Reports of additional learning or special educational needs in maintained schools by sector, type of need and year

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [c] = confidential information.

Data values	Data description	Year	Sector	Need
[c]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Special schools	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Special schools	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Special schools	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Special schools	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Special schools	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Special schools	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Multi-sensory impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
36,415	Number of pupils	2017/18	All schools	General learning difficulties
36,390	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	General learning difficulties
36,180	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	General learning difficulties
33,170	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	General learning difficulties
30,655	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	General learning difficulties
25,005	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
24,920	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
24,650	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
24,480	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
24,415	Number of pupils	2017/18	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
24,405	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
24,375	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
24,165	Number of pupils	2017/18	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
23,345	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
22,670	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
22,400	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
21,680	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
21,505	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	General learning difficulties
21,455	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	General learning difficulties
21,230	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	General learning difficulties
20,905	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
19,640	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
19,430	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
18,270	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	General learning difficulties
18,255	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
18,080	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
17,935	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
17,455	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
17,385	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
17,175	Number of pupils	2020/21	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
16,875	Number of pupils	2017/18	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
16,590	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
16,295	Number of pupils	2020/21	Primary schools	General learning difficulties
15,875	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
15,230	Number of pupils	2021/22	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
15,150	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
14,845	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
14,760	Number of pupils	2018/19	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
14,025	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	General learning difficulties
13,960	Number of pupils	2017/18	Secondary schools	General learning difficulties
13,925	Number of pupils	2018/19	Secondary schools	General learning difficulties
13,855	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	General learning difficulties
13,450	Number of pupils	2019/20	Secondary schools	General learning difficulties
13,295	Number of pupils	2022/23	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
12,785	Number of pupils	2020/21	Secondary schools	General learning difficulties
12,600	Number of pupils	2019/20	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
12,500	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
12,475	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
12,285	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
12,260	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
11,845	Number of pupils	2020/21	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
11,810	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
11,740	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
11,385	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
11,375	Number of pupils	2023/24	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
10,975	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
10,770	Number of pupils	2023/24	All schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
10,670	Number of pupils	2018/19	Secondary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,560	Number of pupils	2017/18	Secondary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,560	Number of pupils	2022/23	All schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
10,550	Number of pupils	2019/20	Secondary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,465	Number of pupils	2021/22	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,425	Number of pupils	2020/21	Secondary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,170	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Moderate learning difficulties
9,995	Number of pupils	2021/22	All schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
9,820	Number of pupils	2020/21	All schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
9,580	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
9,405	Number of pupils	2021/22	Secondary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
9,310	Number of pupils	2024/25	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
9,305	Number of pupils	2024/25	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
9,180	Number of pupils	2022/23	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties

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Main information

• Most recent update: 24 September 2025
• Next update expected: July 2026
• Designation: Official statistics
• Data provider: Welsh Government
• Data source: Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC)
• Time period covered: September 2016 to August 2025

Data notes

• Rounding applied:

  Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5.

Overview

• Summary of dataset and variables:

  Data from the annual School Census which collects information on schools, pupils, classes, ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, additional learning needs and special educational needs.

• Data collection or calculation:

  The data in this report is collected by the Welsh Government from local authority maintained schools in a return called the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC). PLASC is an electronic collection of pupil and school level data. Schools record data on pupils and the school throughout the year in their Management Information System (MIS) software. This data is collated into an electronic PLASC return and submitted to the Welsh Government through DEWI, a secure online data transfer system developed by the Welsh Government. Various stages of automated validation and sense-checking are built into the process to ensure a high quality of data to inform policy making and funding.

• Statistical quality:

  The returns are authorised by headteachers and validated by local authorities.

  The school census date is usually in January. Due to the level of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in January 2022, the 2022 census date was delayed to 15 February 2022. School closures between December 2020 and March 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic meant that the 2021 census date was delayed to 20 April 2021.

  Pupils are eligible for free school meals if their parents or guardians are in receipt of certain means-tested benefits or support payments. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may have impacted on the quality of this data and may have resulted in over recording of this data in 2020 to 2022. These figures do not include pupils who only receive free school meals due to the universal primary free school meal policy.

• Related reports:
  • Schools' census results

Published by

• Organisation: Welsh Government
• Contact email: school.stats@gov.wales

Metadata

The metadata for this dataset is not included when you download the data. You can download this separately. This contains all the information from the 'About this dataset' tab.