminate validation
errors and queries.
.
7Preparing for the School Census
Permissions Required
To produce the census return, you need to be a member of either of the following user
groups in System Manager:
Returns Manager or Returns Operator.
Users editing and preparing data need permissions to access other areas of SIMS, e.g. pupil details,
contact details, etc. These users must be members of any of the following user groups in System
Manager:
Administration Assistant or Admissions Officer or School Administrator.
Please see your System Administrator/Manager or contact the EDIT team if you are not sure
whether you have the required permissions.
What Version of SIMS is Required?
In order to run the School Census Spring 2021 Return, you must have the SIMS 2020 Autumn
Release (7.196) or later installed. This should already have been applied.
To check which version of SIMS
you have installed, open SIMS, then
select Help | About SI MS. A
screen similar to the adjacent graphic
is displayed.
The version should read
7.196 or above.
Once your system has been upgraded you should try and carry out at least one dummy run of
the Census to check if any of your data raises a fail or a query.
You must not Authorise your return until you are sure that all the data has passed the
Validation rules contained in fileset 1700 and it has been created and validated on or after
Census date (Thursday 21st January).
8Checking/Preparing Data for the School Census Return
Before beginning the process of producing the census return, it is advisable to spend time ensuring
that all school level and student level information is present and up-to-date in SIMS. For example,
school details are correct, all new students have been added to SIMS, all leavers have been recorded,
all exclusions have been recorded, etc.
The following information must be up-to-date for each student:
Basic pupil information - UPN, former UPN, surname, forename, middle names, former
surname, preferred surname, date of birth and gender, first language, funded hours and hours at
setting.
Attendance data - (the first day of Autumn term 2020 to 31/12/2020): Possible sessions, sessions
missed due to authorised absence, sessions missed due to unauthorised absence, attendance
codes and number of sessions missed. You must ensure that all missing marks have been
amended before your return is authorised.
Exclusions data - (13/04/2020 to 31/12/2020): Category, reason(s), in care indicator, SEN
provision, exclusion start date and actual number of sessions.
Registration Information - Enrolment status, date of entry, date of leaving, part-time indicator,
boarder indicator, actual national curriculum year group and class type.
Special Needs Data – SEN Provision(s)
Free School Meal Eligibility – (02/10/2020 to 21/01/2021): Free school meal eligibility start
date, end date and UK country in which the eligibility applies.
Configuring the School Census Folder
Before creating a census return, the folder in which the return file will be saved must be checked.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Due to the sensitive nature of some of the data stored in SIMS, careful
consideration should be given when specifying the location of any folder into which you save
sensitive data, e.g. census returns, imported and exported CTFs, etc.
1. Select Routines I Statutory Returns I School Census to display the Census Return
browser.
By default, Spring 2021 should be displayed in the Term field. If it isn't you need to make sure
that the upgrade has been applied successfully. You may need to contact The SIMS team for
assistance.
1. Check the folder where the School Census files are to be stored. The folder location should be
correct. If you are unsure whether or not you have the correct file location, please log a call with
The SIMS team for advice.
Specifying the Security Message for Reports
At the bottom of the browser is a Security Message for Reports field, which contains text
that will be displayed in the header of the detail reports.
91. The text of the security message defaults to “This report contains sensitive information” but it
can be personalised (up to 300 characters), if required.
2. If any edits are made or the security message is deleted, you can click the Default Message
button to return to the default text, if required.
Completing the School Census
Creating a New School Census Return
Before creating a new School Census return, ensure that all student and school information is present
and up-to-date in SIMS.
It is possible to create more than one return. This enables you to carry out dry runs so that you
can check what data needs to be added or updated. At the end of the process any unwanted
returns can be deleted (providing they have not been authorised). For more information, please
see Deleting a School Census Return further on in this guidance.
Data is collected for the following students:
Data is collected for the following students:
All students on-roll on 21/01/2021 (census day).
Any additional students not on-roll on census day who:
- were on-roll for at least one session during the collection period from the first day of
Autumn 2020 to 31/12/2020.
- had an exclusion that started between 13/04/2020 and 31/12/2020.
