Guidance

Special educational needs survey: guide to submitting data

How local authorities should report data for the annual special educational needs survey, commonly known as SEN2.

From:
Department for Education
Published
25 March 2014
Last updated
1824 DecemberJanuary 20232025 — See all updates

Applies to England

The SEN2 survey is a statutory data collection that takes place every January. You must complete a statutory collection by law unless there’s a good reason not to.

The survey collects information on education, health and care (EHC) plans.

This survey should not be confused with the annual school census. This also collects data on the number of pupils with statements of special educational needs and EHC plans.

Important dates

The 20242025 survey deadlines are:

  • survey day: Thursday 1816 January 20242025
  • deadline for submitting data: ThursdayFriday 14 March 20242025

The 20252026 survey deadlines are:

  • survey day: Thursday 1615 January 20252026
  • deadline for submitting data: FridayThursday 1412 March 20252026

Submit your data

You’ll need to:

  • register and log in with DfE Sign-in
  • use COLLECT to submit your data

Contact your school or local authority approver, if:

  • you want to request a DfE Sign-in username or password so you can access COLLECT
  • ‘special educational needs survey’ is not on the list of collections you can see in COLLECT

Get help using DfE Sign-in

If you do not know who your approver is, use the DfE Sign-in request form.

If you’ve forgotten your password, use DfE Sign-in to reset it. You will need to click ‘Start now’ and then the ‘I’ve forgotten my password’ link.

We’ll only be able to change the status of your data submission to ‘authorised’ once you’ve cleared all errors in the data in COLLECT.

Survey documents

The following documents will help you complete the person level survey.

20242025 survey guides

20252026 survey guides

Queries about submitting data

Use the service request form if you have any questions about your data. We aim to answer your question within 5 working days.

Feedback

Use the feedback form if you have any comments about our data collection service, including COLLECT and the helpdesk service.

Updates to this page

Published 25 March 2014
Last updated 1824 DecemberJanuary 2023 2025 + show all updates

  1. Added important dates, and links to the technical specification and COLLECT guides, for the 2026 survey.

  2. Added a link to the 2025 technical specification page.

  4. Updated 'Special educational needs person level survey: guide' for 2025 and added 2025 deadlines.

  6. Added the 2024 survey deadlines and a link to the guide for local authorities.

  8. Added link to 'Special educational needs person level survey: technical specification'.

  10. Updated with reference to the 2023 survey.

  12. Updated with reference to the 2022 survey.

  14. Added information on the special educational needs person level survey 2022.

  16. Added a link to the Special educational needs survey 2022: guide.

  18. Updated for 2021 survey deadlines.

  20. Added link to 'Special educational needs survey 2021: guide'.

  22. Updated the deadline dates for 2020 and removed the 2018 guide.

  24. Updated 'Submit your data section' and DfE Sign-in help links.

  26. Updated COLLECT link from secure access to DfE sign in.

  28. Removed link to 2018 guidance and added link to the guide for 2020.

  30. Added a link to 'Special educational needs survey 2019: guide'.

  32. Added links to new generic COLLECT guides for schools and local authorities.

  34. Added the 'Special educational needs survey 2018: guide'.

  36. Added link to 'Special educational needs survey 2016: COLLECT guide'.

  38. Added important dates for the 2017 survey and a link to the document 'Special educational needs survey 2017: guide'.

  40. Added deadline for 2016 SEN2 survey and link to 2016 guide for local authorities.

  42. Added a link to the 'Special educational needs survey (SEN2) 2015: COLLECT guide' document.

  44. First published.

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