Guidance

School-level annual school census: guide

Guidance for independent schools to help them with the 2026 school-level annual school census (SLASC).

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 29 November 2022
• Last updated: 26 November 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 26 November 2025

     Updated for 2025 with 'School level annual school census (SLASC) - registered independent schools guide: 2026'.

  2. 21 October 2024

     Updated for 2025 with 'School level annual school census (SLASC) - registered independent schools guide: 2025'.

  3. 19 October 2023

     Updated 'School level annual school census (SLASC) - registered independent schools guide: 2024' to clarify how we use the school email address in section 2.1.

  4. 16 October 2023

     Updated with information for 2024 and replaced 'School level annual school census (SLASC) - registered independent schools guide: 2023' with School level annual school census (SLASC) - registered independent schools guide: 2024'.

  5. 20 January 2023

     'School level annual school census (SLASC) - registered independent schools guide: 2023' has been amended to update section 1.4 on material changes.

  6. 29 November 2022

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

School level annual school census (SLASC) - registered independent schools guide: 2026

PDF, 525 KB, 44 pages

Details

This guide helps you prepare and submit your school’s 2026 school-level annual school census (SLASC) return.

SLASC census day for registered independent schools is Thursday 15 January 2026.

SLASC records:

• teaching and pupil numbers
• courses of study
• pupils with special educational needs
• looked-after children
• charitable status
• annual fees and boarding accommodation
• details of new staff members and proprietors since the last census

Read more about submitting data for SLASC.