School census: determining funding allocations

Last reviewed on 29 April 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 13467

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

Article tools

Contents

  1. Only some census items used
  2. Core funding
  3. Pupil premium
  4. UIFSM funding
  5. Free early years entitlement
  6. Errors in census returns

Only some census items used

The guide to the school census published by the DfE marks the census items that are used to determine your school's funding allocations by including ‘[used for funding]’ in the section title.

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.

Core funding

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

For children in the EYFS, funding is based on returns from the spring census.

See our articles on the national funding formula and post-16 funding and guidance on EYFS entitlements for further details. 

Pupil premium

This is explained in section 3 of

Read next

Also in 'Pre-16 funding'