- were awarded Learner Support funding from 01/08/2020 to 21/01/2021.
1. Select Routines | Statutory Returns | School Census to display the Census Return
browser.
Ensure that the correct School Census Folder is displayed – it should not match the example
shown above. For more information, please see Configuring the School Census Folder on the
previous page.
Click the New button to display the Census Return Details page.
10Checking Census Details
The Census Details panel displays the following read-only information. It is not possible to change
any of the dates but the description can be amended if necessary.
A Description for the return is displayed automatically. This description can be changed if
you are carrying out dry runs, but it must be unique for the return. If SIMS identifies a duplicate
description the name will be highlighted in red and you will need to amend the name to make
it unique.
The description helps to identify the required return when viewing the Census Return browser and
can be particularly useful when creating dry runs, or creating copies of existing returns.
Specifying the Selected Period on Census Day
The selected period on the census day is used in conjunction with the class information
collected in the return. It is based on the last digit of the DfE establishment number and is the
period on census day (as defined by the DfE) when your school should run the return.
DfE number ends with Selected time on census day
2, 3, 6 One period before the end of morning school
4, 7, 8, 9 One period after the start of afternoon school
0, 1, 5 One period after the start of morning school
By default, the lowest year on your school's timetable is displayed as the year taught in (YTI)
when the timetable classes begin. Ensure that the lowest year that you want to report as being
on the timetable is displayed in the YTI when timetabled classes begin field. Select a
different YTI from the drop-down list, if required.
Students in curriculum year groups below that displayed are assumed to be taught in non-
timetabled classes, i.e. registration groups.
11If, for any reason, census day is not a typical timetabled day in school, it is possible to select
another day during census week that accurately reflects the typical timetabling arrangements
for the school. You can then select the appropriate period from the drop down (based on the
last digit of your DfE number).
If this situation applies to your setting you should add an appropriate note to the authorisation
report, explaining that the selected day and period have been changed, together a reason why
this is the case.
Select the Selected Period from the Period Name drop-down list.
If you want to Include Alternative Curriculum periods in the Classes panel, select the
associated check box.
Checking/Editing School Information
The School Information panel displays read-only information that has been recorded in the
School Detail page of SIMS.
1. If any details are missing or incorrect, click the School Detail button to display the School
Detail dialog. You will need to check the details if the Head Teacher, email address or DfE
number has changed since the last return.
122. Add or amend the required information, click the Save button then click the OK button to return
to the Census Return Details page, where the updated details will be displayed.
Calculating Details
Clicking the Calculate All Details button (located in the Census Details panel) extracts the
required information from SIMS and displays the results in the various panels of the Census
Return.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You must calculate all details at least once to populate the various
panels for each return.
Any details that are calculated automatically should be checked and, if necessary, edited.
1. To calculate all details, click the Calculate All Details button on the Census Details panel.
A message advises that any existing data currently shown on the Census Return will be overwritten.
2. If you have previously calculated all details and then you click Yes at this point, any manual
changes that you have made to any of the panels will be lost and will have to be re-entered. As
you click ‘Yes’ the process may take some time, depending on the number of students in the
school. Progress is reported in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. When complete, the
panels on the Census Return Details page are populated with the data extracted from SIMS.
133. The return can be saved at any point by clicking the Save button at the top of the screen.
Editing Class Information
When the School Census is generated, the class information displayed is a ‘snapshot’ of SIMS data
as of the selected period on census day. The selected period is based on the last digit of your DfE
establishment, the table is shown on page11.
If the Include Alternative Curriculum check box has been selected (in the Selected Period on
Census Day panel), Alternative Curriculum periods are included in the list of class names displayed
in the Classes panel.
Editing Timetabled Classes
The timetabled classes previously set up in the timetable and sent across to SIMS are displayed in
the read-only Class Name column. The Total numbers of students and staff are calculated
automatically and displayed at the bottom of the panel.
Check and, if necessary, edit the information.
Students (On Roll)
The number of students in the timetabled class at the selected period is displayed. The entries in
this column can be edited if required. Ensure that:
any students temporarily absent on the census day are included.
any part-time students not scheduled to be in school at the selected period are excluded.
