Elective home education and children missing education: submit your data

The termly aggregate EHE and CME data collections are statutory. You must complete statutory data collections by law unless there’s a good reason not to.

EHE is a term used to describe a choice by parents to provide education for their children at home - or at home and in some other way which they choose - instead of sending them to school full-time.

CME are children of compulsory school age who are not registered pupils at a school and are not receiving suitable education otherwise than at a school.

The collections include:

• number of EHE and CME at census dates
• characteristics information such as sex and ethnicity
• reasons for EHE and CME

Important dates

This is a list of dates for when you must provide us with termly aggregate data returns.

2024 to 2025 census dates

Spring data collection

• Census date - Thursday 16 January 2025
• Return date - Friday 7 February 2025
• Database closure date - Friday 21 February 2025

Summer data collection

• Census date - Thursday 15 May 2025
• Return date - Friday 6 June 2025
• Database closure date - Friday 20 June 2025

2025 to 2026 census dates

Autumn data collection

• Census date - Thursday 32 October 20242025
• Return date - Friday 2524 October 20242025
• Database closure date - Friday 87 November 20242025

Spring data collection

• Census date - Thursday 1615 January 20252026
• Return date - Friday 76 February 20252026
• Database closure date - Friday 2120 February 20252026

Summer data collection

• Census date - Thursday 1521 May 20252026
• Return date -– Friday 612 June 20252026
• Database closure date - Friday 2026 June 20252026

Return documents

Complete your return using the:

• guide, validation rules and acceptable notepad entries
• COLLECT guides

Send us your data

You’ll need to:

• register and log in with DfE sign-in
• use COLLECT to submit your data

Contact your local authority approver if:

• you want to request a DfE sign-in username or password so you can access COLLECT
• EHE and CME is not on the list of collections you can see in COLLECT

If you do not know who your approver is, use the DfE sign-in request form.

If you’ve forgotten your password, use DfE sign-in to reset it. You will need to click ‘Start now’ and then the ‘I’ve forgotten my password’ link.

How your data will be used

Some data we’re collecting is subject to a privacy notice (PDF, 121 KB, 3 pages).

This data will:

• be analysed to build a clearer picture of the EHE and CME cohorts on local and national levels
• help us identify outlying local data and work with those local authorities to understand the reasons
• help us understand the drivers of EHE and CME

Information received and any analysis we share will not include any data that could identify any child or their parent(s).

Get help

Use the service request form if you have any questions about your data. We aim to answer your question within 5 working days.

Feedback

Use the feedback form if you have any comments about our data collection service, including COLLECT and the helpdesk service.