COLLECT guidance for completing the Section 251 budget return
Updated 17 October 2024
Applies to England
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/section-251-2024-to-2025/collect-guidance-for-completing-the-section-251-budget-return
1. Summary
This publication provides non-statutory guidance from the Education and Skills Funding Agency. It has been produced to help local authority finance officers to complete their section 251 budget returns using the COLLECT system.
2. Expiry or review date
This guidance will be reviewed before March 2025.
3. Who is this publication for?
This guidance is for local authority finance officers.
4. Accessing COLLECT
Access to COLLECT is via DfE Sign-in.
If you do not have an account, you will need to sign up for one.
You can then request access to your organisation and COLLECT on the Organisations tab.
Your request will be sent to your organisation’s approvers.
If you have already been added to your organisation, you can request access to COLLECT on the Services tab.
If you have COLLECT access but are unable to see the budget collection, check with one of your organisation’s approvers whether you have been given access to the collection.
You can find out who these are on the Services tab under ‘See approvers at an organisation’.
If you still need assistance, please submit a query using the Data collections service request form.
5. Uploading an XML file
On the Source page click on ‘Upload Return from file…’
To upload the return, click on the ‘Browse…’ button to navigate to the required XML file. You then need to select ‘Upload’ to load the data.
If data is already loaded, you will be asked if you want to overwrite it. Answering no will stop the data load, answering yes will delete the existing data and load the new data.
Caution: Uploading a new XML file will cause the return to be revalidated and any errors/queries will need to be addressed again.
Once the file has been successfully loaded the following message will appear.
The data return has now been placed in a queue to be validated. When COLLECT is busy this process may take some time and users may come back later to view any validation errors present within the return.
When you click on ‘OK’ you will return to the ‘Source page’ and the status will be ‘Waiting_for_validation’. When the return reaches the front of the queue, the status on the ‘Source page’ will change to ‘Validation_in_progess’ and then ‘Loaded’ when it is finished.
6. Addressing errors and queries
When a return has been uploaded, a number of validation checks are run against the data in that return and will trigger errors or queries.
All errors and queries are highlighted in red against the relevant data item.
7. Viewing all errors and queries on the return
Click on ‘All Errors’ at the top of the screen.
You will then be shown a list of all errors and queries relating to your return. You may also find it helpful to download an error report.
8. Correcting errors
Click on the ‘Details’ button to see which data items the validation is checking; these will show to the right of the screen. If you click on one of the underlined fields you will be directed to the corresponding data item in the return.
Change the mode of the form to ‘edit’ and then click on the data item that needs to be changed and update it.
9. Providing clarification/supplementary information
If you are satisfied that the value is correct, please enter a brief but meaningful note next to the error/query (rather than ‘OK’ or ‘Correct’ etc.).
To enter a note, first click on the pen icon next to the error/query.
Then click ‘Add New Note’.
Type your note in the box provided and click ‘Create’.
You must enter a note for all errors/queries, except year-on-year queries (3.1.1 and 1007).
For year-on-year queries you may either enter a note or use the drop-down menu at the bottom of the screen to confirm the figure is correct.
To return to the list of errors, click on the ‘Error’ button.
10. Editing data within your return
10.1 LA Table
Use the blue hyperlinks at the bottom of the screen to navigate to the part of your return you wish to edit. Warning: Using the hyperlinks on the left-hand side may result in unexpected behaviour.
Change the mode of the form to ‘edit’ and then click on the data item that needs to be changed and update it.
Click on ‘View’ followed by ‘Drill Up’ to return to the previous screen.
10.2 High Needs Places Table
Click on the appropriate hyperlink to take you to the High Needs Places Table.
Use the ‘Edit’ button to edit the data or the ‘Add’ or ‘Delete’ buttons to add or remove schools from the table.
Click on ‘View’ followed by ‘Drill Up’ to return to the previous screen.
10.3 EY Table
Click on the appropriate hyperlink to take you to the required section of the EY Table.
Click on ‘Click to view individual column descriptors’. This will allow you to view the data entered for this line.
Use the ‘Edit’ button to edit the data or the ‘Add’ or ‘Delete’ buttons to add or remove rows.
Click on ‘View’ followed by ‘Drill Up’ to return to the previous screen.
11. Downloading reports
On the ‘Source Page’, click ‘Launch Reports’.
Select the relevant report and click ‘Launch Report’.
Export the report in the desired format.
12. Submitting your return
Return to the ‘Source Page’ by clicking on ‘Back to My COLLECT page’ at the top of the form.
Then select ‘Submit Return’.
