Guidance

How to complete the educational setting status form

This data will help the government monitor the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) on settings, focus support more effectively and keep children safe.

From:
Department for Education
Published
22 March 2020
Last updated
731 JanuaryDecember 20222021 — See all updates

Applies to England

Submit the form

Submit the educational settings status form by 2pm, every day.

This is to allow the Department for Education (DfE) to use the data on the same day. If you cannot meet the 2pm deadline, submit the form as soon as you can. Data submitted after the deadline may not be included in DfE daily figures.

From 3 November, questions on school-led tutoring will be included on the form every 3 to 6 weeks.

From 4 January, settings will be asked to provide information on the phased return process and the number of pupils or students absent due to attendance restrictions put in place to manage an outbreak or exceptional circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19).

See more information about who needs to submit the form.

You can get help if you have problems while using the form.

Preview of the form

These are the questions which will appear on the collection form for settings. They have been reproduced so you can see the information you’ll need to provide.

Recording non-attendance related to coronavirus (COVID-19)

You can use this listList of sub-codes (PDF, 117114 KB, 32 pages) which hashave been introduced into management information systems (MIS) to help you:

  • extract attendance data to complete the daily educational settings status form
  • consistently record non-attendance related to COVID-19
  • monitor non-attendance related to COVID-19 for your own purposes

If you have an existing system for recording and monitoring non-attendance related to COVID-19 you can continue to use this if you wish. The use of these sub-codes is not compulsory.

For more information about how to use code X, see the recording attendance in relation to COVID-19 attendance addendum.

Who needs to submit the form

If your setting is closed, you’ll still need to complete the form every day so DfE is aware of the closure.

You do not need to submit the form if your setting is closed for a planned holiday like half-term.

The educational setting status form is for:

  • academies (including free schools and studio schools) - each school in a multi-academy trust (MAT) must complete this individually and MAT head office cannot complete it on behalf of member schools
  • local authority-maintained schools
  • independent schools
  • non-maintained special schools
  • pupil referral units
  • university technical colleges
  • special post-16 institutions
  • further education (FE) colleges and sixth-form colleges – if colleges are part of a group, a single form should be completed covering all colleges that fall under the corporation

Data on all early years providers, including school nurseries, childminders, and private, voluntary and independent nurseries, is being collected via local authorities as part of a regular data collection.

How to complete the form

Anyone with a DfE Sign-in account can complete the form. This includes headteachers, deputy heads, business managers or a member of the senior leadership team (SLT) within an educational setting.

Data from the attendance register can be used to help complete your daily educational setting status.

DfE will not be collecting pupil-level data through the educational setting status form.

School and college funding

The data in the form will not be used for any funding purposes.

Sharing of data with local authorities

Local authorities have been given access to a spreadsheet showing attendance data for educational settings in their area, for those settings that are submitting returns to DfE.

This spreadsheet is located on the View Your Education Data Portal and can be accessed via Identity and Access Management System (IDAMS).

If you work in a local authority you can look at the data using an IDAMS account.

See guidance on how to register for an IDAMS account.

Help

You can email dfe.educationsettingstatus@education.gov.uk if you have any questions about completing the form.

You can also use the DfE coronavirus helpline if you have a query about the form or for general queries about COVID-19. If you have a unique reference number or UKPRN, please have it available when you call.

The helpline can also help with setting up an IDAMS account.

DfE coronavirus helpline

Telephone 0800 046 8687

If you have a query about coronavirus (COVID-19) relating to schools and other educational establishments, and children's social care, in England contact our helpline.

OpeningChristmas opening times:
20 to 23 December – 8am to 6pm
24 December – 10am to 4pm
25 to 28 December – closed
29 to 30 December – 8am to 6pm
31 December – 10am to 4pm
1 to 2 January – closed
3 January – 10am to 4pm

Normal opening times:
Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm
Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm

If you work in a school or college, have your unique reference number (URN or UK PRN) available when calling the helpline.

Published 22 March 2020
Last updated 731 JanuaryDecember 20222021 + show all updates

  1. Updated list of sub-codes to say that code Y can be used for non-attendance due to exceptional staff absences or unavailability of transport due to COVID-19.

  2. Updated 'Questions for schools: educational settings status form' and 'Questions for FE settings: educational settings status form' - from 4 January, settings will be asked to provide information on the phased return process and the number of pupils or students absent due to attendance restrictions put in place to manage an outbreak or exceptional circumstances related to COVID-19.

  3. Updated to confirm that from 7 December, questions will be updated to reflect the new guidance on the use of face coverings and requirements to self-isolate.

  4. Updated to confirm that from 3 November, questions on school-led tutoring will be included on the form every 3 to 6 weeks.

  6. Updated instructions to confirm that the form will continue with daily reporting.

  7. Added new paragraph to confirm that the form will move from daily reporting to weekly reporting from Friday 1 October. Updated ‘Questions for schools: educational settings status form’ and ‘Questions for FE settings: educational settings status form’.

  8. Updated 'List of sub-codes' to remove codes X03 and X04 and align the other descriptors to the current published schools operational guidance.

  11. Added section on 'Recording non-attendance related to coronavirus (COVID-19)' and a list of sub-codes.

  12. Updated the preview of questions for schools and FE settings to reflect the latest changes in the education settings status form.

  13. Updated section on who needs to complete the form, to include special post-16 institutions. Also updated list of questions on the form for further education settings.

  15. First published.

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