Use this guide to resolve School Census Query 2485
DfE Validation:
- Autumn. If = E there should be at least one exclusion or suspension record with a between 2026-04-06 and 2026-05-24 inclusive
- Spring. If = E there should be at least one exclusion or suspension record with a between 2026-08-01 and 2026-12-31 inclusive
- Summer. If = E there should be at least one exclusion or suspension record with a between 2027-01-01 and 2027-03-28 inclusive
DfE Explanation:
- Pupil attendance indicates they are suspended or permanently excluded but no suspension or permanent exclusion is recorded.
This guide will look at troubleshooting this Census Query for:
- Permissions
- Checking the Exclusion Record exists
- Checking attendance marks for E codes
- Permanent Exclusion
- If the Exclusion starts in one term and ends in another
Read Guidance:
- For further guidance on Bromcom Census see here
- For DFE guidance on Suspensions and Permanent Exclusions see here.
Checking the Exclusion record exists
Access: The minimum permission required to view Exclusions on a Student’s Profile Page are found under the Framework Module > Students > New Student Details > Behaviour > Exclusions of Config > Setup > Roles & Permissions
If a student was excluded then the first thing to check is that the Exclusion is recorded against the student. This can be checked via the Student’s Profile Page > Behaviour > Exclusions
If the Exclusion does not exist, this can be added via the Student’s Profile Page > Behaviour, using the + button to add a new record:
For detailed guidance, please see our guide on How to Add Exclusions to a Student, here
Checking attendance marks for E codes
Access: To view Attendance via the Student’s Profile you would need access to Attendance under the Framework Module > Students > New Student Details > Attendance of Config > Setup > Roles & Permissions
Secondly, check that any attendance marks are accurately recorded for the Exclusion dates. If the student was not excluded but has E attendance codes, these will need to be removed so that the Census Query isn’t incorrectly triggered.
Attendance marks can be checked via the Student’s Profile > Attendance to review the E attendance codes, to ensure they accurately reflect the period of the Exclusion.
Another useful report to view this information is the Attendance Certificate Report, accessed via Reports > Attendance > Attendance Certificate
Access: The permissions for accessing this report can be found under the Attendance Module > Reports > Attendance Certificate of Config > Setup > Roles & Permissions
Enter Report Parameters:
Student – Name of required student
Day Start and Day End – Enter the dates that would cover the Exclusion record
Attendance – Which attendance is required e.g. AM / PM Only or Class Only
By Code/Meaning – Choose the required option, code will display the E codes
How the Attendance Certificate Report Displays:
Missing Exclusion Marks – these can be entered via Manage Attendance – see How To Manage Attendance Guide
Permanent Exclusion
If this relates to a student with a Permanent Exclusion you would also need to check their Exclusion record and the Governor’s Decision. In order for this to be picked up in the Census Return, the Governor’s Decision should be recorded.
To check this, open the Student’s Profile > Behaviour > Exclusions
Click to highlight the required Exclusion, then double click to open the Exclusion Record:
Once the Exclusion Record is opened, navigate to Confirmation and Appeals Record for the exclusion. Here is where the Governor’s decision is recorded.
If the Exclusion starts in one term and ends in another
The query will trigger if a student’s exclusion starts outside of the time period monitored by the census and ends within the time period monitored by the census.
For example if the census is monitoring exclusions within the date range of 01-04-2024 and 26-05-2024 and the exclusion began on 15-03-2024 but doesn’t end until 10-04-2024 then this query will flag. This will require a return level note to either your Local Authority (if they submit the return on your behalf) or added onto Collect when submitting your return. Please refer to the DFE Acceptable Notepad Entries sheet found on the DFE site to obtain the correct wording to be submitted.
IMPORTANT in order for the resolved error/query to be removed from the list of errors/queries you would need to generate a new Census return and remember to use save & validate for the errors/queries to update/clear.