---
title: School census - DfE (English Schools)
description: School census - DfE (English Schools) | Help & Support — GO 4 Schools
---

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1. [GO 4 Schools MIS](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/mis?hsLang=en-gb)
2. [Census](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/mis/census?hsLang=en-gb)

# School census - DfE (English Schools)

This article will support schools in England on preparing, validating and submitting the School census using the GO 4 Schools MIS.   The census will need to be enabled on the Settings \> Contact details and setting \> MIS tab :

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-07-9907-AM.png?width=1141&height=200&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-07-9907-AM.png)

#### **Permissions**

A user will require the School Census Producer role to be able to create and run the School census. This can be added to individual users who will also have permissions to view school details, view student information, view simple student characteristics, view timetables, view simple SEN details including medical and disability information. 

#### **Census preparation**

The GO 4 Schools MIS includes indicators to ensure all required census fields are populated in student records.  The ‘t’ symbol is required for census.  This will support the validation of the census later if completed as required e.g.

![A white background with black text

Description automatically generated](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-04-7737-AM.png?width=126&height=84&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-04-7737-AM.png)

**Checklist:**

|  | **Census Preparation steps** | Done |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | **Settings \> School contact details and settings** to check the school information is correct.  **School details tab –** check basic details, contact details, School characteristics and update any Childcare provision (Spring census only). |  |
| 2. | **Settings \> School contact details and settings** to check the school information is correct if a school with post-16 provision.  **MIS tab –** Add default hours for planned learning hours and employability, enrichment and pastoral hours for general courses and T-Levels. |  |
| 3 | **Settings \> School contact details and settings – School details:**      (Spring census only) add in School time (hours per week). |  |
| 4 | (Spring census only) **Young carers** **People \> Student attributes \> System attributes : Young carer –** check and download to check students who are listed as young carers.  If any are missing update via the Student record page: General Student characteristics. |  |
| 5 | **People \> Alternative Provisions** Check list of students which have had alternative provision placements. Add via the Student record page : Alternative provision. |  |
| 6 | **Exclusions**  Census collection is of data for the previous 2 terms, so any permanent exclusions that are still under review are not included and will be picked up in the following census if upheld. Add via the Student record page: Exclusions. Collected for both on and off-roll students. |  |
| 7 | **New students** Ensure all new admissions are in the GO 4 Schools MIS and leavers are set. |  |
| 8 | **People \> Student records \>** Check ULN's have been added for students age 14 or above. This data can be downloaded from the Learner records service. An upload option will be added in the future for schools to do this, support will complete via a ticket. |  |
| 8 | **People \> Student records \> General student characteristics – Learner FAM code -** Check funding records for students in receipt of tutoring.  Add for student in receipt of additional tutoring, 16-19 Provision or Learner repeating up to one year of 16-19 funded provision. |  |
| 9 | **Curriculum \> Courses** - Select toggle for courses that are Private student or Work experience. |  |
| 10 | **Curriculum \> Groups** - check any groups to exclude from the census.  Check and add in support staff to groups. |  |
| 11 | Ensure all session marks are completed and there are no missing marks.  Check via the **Attendance \> Session attendance status page** - change dates to match census period to find missing session marks. |  |

 

Note that for LA schools the census may be required to be completed prior to returning to the DfE. 

Please refer to the [Census errors - help](https://support.go4schools.com/en/support/solutions/articles/80001165808) guide for further information.

 

#### **Setting up a test census**

Go to **School \> Census: School census.**

 

Select **+Create school census file** to access the modal, depending on the term of the census this will change the information required to be entered, see the Spring census below.

 

A modal will display with key information and links to access this data to check. 

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-06-4942-AM.png?width=772&height=317&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-06-4942-AM.png)

 

The fields will be required to be manually filled prior to saving and then the census files will be run.

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-07-3987-AM.png?width=462&height=484&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-07-3987-AM.png)

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-04-9889-AM.png?width=547&height=248&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-04-9889-AM.png)In the School census listing page all censuses run are listed with the download files, including the Schools census.xml file, the validation file and XML validation file.

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-06-0412-AM.png?width=1320&height=163&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-06-0412-AM.png)

Validation reports can be checked and specific errors or queries amended.  Once corrected the census can be revalidated by using the 'Re-run' option.  This will not require any changes to the information added, if this needs changing then you can set up and run a new census.  

 

**Inspecting validation errors**

Once the census reports are available for download the XML validation report can be added a checking tool for quick access to any errors or queries. 

From the top right of the census page use the '**Go to**' menu to access the '**Inspect validation errors'** link: 

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-05-2751-AM.png?width=437&height=120&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-05-2751-AM.png)

The page then allows the downloaded .XML file to be added to produce a report:

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-06-8803-AM.png?width=1345&height=247&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-06-8803-AM.png)A report will display the results as a list:

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-07-6824-AM.png?width=1345&height=388&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-07-6824-AM.png)

Each error can be inspected in detail using the expand arrow.  UPN details will link to specific student records with a solution message to correct.  Details for students missing ULN's can be found in this [article](https://support.go4schools.com/en/support/solutions/articles/80001165808). 

Previous versions can then be deleted.

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-07-1814-AM.png?width=517&height=202&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-07-1814-AM.png)

**Census Reports**

From the school census page use the 'Go to' link to access census reports.

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-06-2646-AM.png?width=478&height=119&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-06-2646-AM.png)

Download the census XML file and add to the census report page. The drop down menu then will show a list of available reports that can be downloaded as a csv for checking. 

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-05-5212-AM.png?width=443&height=315&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-05-5212-AM.png)

 

As the example shows below the report can be filtered by year group, searched for a specific record and downloaded.  Each report contains key data columns to check for the census. 

![](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-05-7720-AM.png?width=1379&height=400&name=undefined-Apr-10-2026-09-57-05-7720-AM.png)

 

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