These students should be counted in the Student Reconciliation panel instead
Students (Guest)
This column displays any guest students who are normally in the timetabled class at the selected
period. Ensure that any guest students have an Enrolment Status of Guest student in the
Student Details panel (Focus | Students | Student Details).
Teachers
Include all qualified and unqualified teachers taking the timetabled class at the selected period.
Exclude teachers who are:
wholly or mainly providing support to individual students.
on Planning, Preparation and Assessment (PPA) time.
Support Staff
Include teaching assistants, special needs support staff, support staff for minority ethnic students
and other education support staff in the timetabled class at the selected period.
Exclude non-teaching staff wholly or mainly providing support to individual students.
14Year Taught In
This column shows the curriculum year group of each class displayed. To edit the year group, click
in the cell and select from the drop-down list.
Select Mixed Year if a timetabled class contains students from more than one National Curriculum
year.
NOTE: This does not include classes containing any students who have been held back, or
advanced a year and are of a different chronological age to the rest of the class.
Recalculating the Classes Information
The data in the Classes panel can be replaced with the original data from the database by clicking
the appropriate Recalculate button.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Clicking the Recalculate button overwrites any edited data with the original
data stored in SIMS. Do not use the Recalculate button if you wish to keep any changes you have
made.
Adding Classes
It may be necessary to add an additional class if, for example, some students are receiving
additional teaching support. This is achieved by clicking the New button then entering the applicable
class information in the additional row, which is displayed at the bottom of the table.
NOTE: Remember to reduce the number of students in the main class.
Ensure that you click the Save button to save the data and refresh the display.
Deleting Classes
In some circumstances, classes may need to be deleted, e.g. if they do not normally take place at
the selected period. This is achieved by highlighting the class then clicking the Delete button.
NOTE: If you delete a class that contains students, you must recalculate again to ensure that
student numbers are correct.
Editing Student Reconciliation
The Student Reconciliation panel is used to reconcile the various categories of students with the
numbers in the Classes panel. The number of on-roll students who are not in class at the selected
period, because they are attending another school, part-time, etc. should be entered in the
appropriate fields.
In the example shown above, there are 996 Students On Roll but only 935 On Roll students in
classes. The difference must be accounted for.
If applicable, enter the number of Part-time students not at school, the number of Private study
students and the number of Students at another school.
If applicable, enter the number of Students on work experience and the number of Students at
FE colleges.
Check the values in the Total students and Students On Roll fields. The two values must be the
same.
15The value in the Total students field is calculated automatically and equals the sum of the
following:
On Roll Students in classes
Part-time students not at school
Private study students
Students at another school
Students on work experience
Students at FE colleges.
Amend the values in the editable fields, if necessary.
Checking/Entering Top Up Funding Indicators
Top-up funding is supplied to schools, in most cases by the Local Authority, to meet the additional
costs of support for high needs pupils.
The Top-up Funding panel enables you to record the on-roll pupils for whom your school is
receiving top-up funding on census day.
If the pupils with top-up funding have been recorded previously via Tools | Statutory Return Tools
| Update Top-Up Funding, the data is displayed in the Top-up Funding panel.
Updating top-up funding information, e.g. adding or removing a pupil, must be done via the Edit
button.
Click the Edit button to display the Update Pupils with Top-up Funding dialogue box. The pupils
currently recorded as having top-up funding are displayed in the Top-up Funding table.
16Set the SEN status to and then click on search. Pupils with an SEN status of E would normally
be in receipt of Top-Up funding, occasionally the virtual head will allocate top up funding to a pupil
with a status of . Using either CTRL+click or SHIFT+click highlight the pupils to be selected.
Click the Add button. The highlighted pupils will then be displayed in the Top-up Funding table.
To remove a pupil from the list, highlight the required pupil then click the Remove button. The
pupil's record is displayed in the first table, providing a chance to reselect the pupil, if required.
Click the Update button to save the data. Click the OK button (located at the bottom right-hand side
of the screen) to return to the Census Return Details page, where the updated information will be
displayed in the Top-up Funding panel.
