Summer School Census Key dates and guidance
The Summer School Census Day will take place on Thursday 21 May 2026. On this date, the COLLECT website will be open for submissions.
Maintained schools are required to submit their census return via COLLECT by:
Thursday 4 June 2026
(Later deadlines apply to academies.)
Submission and validation
Please ensure that:
- all census errors are either resolved or explained
- explanations are emailed to the Data and Analytics Team so that notes can be added for DfE authorisation
dataanalysisteam@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Important:
The team cannot see notes entered in your school MIS system. Only notes added within COLLECT are visible to the DfE.
Headteacher approval
As part of the authorisation process:
- the Headteacher should review and verify the census summary and associated reports
- submission of the return via COLLECT is taken as formal approval of the data
Familiarisation process
The DfE recommends that, where possible, schools upload a file from their MIS into COLLECT during the familiarisation period.
This allows schools to:
- confirm that all required data is included
- identify and resolve any validation errors
- address queries before the live collection opens
Checklist – completing your census return
- Submit the completed census file to Oxfordshire via COLLECT
(ensure the file has an XML suffix and is uploaded by 4 June 2026) - Run and check reports on COLLECT the day after submission
- Re-run reports after making any amendments
- Email dataanalysisteam@oxfordshire.gov.uk to explain any queries you believe are correct
Further guidance and support
For guidance, visit the Performance and Information Team page
The DfE school census manual (2025/26) is available on the DfE school census website.
If you have questions about errors or queries, please contact:
dataanalysisteam@oxfordshire.gov.uk
Thank you for your continued support in helping schools successfully complete the census collection.