School and pupil census

School census guidance for Norfolk schools on the SEND provision and type

Decoding the school census regarding SEN provision and type.

Aim

• To provide locally agreed guidance of special educational need (SEN) provision and type for the purpose of the school census and school SEN records, ensuring a consistent approach is taken by all mainstream primary and secondary schools.

What is the school census?

The school census collects information from primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, maintained nurseries and academies and pupil referral units three times a year. Generally the information includes pupil's background details, special educational needs, free school meals eligibility, as well as educational history.

Collecting this data develops a picture of the education sector, including how well it is performing. It also helps determine core school funding, which pupils attract pupil premium, support for disadvantaged students, universal infant free school meals funding and free early years entitlement allocations.

Census dates

There are autumn, spring and summer returns. Data on pupil SEN provision is collected in each census.

Opening and return dates can be found at Complete the school census - Census dates - Guidance - GOV.UK.

SEN-related information collected

The census collects the following information in relation to SEN:

Pupil SEN type

• As described above, the primary need - and, where appropriate, any secondary need - is recorded.
• There is no requirement for a pupil to have a specialist assessment to be recorded in the main SEN types

Suggested good practice for recording SEN provision and type

While there is no statutory requirement for schools to have a SEN register, the Code of Practice (2015) does state that:

• "Every school is required to identify and address the SEN of the pupils that the support." 6.2
• "Where it is decided that a pupil does have SEN, the decision should be recorded in the school records and the pupil's parents must be formally informed that special educational provision is being made." 6.43

Good practice is for schools to keep an up-to-date SEN record or register, which should align to the census information data that is collected. It is the responsibility of the SENCo to maintain up to date records and make any changes to the SEN register. There is no standardised format for a SEN register, however it should provide a clear overview of information about the children and young people (CYP) identified as having special educational needs within a setting. A SEND register should support the SENCo, and other leaders, to:

• Share relevant and useful information with staff
• Analyse patterns and trends across the school or within year groups/phases
• Plan effectively to meet the needs of pupils
• Identify key areas for staff CPD
• Inform the effective deployment of staff
• Highlight key areas for monitoring

The following principles are seen as good practice and relate directly to the Code of Practice (2015)

• According to the Code of Practice (2015), "a pupil has SEN where their learning difficulty or disability calls for special educational provision, namely provision different from or additional to that normally available to pupils of the same age." A pupil should therefore only be added to the SEN register where their needs are persistent and require targeted or enhanced provision.
• CYP receiving targeted interventions should not automatically be placed on the SEN register. Many children will require short bursts of intervention to support their learning. This does not necessarily mean they have a SEN e.g. a child that has missed a lot of school and has significant gaps in their phonics knowledge may be receiving a targeted phonics intervention, but this does not necessarily mean they have a literacy difficulty.
• A CYP may be placed on the SEN register with or without a formal diagnosis, however there should be a robust identification of need, involving parents, the child or young person, class teacher, SENCo and other professionals where appropriate. SENCos should be knowledgeable and equipped to identify need (not diagnose conditions) using a wide range of screening tools and other assessment indicators (e.g. data, observation, discussion).
• A diagnosis does not automatically mean a CYP should be placed on the SEN register. They should only be added if their needs require them to have provision that is 'different from or additional to' the universal offer.
• Pupils with a medical diagnosis/need, who have no associated SEN, do not need to be on the school's SEN register. Schools should consider other ways to record this information and ensure their needs are well understood by all staff e.g. Individual Health Care Plans.
• Schools should have a clear process for identifying the needs of pupils, which should be set out in the SEND policy and SEN Information Report.
• Identification should be an ongoing process, and schools should have a robust graduated response in place following the cycle of assess, plan, do, review.
• Families, as well as the young person, should be involved in the process of identifying need and in planning and reviewing the provision in place to meet these needs.
• When categorising a CYP according to their primary area of need, SENCos should adopt a 'best fit' approach, based on their knowledge of the CYP, in collaboration with the family and any other professionals involved.
• The primary area of need should reflect the area in which the CYP requires the most support. This may change over time.
• It is important to remember that labels are useful in some ways, every child is an individual and their needs will be different. Therefore, it is important that we have fully identified the range of needs associated with a CYP.
• The INDES will support with providing a more holistic picture of individual need.
• The SEN register should be a fluid list whereby children move both on and off, recognising that needs may change overtime. This should always be discussed with class teachers and parents, who must be formally notified when their child is added to (or removed from) the SEN register.
• There should be regular (at least termly) review of the SEN register by the SENDCo and any changes should be clearly communicated to staff and parents.
• While the SENDCo is responsible for the SEND Register, some schools rely on administrative / support staff maintaining the register using information provided to them. In these circumstances, SENDCos are encouraged to ensure there is clear understanding of the definitions, policy and practice for the register. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the Headteacher to authorise the school census.