Checking/Entering Post Looked After Arrangements
The Post Looked After Arrangements panel enables you to record which students were looked after
immediately before adoption.
If the students who have Post Looked After Arrangements have been recorded previously via Tools
| Statutory Return Tools | Update Post Looked After Arrangements, the data is displayed in the
Post Looked After Arrangements panel.
NOTE: It is up to those with Parental Responsibility for the student(s) to decide if they wish
to declare their child’s status to the school. If they do decide to share the information they
should be asked to provide supporting evidence and asked to confirm that the child was
Adopted from care.
The information displayed in the Post Looked After Arrangements panel is read-only. Updating the
Post Looked After Arrangements information, e.g. editing the Post Looked After Arrangements
status or adding a student to the list of students Post Looked After Arrangements, must be done via
the Edit button.
Click the Edit button to display the Update Students Post Looked After Arrangements dialogue box.
The students currently recorded as being Post Looked After are displayed in the Post Looked After
Arrangements table.
Use the search criteria to locate the additional student(s) you wish to record as being Post Looked
After then highlight their details.
17Click the Add button. Any highlighted students will be displayed in the Post Looked After
Arrangements table.
Ensure that the correct Post Looked After Arrangements status is displayed for all the students by
clicking the Post Looked After Arrangements cell then selecting the applicable status from the drop-
down list:
Ceased to be looked after through Adoption
Ceased to be looked after through a Special Guardianship Order (SGO)
Ceased to be looked after through a Residence Order (RO)*.
Ceased to be looked after through a Child Arrangement Order (CAO).
*NOTE: Ceased to be looked after through a Residence Order (RO) has been replaced by Ceased
to be looked after through a Child Arrangement Order (CAO). You do not need to change any
existing residence orders but new post looked after arrangements must be recorded as child
arrangement orders.
To remove a student from the list, highlight the required student then click the Remove button. The
student's record is displayed in the first table, providing a chance to reselect the student, if required.
Click the Update button to save the data and arrange the list of students in Surname order.
Click the OK button (located at the bottom right hand-side of the screen) to return to the Census
Return Details page, where the updated information is displayed in the Post Looked After
Arrangements panel.
Checking/Entering Attendance Information
Termly attendance data (including attendance codes and the number of sessions missed)
should be provided for the collection period, 03/09/2020 to 31/12/2020.
SIMS Attendance/Lesson Monitor Not in Use
If Attendance/Lesson Monitor is not in use, the following data must be entered manually:
Termly Possible Sessions (T Poss Sessions)
18Termly Sessions Missed due to Authorised Absence (T Auth Absences)
Termly Sessions Missed due to Unauthorised Absence (T Unauth Absences).
To filter the display of pupil/students in the Attendance panel, select Year Group,
Registration Group or Enrolment Status from the Group By drop-down list.
Alternatively, select Group by None to display a list of all pupil/students.
To sort the displayed data by surname, forename, year group, registration group or enrolment
status, click the appropriate column header.
For each pupil/student, enter the correct attendance numbers in the T Poss Sessions, T Auth
Absences and T Unauth Absences columns.
To clear the attendance information and check for additional pupil/students, click the Check for
additional students & zero totals button.
WARNING: If the Check for additional students & zero totals button is clicked, any
attendance data entered manually is lost.
Initially the Attendance panel is blank. However, after clicking the Calculate All Details button
(located in the Census Details panel) the display changes.
NOTE: Clicking the Calculate All Details button, on the Census Details Panel, overwrites any
edited data, in every panel, with the original data stored in SIMS. Do not use this button if you
wish to keep any changes you have made.
The information displayed in the Attendance panel (after the Calculate All Details button is
clicked) is dependent on which of the following is applicable:
Attendance is in use, the attendance codes being used are DfE compliant and there are either:
no missing marks or there are missing marks.
Attendance is in use and the attendance codes being used are DfE non-compliant. In other
words a code has been used that is not from the agreed DfE list.
TIP: After the Create and Validate process is run, the Attendance detail report can be used to
assist with the checking of attendance data. Select Attendance Report from the Detail Report
drop-down list.
19Entering General Information
The General panel deals with the number of students who receive Free School Meals on
census day.
