Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what data her Department collects on children’s education, including pupil attainment and characteristics, and how this information is used to inform policy.

The department collects different categories of data for different cohorts of individuals depending on their interaction with the education and children’s services system in England. These data are collected through statutory data collections with categories including:

• Identifiers such as name and address.
• Characteristics such as sex or ethnicity.
• Details of any special educational needs.
• Details of schools attended.
• Information on absence and exclusions.
• Information relating to academic performance.
• Information relating to any contact with children’s services.
• Information relating to destinations after finishing school.

This data provides a robust evidence base that enables the department to understand how well the education and children’s services sectors are functioning and ensure policy interventions are effectively targeted. The data also supports essential functions such as allocating school funding fairly and enabling parents, Parliament and the wider public to access clear information about educational outcomes and system performance.