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
2,448Number of pupils2007/08PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
19,046Number of pupils2007/08PembrokeshireAll pupils
4,145Number of pupils2007/08CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
27,523Number of pupils2007/08CarmarthenshireAll pupils
6,062Number of pupils2007/08SwanseaEligible for free school meals
35,347Number of pupils2007/08SwanseaAll pupils
3,845Number of pupils2007/08Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
21,319Number of pupils2007/08Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
3,869Number of pupils2007/08BridgendEligible for free school meals
22,529Number of pupils2007/08BridgendAll pupils
2,315Number of pupils2007/08Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
21,960Number of pupils2007/08Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
8,354Number of pupils2007/08Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
40,337Number of pupils2007/08Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
2,235Number of pupils2007/08Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
9,637Number of pupils2007/08Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
5,236Number of pupils2007/08CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
29,557Number of pupils2007/08CaerphillyAll pupils
2,149Number of pupils2007/08Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
11,005Number of pupils2007/08Blaenau GwentAll pupils
2,591Number of pupils2007/08TorfaenEligible for free school meals
16,240Number of pupils2007/08TorfaenAll pupils
1,153Number of pupils2007/08MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
12,431Number of pupils2007/08MonmouthshireAll pupils
4,151Number of pupils2007/08NewportEligible for free school meals
24,205Number of pupils2007/08NewportAll pupils
9,381Number of pupils2007/08CardiffEligible for free school meals
49,382Number of pupils2007/08CardiffAll pupils
73,432 [t]Number of pupils2007/08WalesEligible for free school meals
474,370 [t]Number of pupils2007/08WalesAll pupils
1,535Number of pupils2008/09Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
9,653Number of pupils2008/09Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
2,000Number of pupils2008/09GwyneddEligible for free school meals
17,467Number of pupils2008/09GwyneddAll pupils
2,326Number of pupils2008/09ConwyEligible for free school meals
16,286Number of pupils2008/09ConwyAll pupils
2,327Number of pupils2008/09DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
16,185Number of pupils2008/09DenbighshireAll pupils
2,442Number of pupils2008/09FlintshireEligible for free school meals
23,982Number of pupils2008/09FlintshireAll pupils
2,949Number of pupils2008/09WrexhamEligible for free school meals
18,711Number of pupils2008/09WrexhamAll pupils
1,816Number of pupils2008/09PowysEligible for free school meals
19,852Number of pupils2008/09PowysAll pupils
1,136Number of pupils2008/09CeredigionEligible for free school meals
10,130Number of pupils2008/09CeredigionAll pupils
2,367Number of pupils2008/09PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
18,819Number of pupils2008/09PembrokeshireAll pupils
4,150Number of pupils2008/09CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
27,240Number of pupils2008/09CarmarthenshireAll pupils
5,987Number of pupils2008/09SwanseaEligible for free school meals
34,981Number of pupils2008/09SwanseaAll pupils
4,076Number of pupils2008/09Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
21,057Number of pupils2008/09Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
3,973Number of pupils2008/09BridgendEligible for free school meals
22,348Number of pupils2008/09BridgendAll pupils
2,417Number of pupils2008/09Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
21,787Number of pupils2008/09Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
8,967Number of pupils2008/09Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
39,951Number of pupils2008/09Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
2,244Number of pupils2008/09Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
9,504Number of pupils2008/09Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
5,423Number of pupils2008/09CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
29,243Number of pupils2008/09CaerphillyAll pupils
2,591Number of pupils2008/09Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
10,689Number of pupils2008/09Blaenau GwentAll pupils
2,476Number of pupils2008/09TorfaenEligible for free school meals
16,116Number of pupils2008/09TorfaenAll pupils
1,079Number of pupils2008/09MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
12,223Number of pupils2008/09MonmouthshireAll pupils
4,457Number of pupils2008/09NewportEligible for free school meals
24,070Number of pupils2008/09NewportAll pupils
9,484Number of pupils2008/09CardiffEligible for free school meals
49,347Number of pupils2008/09CardiffAll pupils
76,222 [t]Number of pupils2008/09WalesEligible for free school meals
469,641 [t]Number of pupils2008/09WalesAll pupils
1,547Number of pupils2009/10Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
9,641Number of pupils2009/10Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
2,092Number of pupils2009/10GwyneddEligible for free school meals
17,441Number of pupils2009/10GwyneddAll pupils
2,579Number of pupils2009/10ConwyEligible for free school meals
16,117Number of pupils2009/10ConwyAll pupils
2,559Number of pupils2009/10DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
16,054Number of pupils2009/10DenbighshireAll pupils
2,729Number of pupils2009/10FlintshireEligible for free school meals
23,891Number of pupils2009/10FlintshireAll pupils
3,253Number of pupils2009/10WrexhamEligible for free school meals
18,824Number of pupils2009/10WrexhamAll pupils
1,982Number of pupils2009/10PowysEligible for free school meals
19,575Number of pupils2009/10PowysAll pupils
1,149Number of pupils2009/10CeredigionEligible for free school meals
9,988Number of pupils2009/10CeredigionAll pupils
2,883Number of pupils2009/10PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
18,629Number of pupils2009/10PembrokeshireAll pupils
4,186Number of pupils2009/10CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
27,026Number of pupils2009/10CarmarthenshireAll pupils
6,300Number of pupils2009/10SwanseaEligible for free school meals
34,984Number of pupils2009/10SwanseaAll pupils
4,256Number of pupils2009/10Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
20,825Number of pupils2009/10Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
Showing 201 to 300 of 1,794 rows
Page 3 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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