England’s school workforce census for 2026 will take place on 5 November, with a 4 December deadline for submitting data. Local authorities, local-authority-maintained schools and academies must complete the statutory collection, which covers teaching and support staff in regular employment and is submitted through DfE Sign-in and COLLECT.
Key facts
- The census applies to England.
- Census day for 2026 is 5 November 2026.
- The deadline to submit data is 4 December 2026.
- Local authorities approve and coordinate submissions for maintained schools and centrally employed staff.
- Academies are responsible for submitting and approving their own census data.
What schools and local authorities need to do now
Schools and local authorities need to make sure staff data is collected, checked and ready for submission before the December deadline. The guidance says users must register and log in with DfE Sign-in, then use COLLECT to submit the census. If a user cannot see “school workforce census” in COLLECT, they should contact their school or local authority approver.
The process also includes privacy notices for all staff, which must explain the census and staff rights under the Data Protection Act. The Department for Education says it will only change a submission to “authorised” once all errors in COLLECT have been cleared.
What does the school workforce census collect?
The statutory census records data on all teaching and support staff in regular employment. That includes staff working for local authorities on central contracts, local-authority-maintained schools, academies, free schools, studio schools, university technical colleges and pupil referral units.
The census is part of the annual autumn data cycle in England. The guidance says statutory censuses must be completed by law unless there is a good reason not to, which makes the submission a legal obligation for the organisations covered by the collection.
Who is responsible for submitting the data?
Local authorities are responsible for coordinating and approving census submissions from their maintained schools, and for submitting data for centrally employed school staff. Academies are responsible for submitting and approving their own census data.
The guidance also points users to COLLECT guides, technical information, the summary specification and guides, plus XSLT files for validation rules and the school summary report on request through the data collection helpdesk.
How can users get help with COLLECT or DfE Sign-in?
If a school or local authority user needs a DfE Sign-in username or password to access COLLECT, they should contact their school or local authority approver. If they do not know who that approver is, the guidance directs them to the DfE Sign-in request form. Forgotten passwords can be reset through DfE Sign-in using the “I’ve forgotten my password” link.
For questions about data, the guidance says users should use the service request form. The Department for Education aims to answer those questions within five working days.
Frequently asked questions
When is the 2026 school workforce census day?
The 2026 school workforce census day is 5 November 2026, and the deadline for submitting data is 4 December 2026.
Who has to submit the census data?
Local authorities must coordinate and approve submissions for maintained schools and submit data for centrally employed school staff. Academies must submit and approve their own census data.
