Guidance

School preference data collections: guide to submitting data

How local authorities should submit data for the annual school preference collections.

From:
Department for Education
Published
25 March 2014
Last updated
2 September 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Overview

The school preference data collections are statutory collections. You must complete statutory collections by law unless there’s a good reason not to.

These collections take place every year in March and April. They gather information about the total number of primary or secondary school places available in your area.

They also collect the following information about every child in your area:

  • their parents’ preferences
  • the school place offer they received
  • some personal information - for example, their address and date of birth

The collections cover all schools that are part of your co-ordinated admissions process, including:

  • academies
  • free schools
  • community schools (schools controlled by a local authority and not influenced by business or religious groups)
  • foundation schools (schools where the governing body is the employer and admissions authority, and where the land and buildings are either owned by the governing body or by a charity)
  • voluntary-controlled and voluntary-aided schools (schools established by a religious organisation, and partly or entirely funded by a local authority)
  • special schools (schools for children with special educational needs or disabilities)

Important dates

The 2024 to 2025 collection deadlines are:

  • secondary school national offer day: Monday 3 March 2025
  • deadline for submitting secondary school data: Friday 7 March 2025
  • primary school national offer day: Wednesday 16 April 2025
  • deadline for submitting primary school data: Thursday 24 April 2025

You must base collections on the appropriate national offer day, but you have 5 days to make your submission.

Submit your data

You’ll need to:

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

Contact your school or local authority approver if:

  • you want to request a DfE Sign-in username or password so you can access COLLECT
  • ‘school preference data’ is not on the list of collections you can see in COLLECT

Get help using DfE Sign-in

If you do not know who your approver is, use the DfE Sign-in help 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.

We’ll only be able to change the status of your data submission to ‘authorised’ once you’ve cleared all errors in the data in COLLECT.

Refer to the collection documents

Our guidance will help you complete the school preference collections:

Resolve questions or offer feedback

You can use the feedback form if you have any questions about your data or wish to make a comment about our data collection service, including about COLLECT and the helpdesk. We aim to respond within 5 working days.

Updates to this page

Published 25 March 2014
Last updated 2 September 2024 + show all updates

  1. Updated the 'Important dates' section for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

  2. Added collection deadlines for 2023 to 2024 to the 'Important dates' section. Updated the link to the 2024 technical specification in the 'Collection documents' section.

  3. Collection deadlines for 2022 to 2023 have been added to the 'Important dates' section. A link to the 2023 technical specification has been added to the 'Collection documents' section.

  4. Added a link to the guide for local authorities.

  5. Added 2022 collection deadlines to ‘Important dates’. Updated ‘Collection documents’ with new technical specification for 2022 and removed the link for the guide for local authorities.

  6. Added the guide for local authorities to the collection documents.

  7. 2021 collection deadlines added in the Important dates section. Collection documents updated with new technical specification for 2021 and the links removed for the guide for local authorities and XML generator.

  8. Added link to the guide for local authorities completing the school preference data collections 2020.

  9. Added link to 'School preference data collections 2020: XML generator'.

  10. Updated page for 2020 school preference collections.

  11. Added link to school preference data collections 2019 guide.

  12. Updated 'Submit your data section' and DfE Sign-in help links.

  13. Updated COLLECT link from secure access to DfE sign in.

  14. Updated the 'Important dates' section and added a link to the technical specification.

  15. Added link to school preference data collections 2018 guide.

  16. Added 2017 to 2018 collection deadlines and specification for 2018.

  17. Added a link to the 2017 school preference data guide for local authorities.

  18. Added link to new generic COLLECT guides for schools and local authorities.

  19. Added 2017 collection deadlines and the 'School preference (child level) data collection 2017'.

  20. Added links to COLLECT and local authority guides for 2016.

  21. Added link to 'School preference data collections 2016: technical specification' and added collection dates for 2016.

  22. Added 'School preference data collections 2015: guide', 'School preference data collections 2015: COLLECT guide' and 'School preference data collections 2015: XML generator'.

  23. Updated the 'important dates' and 'collection documents' sections to include guidance for the 2015 school preference data collection.

  24. First published.

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