SEND Data and the January Census

Published: 2 December 2021

In January your school will be required to submit pupil specific data for the Spring Census. Although the Census takes place every term, Primary and Secondary Need SEND data is only collected once a year. Accurate data is essential since data is used not only to drive all school funding but it’s also used by the LA and the DfE for a number of other purposes. It is vitally important for the local area that we know the numbers of children presenting with special educational needs in schools in Derby.

Schools must record whether a child has a special educational need and then follow this up by indicating the primary and secondary need e.g. Autism spectrum disorder, specific learning difficulty, hearing impairment and so on.

In order to record a child’s specific needs/ diagnosis you must first indicate the child has a special educational need. Remember a child or young person has a special educational need if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. Special educational provision is educational or training provision that is additional to or different from that made generally for other children or young people of the same age by mainstream schools or early years providers.

12 months ago we produced some guidance to help you when considering which SEND category to select (the SEND Categorisation of Need Document). The information appeared in the school circular on 1 February and was also emailed to you the same week. We thought it might be timely to send it out again now as we know you will be checking your management information systems and pupil specific information regarding SEND for accuracy over the next few weeks.

For more information please view The SEND Categorisation Census Derby Guidance 2021

Education