Enter the Number of free school meals taken on census day by students, in any year, who
are eligible for Free School Meals. Students should be included only if they meet the Free
School Meals eligibility criteria (i.e. in respect to family income).
Entering Admission Appeals Totals
The Secondary Admissions Appeals panel deals with appeals lodged before 03/09/2020
against refusals to admit a student for a place at your school at the start of the 2020/2021
academic year.
All fields in this panel are editable and must be populated manually.
Enter the total number of admission appeals (including infant appeals) that have been Lodged
and the total that have been Withdrawn in the current academic year.
Enter the total number of admission appeals (including infant appeals) Heard, Upheld and
Rejected by the Independent Admission Committee.
When this panel is complete and you are satisfied that all the details on the Census Return
Details page are correct, the census return file can be created and validated.
Creating and Validating the School Census Return
A Census return must be created, validated and authorised before it can be sent to the Local
Authority.
NOTE: YOU MUST ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE THE LATEST FILESET INSTALLED BEFORE
CREATING AND VALIDATING THE RETURN FOR THE LAST TIME BEFORE AUTHORISING IT
FOR SUBMISSION. IF YOU ARE UNSURE, PLEASE CHECK THIS WITH THE SIMS TEAM.
Validating the return creates an unauthorised Census return file, which is then compared to a set of
DfE rules. When the validation is complete, a list of errors and warnings is displayed.
An error is caused by either missing or inaccurate data, whilst a warning highlights data which is
unusual or not as expected, e.g. there are no pupils showing as having Special Educational Needs.
1. Select Routines I Statutory Returns I School Census to display the Census Return
browser.
2. Click the Search button to display a list of Census returns.
3. Double-click the required return to display the Census Return Details page.
4. Click the Create & Validate button to begin the process (which may take some time
20depending on the number of pupils).
If any invalid attendance marks are found, a message is displayed, which provides details of the
invalid code and states that the Create and Validate process cannot proceed until the attendance
data is edited.
If the system finds that there are some records with missing Attendance marks, the following
message will be displayed
You can continue with the validation process and then the Attendance panel will display the
following message when there are still some pupil records with missing marks.
These should be checked and entered through Focus | Attendance | Deal with Missing Marks.
The census will need to be Created and Validated again in order to clear this message. Once the
missing marks have been entered the Attendance Panel will display the new message.
Resolving Validation Errors and Warnings
After creating the Census return file and validating the details, a list of any errors and warnings is
displayed in the Validation Errors Summary panel at the bottom of the Census Return Details
page. In most cases, double-clicking a solution displays the appropriate SIMS page, enabling you
to resolve the problem.
Before your return can be authorised and submitted to the LA you must ensure that as many errors
and queries as possible have been cleared. If it is not possible to clear an error or query you will
need to add an explanation to the Authorisation Report, letting the LA know why the error/query
cannot be cleared.
The Validation Errors Summary displays the following information:
21Column Description
Type Displays the type of validation rule:
Failure (F displayed in red) indicates an error, which
must be corrected.
Query (Q displayed in black) indicates that there are
unusual data conditions. These should be considered
and corrected, where possible.
Sequence Shows the error or query number.
Message Displays the text of the error or query message.
Location Lists the specific record containing the error or query.
Solution Provides a suggestion on how the error can be corrected or the
query checked. Many solutions have a hyperlink (indicated by a
#) to the appropriate area of SIMS.
To assist in the resolution of any errors and warnings:
Use the search facility to filter by error/warning number. Select the required number from the drop-
down list then click the Search button. Use the scroll bars to view all the errors/warnings. By
default, failures are displayed in red, first in the list.
Check the Solution column for suggestions on where and how failures can be corrected.
When the pointer is hovered over any cell in that row, it changes to a hand if a hyperlink is
available to the appropriate area of SIMS. A # symbol preceding the solution also indicates the
existence of a hyperlink.
Double-click anywhere in the row to display the specific area in SIMS where the record(s) can be
checked/corrected.
Change the order of the summary by clicking the appropriate column heading. If required, change
the width of the columns by dragging the dividing line between the column headings until the
required size is achieved.
