‘DfE external data shares’ includes:

• classification of data – understanding the data we share
• DfE external third-party data shares (approved by the Data Sharing Approvals Panel from May 2018 to 30 June 2025)
• regular DfE external third-party data shares supported by appropriate data sharing agreements as of June 2025
• third-party requests for data from the national pupil database (approved prior to April 2018 where data is still held by the requestor as at 30 June 2025)
• data shares with Home Office
• data shares with police and criminal investigation authorities
• data shares through court orders

DfE also provides external access to data under https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2017/30/section/64/enacted">Section 64, Chapter 5, of the Digital Economy Act 2017. Details of these data shares can be found in the https://uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/digitaleconomyact-research-statistics/better-useofdata-for-research-information-for-researchers/list-of-accredited-researchers-and-research-projects-under-the-research-strand-of-the-digital-economy-act/">UK Statistics Authority list of accredited projects.

Archive

Previous external data shares can be viewed in the https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/timeline1/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dfe-external-data-shares">National Archives.

The data in the archived documents may not match DfE’s internal data request records due to definitions or business rules changing following process improvements.

The percentage of invoices paid within 5 days and within 30 days of receipt by:

• DfE and its executive agencies
• other arms-length bodies

The data is provided in yearly quarters for each financial year.

All in-scope organisations must publish all interest liable on a quarterly basis.

The department’s calculation of interest liable is based on the value of the invoices submitted by suppliers. The total interest liable may be overstated if specific circumstances apply. For example:

• adjustments to reflect offsetting credit notes
• overpayments
• part payment
• the timing of disputes and resolution
• bespoke terms and conditions

Details of approved expenditure in areas limited by spending controls on a quarterly basis for 2025 to 2026.

This data is also available on data.gov.uk:

• https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/9524a376-b17d-4fd6-a848-25d797548e23/dfe-spend-control-data">DfE Spend Control Data

Details of approved expenditure in areas limited by spending controls on a quarterly basis for 2020 to 2021.

We publish this data on a quarterly basis.

Each government department has published detailed information about projects on the Government Major Projects Portfolio (GMPP). This includes a Delivery Confidence Assessment rating, financial information (whole life cost, annual budget and forecast spend), project schedule and project narrative.

The data reflects the status of the GMPP at 31 March 2022 and is published in support of the 2022 Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) annual report.

Data for spending over £25,000 by:

• Department for Education (DfE)
• Standards and Testing Agency (STA)
• Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)

Details of the types of information the DfE holds about you and how you can request the information.

Read the DfE Personal information charter for more on the standards you can expect when we collect, hold or use your personal information.

The DfE privacy notices provide details of your rights and the lawful basis for each processing activity.

The Department for Education publishes quarterly details of special advisers’ meetings with senior media figures and any gifts or hospitality they received on a quarterly basis.

Details about the number of people working for the DfE group, and payroll costs for permanent staff and contractors.

The DfE group includes the:

• Department for Education
• Skills England
• Teaching Regulation Agency
• Standards and Testing Agency
• Office of the Children’s Commissioner
• Construction Industry Training Board
• Engineering Construction Industry Training Board
• Office for Students
• Student Loans Company
• Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
• LocatEd
• Oak National Academy
• Social Work England

This data is also available on data.gov.uk:

• https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/9a5ace56-cf8e-432a-b87b-50d4ba841641/workforce-management-information-department-for-education">Workforce management information - Department for Education

Details of all ePCS expenditure over £500 by:

• Department for Education (DfE)
• Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA)
• Standards and Testing Agency (STA)

Data for spending over £25,000 by:

• Department for Education (DfE)
• Standards and Testing Agency (STA)
• Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA)
• Skills England (SE)

The DfE and TPS main estimate memorandums for 2024 to 2025 were presented to Parliament in July 2024.

These are available on GOV.UK instead of their publication on the https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/203/education-committee/publications/10/estimate-memoranda/">Education Select Committee website, as the committee needs to be re-established following the dissolution of Parliament on 30 May 2024.

This release provides data from the annual school census data return, which is mandatory for schools to complete.

The main tables provide breakdowns of pupil data at national and local authority level. The tables includes pupil characteristics, such as:

• pupils that receive free school meals (FSM)
• pupils with English as an additional language (EAL)

The underlying data provides breakdowns at school level.

The technical document provides metadata and methodological information on the published data.

Changes to this release for 2019

We have reviewed the tables that will be published in this release in 2019. We are following the principle that we produce Excel tables for our highest profile breakdowns, with supporting underlying data files containing more detailed breakdowns.

This is part of DfE plans to improve the coherence of our statistics and approach to how statistics are given out.

The annex document outlines the information we plan to publish in 2019. It includes a background document explaining the changes and inviting feedback.