Roll returns

Roll returns for all students are taken on 1 March and 1 July.

Roll returns for year 9 - 15 students are also taken on 1 June and 1 September.

Roll returns are either generated from the school's Student Management System (SMS) or manually.

Further information on the process for this is provided in the Roll Returns Guidelines, available at Education Counts.

What is the data used for?

The Ministry uses the data from roll returns:

• to calculate boards' operational funding and staffing entitlements
• to support policy analysis and decision-making
• to monitor the outcomes of the New Zealand education system
• for national and international reporting purposes.

Accuracy of roll returns

Roll returns must be accurate and schools need to keep documentation to support the information provided in the roll return for audit purposes.

If the person responsible for preparing the roll return is believed to have falsified school records, the Ministry may lay a complaint with the Police or take legal action.

Collecting the roll return data

Boards must ensure that roll return data is prepared well ahead of the date the return is due to the Ministry. Boards need to:

• collect the student enrolment and other data items as detailed in the Roll Returns Guidelines, available at Education Counts.
• enter/store this information in the school’s SMS (if one is used for roll returns) and update ENROL
• check carefully that the student data has been correctly entered into the SMS and ENROL systems
• determine which students should be counted in which parts of their roll return. Refer to Education Counts.

Roll returns may be audited

Roll returns may be audited. Boards need to keep documentation to support the information they provide in the roll return.