The government has paused “all but the most essential data collections” to “help reduce the burden” on schools and councils amid the coronavirus outbreak.
In an update published today, the Department for Education outlined which collections have been cancelled or paused (full list below).
Those paused will remain that way until the end of June, but this will be reviewed and extended if necessary.
A decision has yet to be made on data collections or services due to go live later this year.
Local authorities, academy trusts, and other providers, have also been advised to cancel or pause all but the most essential data collections.
The Department for Education suggested settings follow guidance stating collections should be cancelled if they meet any of these principles: they are not essential for understanding the current COVID-19 position, it’s not crucial for the running of education settings, to update guidance or business continuity, the information is already collected elsewhere, and staff are likely to travel to collate the information.
All research data collections not linked to COVID-19 have also been paused.
Data collections and services cancelled this year
Budget forecast return outturn (BFRO), academy trusts
National offer day survey, local authorities (to be replaced by a much shorter collection of essential information)
Special provision capital fund (SPCF) – local plan updates, local authorities
Section 251 budget 2020 to 2021, local authorities
School financial value standard CFO statement, local authorities
School capacity (SCAP) return, local authorities
Early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP), local authorities on behalf of state funded early years settings
Key stage 1 (KS1) assessments, local authorities on behalf of schools
Phonics screening check, local authorities on behalf of schools
School census (summer), schools
Various collections relating to key stage 2 data, schools
Data collections paused until June 30
Academies capital grant – annual assurance exercise, academy trusts
Land and building information request for new academies, academy trusts
Financial management governance self-assessment (FMGS), academy trusts
LCVAP capital grant – annual assurance exercise, diocese
VA DFC – annual assurance exercise, diocese and non-diocesan schools
Childcare and early years providers survey, early years providers (including school-based nurseries)
Local authority capital grant – annual assurance exercise, local authorities
Application to designate religious character to a school, local authority-maintained schools
DfE initial teacher training early years recruitment data, providers
Extremism in education public referral, public
Teaching school alliance and national leaders of education data collections, including reviews of designations, schools
Devolved formula capital return for voluntary-aided schools, voluntary-aided schools
Consistent financial reporting (CFR) 2019 to 2020, maintained schools or local authorities on their behalf
Deferred collections and services
Budget forecast return 3 year (BFR3Y), academy trusts
Section 251 outturn 2019 to 2020, local authorities
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