Annual early years census
How to complete the annual census form for free entitlement providers.
The annual census is mandatory for all free entitlement (FE) providers that have at least one funded child in the current spring term. The data collected is used by the Department for Education to calculate the amount of FE funding for local authorities.
The census coincides with the spring term headcount in January.
We inform providers of portal opening and closing dates for completing your census, via our weekly broadcast emails. If you miss the deadline please still complete the form as we may hold back your FE payments.
We recommend that you collate the following information before you complete the form so that you can complete it efficiently:
- total numbers of children attending your setting in headcount week (whether funded or not) by year of birth
- the highest level of qualification for each member of staff, for example, Level 3
Check the next submission dates on When to use the portal. [Needs link]