September DfES Pupil Count 2005

Please see the attached letter from the DfES concerning the September Pupil Count. The information required is needed by the DfES for the calculation of the Education Formula Spending Share (EFSS), which in turn informs the level of funding for your LEA. It is also used to assist the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to calculate the funding for Sixth Forms.

Completing the return is a statutory duty for schools.

We strongly recommend you to use the DfES website to return this data. The address is www.dfes.gov.uk/datacollection. If you are unsure of your username or password I will be able to supply them to you. If for any other reason you cannot use the website please contact me for a paper copy to complete.

The website will be available from Thursday 15th September 2005. So that returns can be processed in accordance with the timetable for EFSS and LSC calculations, schools must submit data via the DfES website by Friday 23rd September.

Please don't hesitate to give me a call if you have any queries.

SEPTEMBER PUPIL COUNT 2005: DATA COLLECTION: DfES Reference LEA/1491/2005

Issue

1. The purpose of this letter is to tell you about the arrangements for the collection of the September 2005 Pupil Count (SPC) data.

   Background

2. Data collected in the SPC are normally used to inform the calculation of the Education Formula Spending Share (EFSS), which in turn informs the level of funding for your LEA. Completing the return is a statutory duty for schools.

   To maintain the timetable set in the 2005 exercise we need you to submit your return by the due date to allow sufficient time to process the data and announce the provisional local government settlement in the middle of November.

   The SPC data are also used to assist the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to calculate the funding for Sixth Forms, so we will be collecting additional information from those Secondary Schools with Sixth Forms. It is equally important that returns are made by the due date in order for the LSC to announce school level allocations.

   Summary

3. The method for schools to submit their September Pupil Count data to the DfES in 2005 is via our website: www.dfes.gov.uk/datacollection - using the username and password previously issued for other DfES Data Collection surveys such as September Pupil Count 2004. These are also the same as those used to access the School to School (s2s) site. We do not intend to re-issue your username and password so if you are unsure as to what they are please contact Louise Bassett in the Management Information Centre on 01603 222352 who will be able to supply them to you.

   We are not routinely issuing paper forms, but, if your school does not have access to the Internet or for other reasons you feel that you need a paper form, please contact the DfES Helpdesk and one will be provided.

   Action

4. The website will be available from Thursday 15th September 2005. So that we can process all returns in accordance with the timetable for the EFSS and LSC calculations you must submit via the DfES website by 23rd September.

5. Any non returns will result in a school being classified as "missing". We will then estimate the number of pupils using previously collected data. This will affect the calculation of EFSS and RSG for your authority.

   If you have any queries, please contact the Helpdesk on 01325 392626 or alternatively email helpdesk@dfes.gsi.gov.uk.

Your assistance in the completion of this survey is greatly appreciated.