Pupils in maintained schools eligible for free school meals by local authority and year

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Standard shorthand is used in this table: [t] = total.

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Data valuesData descriptionYearLocal authorityCategory
2,611Number of pupils2005/06FlintshireEligible for free school meals
24,790Number of pupils2005/06FlintshireAll pupils
2,573Number of pupils2005/06WrexhamEligible for free school meals
19,054Number of pupils2005/06WrexhamAll pupils
1,863Number of pupils2005/06PowysEligible for free school meals
20,189Number of pupils2005/06PowysAll pupils
1,102Number of pupils2005/06CeredigionEligible for free school meals
10,351Number of pupils2005/06CeredigionAll pupils
2,704Number of pupils2005/06PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
19,453Number of pupils2005/06PembrokeshireAll pupils
4,042Number of pupils2005/06CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
27,654Number of pupils2005/06CarmarthenshireAll pupils
6,562Number of pupils2005/06SwanseaEligible for free school meals
36,094Number of pupils2005/06SwanseaAll pupils
4,322Number of pupils2005/06Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
22,143Number of pupils2005/06Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
3,957Number of pupils2005/06BridgendEligible for free school meals
22,741Number of pupils2005/06BridgendAll pupils
2,363Number of pupils2005/06Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
21,990Number of pupils2005/06Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
9,022Number of pupils2005/06Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
41,341Number of pupils2005/06Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
2,486Number of pupils2005/06Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
9,956Number of pupils2005/06Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
5,656Number of pupils2005/06CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
30,486Number of pupils2005/06CaerphillyAll pupils
2,510Number of pupils2005/06Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
11,404Number of pupils2005/06Blaenau GwentAll pupils
2,685Number of pupils2005/06TorfaenEligible for free school meals
16,697Number of pupils2005/06TorfaenAll pupils
1,186Number of pupils2005/06MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
12,923Number of pupils2005/06MonmouthshireAll pupils
4,719Number of pupils2005/06NewportEligible for free school meals
24,799Number of pupils2005/06NewportAll pupils
9,527Number of pupils2005/06CardiffEligible for free school meals
50,254Number of pupils2005/06CardiffAll pupils
77,944 [t]Number of pupils2005/06WalesEligible for free school meals
484,546 [t]Number of pupils2005/06WalesAll pupils
1,481Number of pupils2006/07Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
9,959Number of pupils2006/07Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
2,121Number of pupils2006/07GwyneddEligible for free school meals
18,045Number of pupils2006/07GwyneddAll pupils
2,233Number of pupils2006/07ConwyEligible for free school meals
16,734Number of pupils2006/07ConwyAll pupils
2,070Number of pupils2006/07DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
16,454Number of pupils2006/07DenbighshireAll pupils
2,561Number of pupils2006/07FlintshireEligible for free school meals
24,557Number of pupils2006/07FlintshireAll pupils
2,532Number of pupils2006/07WrexhamEligible for free school meals
19,005Number of pupils2006/07WrexhamAll pupils
1,894Number of pupils2006/07PowysEligible for free school meals
20,437Number of pupils2006/07PowysAll pupils
1,093Number of pupils2006/07CeredigionEligible for free school meals
10,266Number of pupils2006/07CeredigionAll pupils
2,509Number of pupils2006/07PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
19,204Number of pupils2006/07PembrokeshireAll pupils
4,202Number of pupils2006/07CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
27,480Number of pupils2006/07CarmarthenshireAll pupils
6,507Number of pupils2006/07SwanseaEligible for free school meals
35,705Number of pupils2006/07SwanseaAll pupils
4,119Number of pupils2006/07Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
21,632Number of pupils2006/07Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
3,854Number of pupils2006/07BridgendEligible for free school meals
22,623Number of pupils2006/07BridgendAll pupils
2,424Number of pupils2006/07Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
22,074Number of pupils2006/07Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
9,054Number of pupils2006/07Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
40,853Number of pupils2006/07Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
2,404Number of pupils2006/07Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
9,822Number of pupils2006/07Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
5,521Number of pupils2006/07CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
29,990Number of pupils2006/07CaerphillyAll pupils
2,436Number of pupils2006/07Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
11,195Number of pupils2006/07Blaenau GwentAll pupils
2,662Number of pupils2006/07TorfaenEligible for free school meals
16,443Number of pupils2006/07TorfaenAll pupils
1,188Number of pupils2006/07MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
12,593Number of pupils2006/07MonmouthshireAll pupils
4,242Number of pupils2006/07NewportEligible for free school meals
24,534Number of pupils2006/07NewportAll pupils
9,422Number of pupils2006/07CardiffEligible for free school meals
49,765Number of pupils2006/07CardiffAll pupils
76,529 [t]Number of pupils2006/07WalesEligible for free school meals
479,370 [t]Number of pupils2006/07WalesAll pupils
1,410Number of pupils2007/08Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
9,802Number of pupils2007/08Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
2,038Number of pupils2007/08GwyneddEligible for free school meals
17,772Number of pupils2007/08GwyneddAll pupils
2,161Number of pupils2007/08ConwyEligible for free school meals
16,477Number of pupils2007/08ConwyAll pupils
2,160Number of pupils2007/08DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
16,236Number of pupils2007/08DenbighshireAll pupils
2,334Number of pupils2007/08FlintshireEligible for free school meals
24,345Number of pupils2007/08FlintshireAll pupils
2,490Number of pupils2007/08WrexhamEligible for free school meals
18,916Number of pupils2007/08WrexhamAll pupils
1,815Number of pupils2007/08PowysEligible for free school meals
20,182Number of pupils2007/08PowysAll pupils
1,090Number of pupils2007/08CeredigionEligible for free school meals
10,122Number of pupils2007/08CeredigionAll pupils
Showing 101 to 200 of 1,794 rows
Page 2 of 18

Main information

Most recent update
18 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 2003 to August 2025

Data notes

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

Published by

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

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