DfE Update academies: 27 August 2025
Published 27 August 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
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1. Action: Estimated 16 to 19 participation data collection
For academic year 2025 to 2026, we are requesting you submit your estimated 16 to 19 student numbers in October and November, at R02 and R03, respectively.
This voluntary collection will be requested alongside the R02 collection, which opens in mid-September.
Currently, we do not have any indication of 16 to 19 student numbers in-year until December when R04 data become available.
We want to understand 16 to 19 participation earlier in the academic year in order to:
- help us track progress on the government’s Opportunity Mission
- monitor the likely financial position for the academic year, and
- inform better policy decision making as necessary
The survey is not compulsory and we will not use the information to make any decisions about your funding.
We will assess the data at an aggregate level and ask for returns to have the same level of rigour as a formal return.
2. Information: 16 to 19 in-year growth academic year 2025 to 2026
Each year, we review the early data returns from institutions delivering 16 to 19 education (including up to age 24 for those with high needs) and award in-year growth where necessary, subject to affordability.
We have again published our plans for exceptional in-year growth for student numbers to support providers to offer places to all young people who want one.
For academic year 2025 to 2026, this is our expected method for calculating in-year growth awards.
Based on our forecast of growth in student numbers, we expect to be able to meet the costs of funding institutions using the published method but may need to amend our approach to ensure affordability, particularly if we find the number of additional students or the amount of in-year growth payments is higher than forecast.