Post-16 monitoring dashboard now live

Many of you will have received the following message from the DfE

Post-16 monitoring dashboard now live Use the post-16 monitoring reports dashboard for academic year 2025 to 2026 to check your data. The dashboard supports financial assurance: monitoring post-16 funding for 2025 to 2026 and identifies potential data quality and funding errors. Review these throughout the year to ensure your data and funding is accurate. This first release includes R03 data to help you review your R04 data submission on or before Thursday 4 December 2025. Make sure the data driving 16 to 19 in-year processes such as exceptional in-year growth and T level reconciliation is complete and accurate. We will use this data, and any funding claims you submit, to assure ourselves that your delivery meets our funding rules and key policy objectives. Some errors may result in a funding recovery if they are not corrected by the close of the R14 individualised learner record data return for 2025 to 2026 which is Thursday 22 October 2026.

The Department for Education (DfE) collects student data in two different ways, depending on the type of provider:

1. Colleges and other FE providers use the ILR

• ILR = Individualised Learner Record
• It is a detailed, term-by-term data return used mainly by Further Education colleges and training providers.
• The ILR collects lots of information about courses, hours, funding, and learner progress.

2. School sixth forms use the School Census

• School Census = the regular data return used by all schools, including those with sixth forms.
• It collects less detailed information compared to the ILR and follows normal school data processes.

So what does this mean for you?

When DfE guidance talks about ILR requirements, rules, or processes, it is targeting FE colleges, not school sixth forms.
School sixth forms do not complete the ILR and should instead follow the guidance for the School Census.

Simple summary statement

“This DfE update is for colleges that submit ILR data (R03, R04, R14 deadlines). School sixth forms don’t use the ILR — we use the School Census — so this monitoring dashboard and the associated funding checks do not apply to us.”