Welsh Schools’ Attendance Census/Data Return

The Attendance Data Return feature in Arbor Wales allows schools to generate their annual statutory Primary and/or Secondary Attendance Return as required by Welsh Government. This process is essential for schools in Wales to fulfil their legal obligations regarding data submission.

The Attendance Return contains only basic student information, along with counts of the number of times each attendance code has been recorded per term for each individual student. Students who have left the school during the academic year are also included in a leavers section, along with their attendance data.

Who can access this feature?

It is available to staff with the permission: School: Data Returns: Administer

Navigation

Accessing the Attendance Data Return

To access the Attendance Data Return feature:

• Go to School > Data > Export > Data Returns.
• Select Secondary/Primary School Attendance as appropriate (Middle schools will complete both).

The banner on the Homepage

Once the Attendance Data Return date (also known simply as Census Day) has passed, staff will see a warning banner on their Homepage as a reminder to submit the Attendance Data Return. The banner includes a helpful Census Help button that links to our Help Centre for further guidance on completing the census.

The banner shows on homepages from the date of the return until the return is marked as Submitted or the Return closing date has passed. 

You can find the return and closing dates for a specific return by going to School > Data > Export > Data Returns, clicking on the census/return you are interested in and referring to the Return Details section at the top of the page.

Once you have submitted your return to the Welsh Government, you have the option to add a submitted date and time to your Return Details, which marks your Return as submitted in Arbor and removes the warning banner from your homepage. To add a submitted date:

• Click on Submitted datetime in the Return Details section
• Add a date on the slide-over
• Press Save 

Adding a Submitted Date will not prevent you from generating a new version of the Return.

Key Functionality

The Data Returns feature provides the following key functionality:

• Census Return Overview: Shows the current state of all census returns, linking to each census run and allows generation of a new census and download of the latest successful return and summary files.
• Census Generation Overview: Shows the state of an individual census return and allows the download of its XML and Summary files along with the list of Errors and Queries for this generation
• Dry Run Generation: This allows the generation of census output before the census has opened to allow schools to view errors and queries early or just to become familiar with the process, more errors could be shown here than normal due to the census being generated early
• Census Generation: Becomes available after the census has opened and is otherwise identical to the dry run with the exception that the last date for attendance data has now passed, Dry runs and Live census runs are shown separately in the overview
• Census XML Download: The Census XML generated by can be downloaded ready for submission or inspection
• Errors and Queries lists: Shows the list of errors and queries generated by the Welsh Government supplied validation rules to allow schools to correct any data problems and re-run the census
• Welsh Govt. Summary Download: Downloads a PDF summary of the data, schools would normally use this to verify some numbers and the school must physically sign a copy of this that is generated at the same time as their Census XML
• Completer Hours Data Entry: The Welsh Government requires the school to supply information about the whole number of hours spent completing the census by their staff for each role, this has a simple data entry feature and will automatically total up multiple entries for a role if they exist, this will then be included in the census output automatically.

Census Returns Overview Page

The Census return overview shows the important dates for the selected data return along with the most recent census generation date and status.

A generation history provides links to all of the generations that exist for this data return.

Dry runs and live returns are listed separately and will automatically switch (from dry run mode) after the return date. Select any row in the generation history table to view a single census generation

The generate button will generate a new census return and summary based on the current data.

Download will automatically download the XML census data for the last successful data return generation

Download Welsh Govt. Summary will download the data return summary tables file (.pdf) for the last successful return generation.

Generating a Census Dry Run & Live Census Generation

What is a Dry Run? - A dry run is a census/data return generation that is created before the “Return Date” (the date set as the day of the census/data return and end of the data collection period)

The Generate feature will generate either a dry run or live census XML and Govt. summary file depending on the date.

After triggering the census generation you can continue working or do something else, the census will continue generating, then will send a notification when it is complete.

Any in-progress census generations will be listed in the overview along with their status so you will see the census generations even if you were not the person triggering the generation.

Census XML Download

The download button will download the XML census output to your computer ready to submit to your LA or Welsh Government, or if you wish to browse the content yourself. Please take care with these files as they can contain a lot of personal information.

Errors and Queries

To view and amend errors/queries you need to have generated a Dry Run Census or Census.

Top Tip: We recommend that you work through your errors and queries in batches and then regenerate after resolving a few to minimise time spent waiting for regeneration. Remember, the errors will only disappear after you’ve regenerated your census!

Resolve your Arbor Validation errors first.

This will usually clear one or more Welsh Government Validation errors at the same time.

1. Click on an Arbor Validation error, a slide over will open

2. Enter the correct information.

Once you have resolved as many Arbor errors as you can, start resolving your Welsh Govt. Validation errors.

In the generation overview you will be shown the Errors and Queries generated by the Welsh Government’s validation rules for the census generation, for many errors you can click directly through to the record with the problem.

Top Tip: Always regenerate your Census before leaving the Census pages to ensure that any work you have done is saved and recorded.

The download feature can be used if you would like a downloaded version of the errors and queries.

Some tools that may help if you need to check queries or correct errors with student attendance data:

Students > Attendance > Statistics

Students > Attendance > Reports

Students > Attendance > Registers > Bulk Edit Marks Standard

Students > Attendance > Registers > Bulk Edit Marks Advanced

After making your corrections/adjustments, select Generate to create a new version of the census so the data can be re-checked.

Welsh Government Summary Download

Download the census summary (.pdf) containing tables summarising the data contained within the XML return, this contains the sign-off form and shows the date + time matching the corresponding XML return.

Census Completer hours

The census requires a list of the roles of the staff members that have spent time completing the census and the time spent (in whole hours) this can be recorded here:

Data Returns > Secondary School Attendance > Completer Hours

To add a new entry, select the (+)Add link and enter the number of hours and the role of the staff member.

You may add multiple entries for any role(s), or edit (or delete) an entry by selecting it from the Census Completer Log table. Note: The hours will be automatically summed per role and included in the next census generation.

Submission Deadlines

Each local authority has its own deadline for receiving returns from schools before sending them on to the Welsh Government.  Schools should contact their local authority for details of this deadline.  Middle schools will be expected to complete both the secondary and primary Attendance returns, where applicable. 

• Secondary Census/Data Return: 13 June 2025  – Data Collection Period: 1 September 2024 to 23 May 2025 Inclusive
• Primary Census/Data Return: 12 September 2025  – Data Collection Period: 1 September 2024 to 21 July 2025 Inclusive.