English as an additional language (EAL)

This is not classed as a special educational need or disability (SEND). The census collects pupil information, including for pupils with EAL.

Transitions between schools

When children and young people transition into schools, if they were previously identified on the SEND Register (SEND Type and Provision, eg receiving SEN Support), it may be useful to maintain this to ensure they have sufficient support as they start in the school, until more up to date information on needs is gathered (See Section 6.57 of SEND Code of Practice 2015).

The census: top-up funding

A true/false flag to indicate CYP on roll for whom the school receives, on census day, high-needs top-up (Element 3) funding.

For primary and secondary mainstream schools and academies, the top-up funding indicator in the census should only be set for individual pupils whose total costs exceed £10,000 (including the basic budget element of £4,000 plus £6,000 SEN) and for whom your school has received Element 3 high-needs top-up funding to help with the excess costs for that child.

As Norfolk moves to a cohort-based approach to Element 3 funding from September 2025, schools are expected to use the Graduated Provision Map (GPM) tool to plan and record provision strategically across universal, targeted, and enhanced levels. As part of this process, schools should identify individual children and young people (CYP) whose provision costs exceed £6,000 and ensure the "top-up funding" flag is ticked for these pupils. 

The census: alternative provision

Alternative provision (AP) is full- or part-time education arranged by:

• Local authorities, either directly or working with schools, for pupils who, because of permanent exclusion, illness or other reasons, would not otherwise receive suitable education
• Schools for pupils to improve their behaviour off-site, or during a suspension

AP is not an out of school activity arranged in addition to a full-time education, including activities arranged primarily for recreational purposes or for SEN support. Nor is it educational home learning resources provided by a school for the pupils at home. AP settings provide education for pupils who do not go to a mainstream school or special school full time.

The Census: member of SEN unit

SEN units are special provisions within a mainstream school where the pupils with SEN are taught within separate classes for at least half of their time.

Units are designated by the local authority specifically for making SEN provision, and sometimes accommodate pupils registered at other schools on a part-time basis.

This applies to CYP attending an SRB (specialist resource base) or SHIP (specialist hub of inclusive practice).

Checklist for SENDCos

1.    Schedule time for data review before each census submission is due (autumn, spring, summer)

2.    Review the SEND 'Register' to ensure it reflects current needs and support levels

• Pupils should only be added if they require 'additional and different' provision beyond what is ordinarily available
• Ensure all pupils receiving SEN Support or with EHCPs are correctly listed
• Ensure pupils with EHCPs are flagged correctly, especially if newly issued or ceased

3.    For the spring census, review and update SEN Provision Codes

• Confirm primary and secondary needs are accurately recorded (e.g., ASD, SEMH, SLCN).

4.    Refer to the guidance above to identify "Avoid overuse of the category NSA"

5.    Coordinate with the admin team

• Verify that pupil data in the MIS matches your SEND records

This content was written in September 2025 using DfE Guidance, as well as specialist input from Norfolk SEND teams. The guidance will be reviewed annually to ensure any updates are made available to schools.

Source: Complete the school census - Guidance - GOV.UK.