Guidance

Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics

Updated 11 August 2026

Purpose

The Code of Practice for Statistics provides producers of official statistics with details of the practices that must be committed to when producing and releasing official statistics. It ensures that statistics published by Student Loans Company (SLC) serve the public, and are trustworthy, valuable and of high quality.

Our compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics means that users can have confidence in the people that produce SLC statistics; that our statistics are robust, reliable and accurate. Our statistics are regularly reviewed to ensure they support the needs of society for information.

This document sets out SLC’s commitment to comply with the three core principles of the Code of Practice for Statistics:

• Trustworthiness
• Quality
• Value

Trustworthiness: Building confidence in the people and organisations that produce statistics and data

It is important that our people, and the systems and processes used to produce statistics and data, are trustworthy. This means we need to be well led, well managed, open, impartial and skilled.

Show integrity - SLC are committed to act with integrity in all aspects of our statistical work, ensuring that data and statistics are handled, analysed and communicated in an honest, objective and professional manner. Staff work collaboratively across the organisation, applying professional standards and acting responsibly to support the public good.

Statistics are presented impartially and transparently, with clear explanations of definitions and limitations to support appropriate interpretation and avoid misleading conclusions. We provide contextual information alongside our releases to help users understand the key messages and make informed use of the statistics.

We monitor how our statistics are used by stakeholders, the media and the wider public. Where statistics are misrepresented or interpreted incorrectly, we take proportionate action to provide clarification and ensure that users have access to accurate information. Where necessary, concerns about the misuse of statistics can be raised through appropriate governance channels, including the Office for Statistics Regulation.

By maintaining high professional standards and promoting the responsible use of statistics, we support public confidence in both our statistical outputs and the people who produce them.

Lead responsibly - We lead the production of statistics in an impartial, transparent and professional manner under the oversight of the Lead Official for Statistics. The principles and requirements of the Code of Practice are promoted across the organisation, including at senior leadership level, to support evidence-based decision making and maintain public confidence in our statistics.

Statistical decisions relating to methods, standards, quality assurance and publication practices are made using professional judgement and appropriate governance arrangements. Significant changes, including major revisions, new statistical outputs or the discontinuation of statistics, are reviewed and approved by the Lead Official for Statistics to ensure they continue to meet user needs and align with the Code of Practice.

We publish information describing how our statistics are produced and how they meet the principles of Trustworthiness, Quality and Value in our ‘Statement of Compliance’ on GOV.UK. We apply good business practices in the management of resources, recruit and develop staff with the necessary statistical and analytical skills, and provide training on the Code of Practice, data security and quality management.

We regularly review our compliance with the Code of Practice and seek external professional advice where required. Any significant concerns relating to statistical quality, independence or compliance are escalated through appropriate governance routes to ensure the continued integrity and credibility of our statistical outputs.

Be transparent - SLC is clear and transparent about our role and responsibilities. More information is available on GOV.UK.

We are committed to releasing statistics in a transparent and orderly way, ensuring users can have confidence in how and when our statistics are published. A 12-month release calendar of our statistical publications is published on GOV.UK and specific release dates and times are added at least four weeks ahead. Any changes to release arrangements are agreed with the Lead Official for Statistics and communicated promptly and transparently, with clear reasons provided. We also publish a ‘Release practice policy for official statistics’ on GOV.UK.

Access to statistics before publication is strictly controlled and limited to staff involved in their production, quality assurance and operational processes. No public indication of the statistics is given before release, and outputs are not shared without the approval of the Lead Official for Statistics. As part of SLC’s publication process, final statistics are circulated under pre-release access arrangements, with access limited to authorised individuals and managed in accordance with the relevant legislative requirements and principles governing official statistics. All statistical releases are published at 09:30 on the scheduled publication date, ensuring a consistent and transparent approach to dissemination.

Each statistical release clearly identifies the status of the statistics and includes contact details for the responsible department, providing users with a straightforward route to ask questions, provide feedback or request further information.

SLC operates an orderly approach to revisions. Scheduled revisions are announced in advance, with provisional figures clearly marked as final in subsequent publications where appropriate. When unscheduled revisions or corrections are required, these are made as quickly as possible and in accordance with our published revisions policy, with clear explanations of the nature and impact of the changes.

Manage data responsibly - Official Statistics published by SLC are derived entirely from data in administrative systems hosted by SLC: the Higher Education Student Finance Application and Assessment system (Protocol); and the Customer Ledger Account Servicing System (CLASS).

SLC manages data and statistics safely, securely and ethically to maintain public confidence in the use of information for official statistics. We are transparent about how data are collected, used, stored and shared, and we ensure that all statistical activities are undertaken in ways that serve the public good.

We comply with all relevant data protection legislation and statutory requirements governing the collection, storage, sharing, linking and analysis of data. The rights of data subjects are carefully considered, and we are clear about how personal information will be used and protected when collected for statistical purposes. More information can be found in our ‘Data management approach’ on GOV.UK.

All personal data is held securely and managed in accordance with GDPR and organisational security requirements.

The confidentiality of individual and business information is protected throughout the production of statistics. Appropriate disclosure control methods are applied before publication to ensure that no individual can be identified from released statistics. We are transparent about our use of administrative data sources, with supporting information published on GOV.UK.

SLC regularly reviews its data management, security and governance arrangements to ensure they remain effective and continue to reflect best practice, legislative requirements and technological developments. We also consider the ethical implications of new data sources, methodologies and statistical developments, particularly where these relate to sensitive topics, and are transparent about the decisions we make. In the event of any data security concerns or breaches, we follow established procedures to address issues promptly, mitigate risks and communicate appropriately.

