Access Education People
School workforce census software integration guide
Streamlining school workforce census data collection
The annual school workforce census is the Department for Education’s (DfE) main source of data on annual staff turnover and how much schools are paying their staff. The information collected informs future departmental policies on pay, as well as monitoring the effectiveness and diversity of the school workforce. Alongside being used by the DfE, the findings are also used by other government departments, local authorities, external agencies and educational researchers.
Understanding the importance of the school workforce census
The seemingly relentless challenges facing the education sector are proving difficult for individual schools, trusts and local authorities to navigate.
Whether it’s finding experienced staff to fill vacancies, or balancing the books to ensure that schools can continue to function effectively in the face of rising prices and utility bills, these challenges have far-reaching consequences.
No school wants the quality of education or the wellbeing of its staff and pupils to suffer, so robust action is required from the DfE. This is why the school workforce census data is so important.
Without accurate data on the school workforce and information on how many people are leaving and joining the profession, policymakers cannot implement effective solutions.
To submit data, schools need to:
- Register and log in with a DfE sign-in
- Request a DfE sign-in username or password to access COLLECT
- Use COLLECT to submit the data
The school workforce census covers publicly funded English schools and includes community, foundation, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools, as well as academies (including AP academies – alternative provision academies – and free schools).
As outlined on the DfE website, the following types of establishment must return the school workforce census:
- Primary schools
- Secondary schools
- Maintained nursery schools
- Maintained special schools
- Pupil referral units
- City Technology Colleges
- Academies (including free schools, studio schools, UTCs and Alternative Provision academies)
Here we explore how schools can make the process of collecting the required data as easy as possible.
Selecting the right software for integration
The census date for the 2025 spring school census is Thursday 16 January with the deadline for approved submissions being Wednesday 12 February. For more information, read the Gov’s School workforce census guide to submitting data.
While the DfE has a help desk responsible for assessing returns after approval and informing schools of any issues, the right software can help make the process as straightforward as possible.
The DfE expects that the majority of the data required at individual level will be generated from computer systems within schools and local authorities, rather than entered on purpose-built data entry screens.
Access Education People is a comprehensive people management platform that has been designed to give schools the freedom to focus on delivering a great employee experience.
By streamlining the day-to-day tasks that fall within an HR team’s remit, more time can be invested into strategic HR activities that make a real difference.
Access Education People is also able to collate the information required in the school workforce census data, ensuring accuracy and streamlining the process.
Effortlessly submit your school workforce census data with Access Education People
Key benefits of software integration for school workforce census data
When it comes to completing the school workforce census, having all of the information to hand is a real time-saver.
With all changes and updates to records tracked digitally and saved on the system throughout the year, HR teams need not worry about submitting incorrect information. This also avoids the problem of getting to the deadline and realising that large amounts of data are missing.
Choosing the right school workforce census integration software
If you’re in the market for school workforce census integration software but don’t know where to begin, consider the following steps.
Remember that the right choice will depend on your school’s unique requirements and circumstances. Take the time to research and compare options to find the software that best fits your needs and budget.
Factors to consider when selecting integration software
When choosing integration software for your school, consider:
- Compatibility: Does the software work seamlessly with your existing systems?
- Scalability: Can it grow with your school’s changing needs?
- Data security: Are robust measures in place to protect sensitive information?
- Customisation: Can the software be tailored to your unique requirements?
- Ease of use: Is the system intuitive for your HR team?
- Reliability: Will the software consistently perform under pressure?
- Cost-effectiveness: Does it offer good value for money?
- Support and training: Is there comprehensive customer support and training available?
- Compliance: Does it meet the DfE’s standards and guidelines?
- Integration capabilities: How well does it integrate with other systems?
- Reporting: Are there effective reporting tools available?
- Vendor reputation: Is the provider well-regarded in the sector?
- Data migration: How smoothly can existing data be transferred?
Top school workforce census integration software solutions
The Access Education People software has been designed to make data collection for the school workforce census as straightforward as possible.
Those collating the information can simply set the date of the school workforce census via System Settings > School Workforce Settings. The dashboard then displays the total teacher number, enabling HR teams to filter the data so that all of the information required in the school workforce census is easily accessible.
Other MIS systems are available, such as Bromcom and Arbor, but the best solution depends on your school’s specific needs.
To learn more about Access Education People, watch this video:
Data collection best practices for school workforce census
It is important that all of the data is checked before the school workforce census is completed.
Pay scales, contract details and school roles
To ensure that this information is correct, HR teams should verify that staff HR and Finance details are set up correctly in the system before completing the census. Any
Pay scales and spinal points
The DfE requires a report on the pay scales and spinal points of leadership staff only. Before completing the school workforce census, these pay scales need to be set up for headteachers, assistant heads and deputy heads, or the spinal point salary amounts for the year need to be updated.
Logging positions
It is important that all contract details are recorded in the school workforce census. Before doing this, positions need to be logged on the system and the relevant staff must be linked to the correct position.
Ensuring data accuracy and completeness
The Access Education People software allows those completing the school workforce census to check the quality of the data via an easy-to-interpret dashboard.
Teams can start preparing for the census by heading over to the ‘Data Quality Dashboard’, where they can merge or delete any duplicate staff profiles in the ‘Suspected Duplicates’ section, update basic details in the ‘Staff’ section and add in key census information in the school workforce census section.
Conclusion
The school workforce census is a critical data collection process that informs crucial decisions in the education sector. The accuracy and efficiency of this process are paramount, and the right integration software can make all the difference.
Access Education People offers a comprehensive people management platform designed to streamline HR tasks, empower schools, and ensure the accuracy of school workforce census data. With deadlines approaching, having the right software on your side can be a game-changer.
Take the next step and begin your school workforce census software integration