Print a summary of errors/warnings by clicking the Report button, noting that a high number of
errors will generate a high number of printed pages. The summary is displayed in a web browser,
e.g. Internet Explorer, from where it can be transferred to another application. Right-click the
report then select the required option, e.g. Export to Microsoft Excel from the drop-down list.
The errors listed are displayed until they are corrected and the return has been created and
validated again.
Do not be concerned if the number of errors appears high. Many of the errors generated can
be fixed quickly using bulk update functionality (Routines I Student I Bulk Update).
The Validation Errors Summary contains a list of all errors/warnings. Explanations and
information on how to resolve the errors are also included. The document can help to identify the
order in which errors should be corrected. For example, if a UPN is missing, several UPN
related errors might be generated. Therefore, adding missing UPNs can remove several errors.
The School Census 2021 Errors and Resolutions document is available on our website at
www.edit.org.uk under the MIS dropdown with a link to Census Spring 2021.
22Producing/Printing a Detail Report
Detail Reports enable the checking of most of the data that has been included in the return file.
Select the appropriate report from the Detail Report drop-down list to display the report in HTML
format.
The following reports are available:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Any printed reports
containing a pupil’s name or UPN should be
used for validation purposes only and must not
be retained.
On Roll Basic Details Report
Report Criteria: Pupils on-roll on Census day.
This report provides the following information about pupils who are on-roll on census day: UPN,
ULN, legal surname, legal forename, preferred surname, former surname, date of birth (DOB),
gender, year taught in (YTI), date of admission (DOA), enrolment status, language, nationality,
country of birth, Youth Support Services Agreement (YSSA), part-time status and boarder
status.
NOTE: Where a student is in a year group that is different to that expected (based on their date
of birth), the applicable Year Taught In cell is highlighted in yellow.
Leavers Basic Details Report
Report Criteria: Students not on-roll on census day (21/01/2021), that is:
Leavers with attendance one term ago (the start of Autumn term 2020 to 31/12/2020)
Leavers with exclusions two terms ago (13/04/2020 to 31/12/2020)
Leavers with learner support of Vulnerable Group Bursary Awarded or Discretionary Bursary
Awarded from 01/08/2020 to 21/01/2021.
The Leavers Basic Details report provides the following information, where applicable: UPN,
ULN, former UPN, legal surname, legal forename, middle names, former surname, date of birth
(DOB), gender, date of admission (DOA), date of leaving (DOL), language, part-time status,
boarder indicator, attendance, exclusions and Learner Support.
NOTE: Students are only included in the return as leavers if they have attendance, exclusions
or learner support data that falls within the collection period.
23Exclusions Report
Report Criteria: On-roll Students and leavers with exclusions and final exclusion review during the
period 13/04/2020 to 31/12/2020.
Fixed term exclusions, excluding lunchtime exclusions, starting from 13/04/2020 to
31/12/2020.
Permanent exclusions and exclusion reviews where final governor review outcome
exists between 13/04/2020 and 31/12/2020.
Exclusion reviews for reinstated from permanent exclusions where final governor review
outcome exists between 13/04/2020 and 31/12/2020.
The Exclusions report consists of two tables.
Termly Exclusions (Fixed and Permanent)
The following details about students who match the report criteria are displayed: UPN, legal
surname, legal forename, date of birth (DOB), gender, date of admission (DOA), exclusion
category, reason(s) for exclusion, exclusion start date, number of session from which the
student was excluded, SEN provision and on-roll status.
Exclusion Reviews (Permanent and Reinstated from Permanent)
The following details about students who match the report criteria are displayed: UPN, legal
surname, legal forename, date of birth (DOB), gender, date of admission (DOA), date of
leaving (DOL), review date, review result, reinstatement date, SEN expert requested and on-
roll status.
Attendance Report
Report Criteria: Students with attendance one term ago (the start of the Autumn term 2020 to
31/12/2020). On-roll students and leavers (but not boarders) who were aged four to 15 at
31/08/2020.
