Statutory – Early Years census (3.88)

Description

This release supports the following changes to the 2026 Census:

• Census Date, Collection dates and Submission dates have been updated.
• EY census file generated as per the XML structure defined by DFE.

Foundational Support in 3.88 – release date 30th March 2026 

• Changes delivered within v4 and Self Update Portal to update data collection fields
• New single Census table EY_TERMLY_CENSUS_ESTAB

Generating Returns

• Development in progress
  Early Years Census generation is moving to to SaaS delivery.
• Users have the ability to start census returns:
  • for all providers at once
  • individually

  Batching limits are being removed

• Fast filtering in‑progress returns ready for COLLECT submission.
• Automatic census creation and validation as soon as provider data is available.

v4 client

The following fields have been added or removed from the Census return service and details page.

Fields added in V4 and DataBase:

• Level 3 SENCO / NPQ Qualification
• Unqualified Staff

Values higher than the total number of staff cannot be entered for the new fields.

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The following fields have been removed from the Census return service and details page.

• 01. BASIC DETAILS
  • Phone No.
  • EY Setting Type
  • EY Setting Type Other
  • EY Day Care
  • EY Day Care Other
  • EY Establishment Partnership
• 02. AVAILABILITY and OPENING TIMES
  • Continuously Open
  • Monday Open Time through to Sunday Close Time

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Total Staff Information box

An information label has been added to the Total Staff Information box. The label text reads:

*This data is included in Spring Census only

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Self update provider portal (SUPP)

Home Page| Self-Update Admin | Providers | Search for the provider | click on Early Years Census link

The following fields have been added to the self update provider portal.

• Level 3 SENCO / NPQ Qualification
• Unqualified Staff

Values higher than the total number of staff cannot be entered for the new fields.

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The following fields have been removed from the self update provider portal. The removed fields are only removed from the SUPP UI and not from any DB tables.

• Phone No.
• Continuously Open
• Monday Opening Time through to Sunday Closing Time

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Helpfiles updated

Data Collected in the Early Years Census
Update the Census Details in the v4 Client
Census Return
Census Dates