School census: determining funding allocations

Data you submit in census returns is used to determine your school's funding. Read on to see which data is collected on each return. Also, learn how to address errors in census returns.

Last reviewed on 19 May 2025
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 13467
Contents
  1. Only some census items are used
  2. Your core funding
  3. Your pupil premium allocations
  4. Your UIFSM funding
  5. Your early years entitlement
  6. Correct errors in your census return

Only some census items are used

The DfE's guidance on data items marks all data items used to calculate funding allocations as ‘[used for funding]’.

The marker is there to let you know that those data items need to be especially accurate, because errors with these items can affect how much funding you receive.

Your core funding

Funding for pupils of statutory school age and post-16 pupils is allocated based on autumn census returns.

Find out more in our article on the national funding formula.

Your pupil premium allocations

Pupil premium allocations are based on:

  • Autumn census, for mainstream and special schools
  • Spring census, for pupil referral units (PRUs) and alternative provision (AP) academies

Read more about which pupils are eligible for this funding in our other article.

Funding for universal infant free school meals (UIFSM) is determined using the average number of pupils recorded in the autumn and spring censuses as having taken