This report displays the following information about students and their attendance during the
first half of the Summer term: UPN, legal surname, legal forename, date-of-birth (DOB),
gender, year taught in (YTI), number of termly sessions possible, number of termly absence
sessions, on-roll status, termly attendance codes (authorised sessions and unauthorised
sessions) and the number of sessions where attendance was not required.
Totals are displayed at the bottom of the applicable columns.
A list of attendance codes and their descriptions are displayed at the bottom of the report.
Absentees Report
Report Criteria: On-roll students and leavers (not boarders) who have an absence rate of 10% or
above, with attendance one term ago (the start of the Autumn term 2020 to 31/12/2020), who were
aged four to 15 at 31/08/2020.
This report shows basic details (i.e. UPN, name, date of birth, gender, year actual, on-roll
status and enrolment status) about the students who match the report criteria. The number of
sessions possible, the number of authorised and unauthorised absences applicable to each of
the students are also shown on the report.
SEN Report
Report Criteria: On-roll student with SEN Provision/Status E (Education, Health and Care Plan)
or K (SEN Support)
This report provides a list of students who have special educational needs. Displayed are their
UPN, legal surname, legal forename, date of birth (DOB), gender, year taught in (YTI), SEN
provision, member of SEN unit, member of resourced provision indicator and on-roll status.
24Address Details Report
Report Criteria: Pupil/students on-roll on census day.
This report provides a list of pupil/students, their UPN, former UPN, legal surname, legal
forename, middle name(s), post code, unique property reference number (UPRN), address
details and the administrative area/county.
Definition: Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN) - a unique identifier (reference number)
that links together related address records across different software programmes. This enables
organisations to collate and share information based on a common reference number
Free School Meal Eligibility Report
Report Criteria: Pupil/students who are eligible for free school meals on or after 02/10/2020 and up
to and including Spring census day (21/01/2021).
This report provides information on free school meal eligibility (i.e. start date, end date and the UK
country in which the eligibility applies) together with the pupil/student’s UPN, legal surname, legal
forename, date of birth, gender, year taught in and on-roll status.
Learner Support Report
Report Criteria: On-roll pupil/students and leavers aged 16 plus at 31/08/2020 who have been
awarded Vulnerable Group and/or Discretionary Bursary funding from 01/08/2020 to 21/01/2021.
This report provides information regarding the applicable students: UPN, legal surname, legal
forename, date of birth, gender, year taught in, Learner Support and on-roll status.
Top-up Funding Report
Report Criteria: On-roll pupil/students who have been awarded Top-up Funding as at census day.
The following information is displayed on the report: UPN, legal surname, legal forename, date of
birth, gender, year taught in and SEN provision.
Post Looked After Arrangements Report
THIS REPORT MUST BE TREATED AS CONFIDENTIAL
Report Criteria: On-roll pupil/students who have Post Looked After Arrangements as at census day.
The report displays the following information about pupil/students who have Post Looked After
Arrangements on Census Day: UPN, legal surname, legal forename, date of birth, gender, year
taught in, SEN provision and Post Looked After arrangements, e.g. ceased to be looked after
through a residence order (RO).
Printing the Detail Report
Either select File | Print to display the Print dialog or click the Print button.
If required, change the paper selection, number of copies and print quality before clicking the Print
button.
Closing the Detail Report
Click the Close button at the top right-hand corner of the page to close the Detail Report and return
to the Census Return Details page.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Any printed reports containing a student’s name or UPN should be
used for validation purposes only and should not be retained.
The Security Message (displayed at the top of each report) can be customized to include
instructions for the destruction of the printed reports.
Reports from previous returns can be viewed using the Statutory Return Tools as shown further on
in this document on Page 32.
25Producing/Printing the Summary Report
The Summary report enables the accuracy and completeness of the return to be assessed. It also
shows the total number of unresolved failures in the return, providing some indication of whether the
return is likely to be accepted by the LA and DfE.
Click the Summary button. The report similar to the one shown below is displayed in your web
browser, e.g. Internet Explorer. The report is saved automatically in the folder specified in the Census
Return browser. For more information, please see Configuring the School Census Folder on page 10.
If the following message is displayed at the top of your summary report you MUST NOT
PROCEED until you have Created and Validated the Return using Fileset 1700 or greater.
