Management Information Sheet

The DfE requires all schools to complete their 2013 Autumn Census return on Thursday 3rd October 2013. Please ensure that your census file reaches the Information and Intelligence Team no later than Friday 4th October 2013. If you have any problems with this deadline please let us know.

Please note that the Schools Block of the 2014-2015 Dedicated Schools Grant allocation will now be based on the Autumn School Census, so it is important that your return is completed accurately and on time. The January Census will still be used to calculate any Pupil Premium allocations.

Those of you using e1 will need to approve your census return and make the file available to the LA. Schools using other management information (MI) systems will need to create their file and send it via Anycomms or S2S.

Full guidance relating to definitions and the requirements of the census is available on the DfE website - you can access the guidance and FAQs by clicking here. This should be your first point of reference for any queries. Further guidance and help sheets are available on the Norfolk Schools website including details of preparations you can make for the Autumn Census, which you should read before completing the return.

Post 16 Learning Aims

Post-16 Learning Aims are now collected once a year in the Autumn Census from schools of secondary phase with sixth forms. While pupils at other schools, such as special schools, may be studying learning aims, the Education Funding Agency (EFA) does not calculate funding based on this information and it will therefore NOT be collected as part of the School Census.

There are several important changes to the collection of Learning Aims:

Dropping of two data items

The DfE has decided to drop the requirement for the Learning Aim Outcome and Learning Aim Result to be submitted for completed learning aims by schools in the Autumn 2013 School Census.

Re-introduction of discount codes

In order for the DfE to match awarding organisation data to School Census learning aims information, it will be necessary for schools to submit the discount code for each learning aim submitted in the Autumn 2013 School Census. Where discount codes are available for completed learning aims from awarding organisations these should be submitted in the School Census, for other learning aims schools will need to refer to QWS to ensure they return the most up to date QANs and discount codes. Discount codes were dropped from the 2012 School Census but prior to that were collected as part of the School Census.

An important change from September 2013

From the beginning of the 2013/14 academic year schools will need to identify and record the core learning aim (the principal or 'core' qualification) for those students undertaking a study programme that includes vocational learning aims. School management information systems will be developed to hold a new data item 'core aim indicator' from September 2013. Whilst this will not be collected in the 2013 Autumn School Census, it will need to be recorded for those learning aims continuing from the previous academic year or started in the 2013/14 academic year as part of a vocational study programme. The data item will be collected in the 2014 Autumn School Census and is required for funding purposes.

A detailed guide for schools and local authorities on the post-16 learning aims module of the 2013 Autumn School Census has now been published on the DfE website.

It is extremely important that the Learning Aims are correctly recorded as errors and omissions may result in a loss of sixth form funding.

Further help - The Information & Intelligence Team is always pleased to answer queries on the census return and give support to schools. If you need help please contact:

• Louise Hodgson tel: 01603 222352

If you require any UPNs please email your requests to: irc.data@norfolk.gov.uk.

Please remember that you need to refer queries regarding your MI system to your software provider.