Quality: Data and methods that produce assured statistics

Prioritise quality - SLC is committed to maintaining and continuously improving the quality of its statistics. We apply proportionate quality assurance processes throughout the statistical production cycle and encourage staff to identify improvements, raise concerns and share good practice.

We work closely with data suppliers, subject matter experts and users to understand quality issues and improve the accuracy, relevance and usefulness of our statistics. Feedback is actively considered when reviewing outputs and assessing potential changes to methods or processes.

Our statistical processes and quality management arrangements are reviewed regularly to ensure they remain effective and aligned with best practice. We assess the impact of proposed changes on the quality, coherence and comparability of our statistics and are transparent about significant improvements. Our published quality management approach supports SLC’s wider commitment to data quality and helps ensure users can have confidence in our statistical outputs.

Be rigorous - SLC is committed to producing statistics that are robust, reliable and fit for purpose. We use appropriate data sources, established methods and proportionate quality assurance processes to ensure our statistics meet user needs and support informed decision making.

We make use of administrative data already collected through SLC’s business processes, maximising the value of existing data and minimising unnecessary burden on data providers. We regularly review the suitability of our data sources and methods, monitor for changes that could affect quality, and are transparent about any limitations and their impact on the interpretation of statistics.

Our methods are based on recognised standards and best practice where applicable, and we work closely with data suppliers and subject matter experts to maintain a shared understanding of data quality requirements. Statistics are quality assured throughout production and validated against previous releases and other relevant data sources where appropriate to ensure consistency, coherence and accuracy.

We regularly review our statistics, methodologies and processes to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure they remain relevant, comparable and fit for their intended purpose. Any significant changes are clearly communicated to users, together with an explanation of the rationale and impact on the statistics.

Be open about quality - SLC’s quality management approach can be found on GOV.UK.

We are committed to being transparent about the quality of our statistics, enabling users to understand their strengths, limitations and appropriate uses. We publish information on data sources, methodologies and quality assurance processes, helping users assess the suitability of the statistics for their needs.

Where relevant, we explain limitations in the underlying data, and the potential impact these may have on the interpretation of the statistics. We also communicate key quality considerations, including completeness, accuracy, timeliness, coherence and comparability, and clearly explain any issues that may affect use of the statistics.

We are open about the methods used to produce our statistics and provide notice of significant changes to data sources, methodologies or reporting practices that may affect users’ interpretation of trends. Where possible, we provide consistent time series and explain the impact of any changes.

Where statistics are under development, we clearly identify their status, inviting user feedback to support their continued development and quality enhancement. Through this transparent approach, we help users make informed decisions based on a clear understanding of the quality of our statistics.

Value: Statistics that support society’s needs for information

Be relevant - SLC is committed to producing statistics that meet the needs of users and support understanding of the student finance system. We place users at the centre of statistical decision making, providing clear routes for feedback and engagement through publication contact details.

We engage with key users, including government departments, devolved administrations, researchers, sector bodies and the wider higher education community, to understand emerging information needs and identify opportunities to develop or improve our statistics. User feedback is considered when determining statistical priorities, reviewing existing publications and assessing proposals for new outputs.

For example, following increased public interest in students withdrawing from higher education courses during the COVID-19 pandemic, feedback from users and stakeholders led to the publication of an ad hoc statistical release on this topic. Continued demand and interest have resulted in the publication becoming a regular quarterly release.

We routinely review the relevance, accessibility and usefulness of our statistical outputs and seek opportunities to improve how we engage with users. Where changes to publications, methods or coverage are proposed, we consider user views and communicate decisions and their rationale transparently. This helps ensure that SLC’s statistics remain relevant, valuable and responsive to the needs of their users. For more information, please refer to our User Engagement Strategy on GOV.UK.

Be clear - SLC is committed to presenting statistics clearly and accessibly so that users can easily understand and make appropriate use of them. Our publications include clear commentary, supporting data tables and visualisations that highlight the key messages and trends, helping users interpret the statistics accurately.

We provide contextual information, comparisons over time and signposting to related statistics where relevant, enabling users to understand the wider picture. We are transparent about the strengths and limitations of our statistics and seek to address potential areas of misunderstanding through clear explanations and guidance.

We work with policy colleagues, subject matter experts and other statistics producers to ensure our publications provide appropriate context and insight. Where material changes to publications, methodologies or release content are planned, we provide notice and explain the reasons and potential impact on users.

We continually review how our statistics are presented and seek opportunities to improve accessibility, dissemination and user experience, ensuring our outputs remain clear, relevant.

Be accessible - SLC is committed to ensuring that its statistics are freely available, accessible and easy to use for all users. All regular and ad hoc statistical publications are published on GOV.UK and are available equally to all users at the time of release, supporting transparency and maximising the value of the data we hold.

We aim to present statistics, data tables and supporting information in clear and accessible formats. Our publications are designed to meet accessibility requirements and to be compatible with commonly used assistive technologies, helping ensure that disabled users can access and use our statistics.

Where practical, we publish data at a level of detail that supports further analysis while maintaining confidentiality and meeting data protection requirements. We also respond to commonly requested information through supplementary analyses and statistical outputs where appropriate, helping users derive maximum value from our statistics.

SLC supports the reuse of data and statistics by providing open access to publications and accompanying datasets, and by using consistent standards and documentation wherever possible. We are committed to maintaining access to both current and historical statistical releases through GOV.UK, ensuring that users can continue to access, reference and use our statistics over time.

Further information and contact details

For more information about the application of the Code of Practice for Statistics within SLC please refer to our Policies and Procedures page on GOV.UK.

Please contact the Lead Official for Statistics for details on specific administrative sources, at:

10 Clyde Place

Glasgow

G5 8DF

Email: enterprise_data_analytics@slc.co.uk