The Summary Report should be printed and given to the head teacher for checking.
It is essential that the Head Teacher checks all the information on the Summary report and signs or
initials each page before the return is authorised.
DfE also recommends that the school summary be compared to the one for the previous term to
highlight any data that has changed significantly between the respective Census collections. It is
vital for a school to check the accuracy of data in this summary as it is this data that is submitted to
DfE as an accurate reflection of the situation in the school on Census Day.
A copy of the summary should be sent to the LA along with the Authorisation Report and the
actual return. It is advisable to keep a copy of the printed summary in school for future reference. It
has been known for Ofsted Inspectors to request a printed copy of previous Census Summary
Reports. However, reports from previous Returns can be accessed through the Statutory Returns
option.
26Authorising the School Census Return
A Census return must be authorised before it can be sent to the LA. Before authorising the return, you
should ensure that all the information displayed in the Census Return Details page is correct and does
not require further editing. This is best achieved by printing and reviewing the Summary report.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have created a dummy run and are intending to use it as the final
return you must ensure that you create and validate the return on or after the 21stJanuary
before the return is finally authorised. If you send a return that has been created and validated
and/or authorised before 21stJanuary, it will be rejected by the LA and you will have to resubmit
it. ALSO Before Authorising the return you must make sure that it has been Created and
Validated against a fileset of 1700 or higher
As you click on the Authorise button at the top of the return a few, new messages will be
displayed:
If there are still missing attendance marks for the period of the collection (03/09/2020 to
31/12/2020 you will see the following message:
If you authorise the return at this point with missing marks your attendance summary will be
incorrect and your return will be rejected by the LA.
A message is now displayed reminding you that the return cannot be edited once it has been
authorised.
Once you have printed the reports and checked the attendance marks you will need to positively
indicate that the Head Teacher has seen the reports and the summary. You will not be able to
continue with the process until you have put the tick in the box to say that the head has seen and
approved the return summary.
27If you have been unable to clear any fails or queries on the return you must add the details to the
Additional text area of the Authorisation. This will be picked up by the Data Team when they
collect the file and the details can be added to the file when it is submitted to the DfE.
As you click on Continue the system will produce ALL the reports, including the authorisation
report containing descriptions of any uncleared fails or queries, as HTML files, in case you wish to
print them. They can be closed in the normal way and can be printed later should they be
required.
Once the return has been authorised, it will no longer be possible to edit any of the information in
the Census Return Details page. If you authorise a return and subsequently need to make
amendments, you will either need to make a copy of the return and work on the copy, or create a
new return from scratch.
Once the file has been authorised the file extension will change from . UNA to . XML.
28Submitting the School Census Return File to the LA
A printed version of your School Census Summary should be signed and kept in school.
YOUR CENSUS RETURN FOR SPRING 2021 MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE LA NO LATER
THAN WEDNESDAY 27th JANUARY.
Submitting the Return, Authorisation and Summary Reports to the LA using
S2S
The Return together with the Authorisation and Summary reports should be sent via S2S. However,
before the files are submitted, the Authorisation and Summary reports MUST be changed as per the
instructions and diagrams below. The files are located in the Census folder that you set up on Page
13.
1. The actual return file (xml document) does not need to be amended in any way.
2. RIGHT click on the Authorisation report and then click on Rename
3. Rename the whole file to: 354nnnn_354LLLL_AuthrptOct19.HTML(nnnn is your school DfE
number)
4. RIGHT click on the Summary report and click on Rename
5. Rename the whole file to: 354nnnn_354LLLL_SummaryOct19.HTML(nnnn is your school DfE
number)
6. The Date Modified must be on or after Census Day – 21st January 2021.
The rest of the files in this area are the detailed reports that can be printed at a later date, if
required.
Clicking on the column heading for Date Modified will allow you to change the order of the list. You
may need to click twice to bring the most recent files to the top of the list.
You should end up with files looking similar to the ones shown below: The Date Modified must
be on or after Census
Day – 21/01/2021
The actual return
file
The Authorisation
Report
The Summary
Report
29You can also read
