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
21,632Number of pupils2006/07Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
20,182Number of pupils2007/08PowysAll pupils
16,697Number of pupils2005/06TorfaenAll pupils
35,705Number of pupils2006/07SwanseaAll pupils
24,534Number of pupils2006/07NewportAll pupils
18,916Number of pupils2007/08WrexhamAll pupils
36,094Number of pupils2005/06SwanseaAll pupils
11,404Number of pupils2005/06Blaenau GwentAll pupils
16,734Number of pupils2006/07ConwyAll pupils
27,480Number of pupils2006/07CarmarthenshireAll pupils
29,990Number of pupils2006/07CaerphillyAll pupils
12,593Number of pupils2006/07MonmouthshireAll pupils
9,802Number of pupils2007/08Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
24,345Number of pupils2007/08FlintshireAll pupils
20,189Number of pupils2005/06PowysAll pupils
27,654Number of pupils2005/06CarmarthenshireAll pupils
21,990Number of pupils2005/06Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
30,486Number of pupils2005/06CaerphillyAll pupils
50,254Number of pupils2005/06CardiffAll pupils
18,045Number of pupils2006/07GwyneddAll pupils
19,005Number of pupils2006/07WrexhamAll pupils
19,204Number of pupils2006/07PembrokeshireAll pupils
40,853Number of pupils2006/07Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
9,822Number of pupils2006/07Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
11,195Number of pupils2006/07Blaenau GwentAll pupils
16,443Number of pupils2006/07TorfaenAll pupils
49,765Number of pupils2006/07CardiffAll pupils
479,370 [t]Number of pupils2006/07WalesAll pupils
17,772Number of pupils2007/08GwyneddAll pupils
16,236Number of pupils2007/08DenbighshireAll pupils
24,790Number of pupils2005/06FlintshireAll pupils
19,054Number of pupils2005/06WrexhamAll pupils
10,351Number of pupils2005/06CeredigionAll pupils
19,453Number of pupils2005/06PembrokeshireAll pupils
22,143Number of pupils2005/06Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
22,741Number of pupils2005/06BridgendAll pupils
41,341Number of pupils2005/06Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
9,956Number of pupils2005/06Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
12,923Number of pupils2005/06MonmouthshireAll pupils
24,799Number of pupils2005/06NewportAll pupils
484,546 [t]Number of pupils2005/06WalesAll pupils
9,959Number of pupils2006/07Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
16,454Number of pupils2006/07DenbighshireAll pupils
24,557Number of pupils2006/07FlintshireAll pupils
20,437Number of pupils2006/07PowysAll pupils
10,266Number of pupils2006/07CeredigionAll pupils
22,623Number of pupils2006/07BridgendAll pupils
22,074Number of pupils2006/07Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
18,426Number of pupils2004/05GwyneddAll pupils
19,314Number of pupils2003/04WrexhamAll pupils
17,532Number of pupils2004/05ConwyAll pupils
22,761Number of pupils2003/04BridgendAll pupils
16,793Number of pupils2004/05DenbighshireAll pupils
17,666Number of pupils2003/04ConwyAll pupils
25,118Number of pupils2004/05FlintshireAll pupils
22,239Number of pupils2003/04Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
19,187Number of pupils2004/05WrexhamAll pupils
20,779Number of pupils2003/04PowysAll pupils
20,393Number of pupils2004/05PowysAll pupils
42,303Number of pupils2003/04Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
10,547Number of pupils2004/05CeredigionAll pupils
16,477Number of pupils2007/08ConwyAll pupils
19,584Number of pupils2004/05PembrokeshireAll pupils
10,256Number of pupils2003/04Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
27,700Number of pupils2004/05CarmarthenshireAll pupils
10,590Number of pupils2003/04CeredigionAll pupils
36,448Number of pupils2004/05SwanseaAll pupils
31,323Number of pupils2003/04CaerphillyAll pupils
22,513Number of pupils2004/05Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
16,810Number of pupils2003/04DenbighshireAll pupils
22,704Number of pupils2004/05BridgendAll pupils
11,740Number of pupils2003/04Blaenau GwentAll pupils
22,246Number of pupils2004/05Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
19,667Number of pupils2003/04PembrokeshireAll pupils
41,842Number of pupils2004/05Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
17,088Number of pupils2003/04TorfaenAll pupils
9,998Number of pupils2004/05Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
18,553Number of pupils2003/04GwyneddAll pupils
30,942Number of pupils2004/05CaerphillyAll pupils
13,175Number of pupils2003/04MonmouthshireAll pupils
11,595Number of pupils2004/05Blaenau GwentAll pupils
27,973Number of pupils2003/04CarmarthenshireAll pupils
17,044Number of pupils2004/05TorfaenAll pupils
24,982Number of pupils2003/04NewportAll pupils
13,108Number of pupils2004/05MonmouthshireAll pupils
25,505Number of pupils2003/04FlintshireAll pupils
24,900Number of pupils2004/05NewportAll pupils
51,546Number of pupils2003/04CardiffAll pupils
50,810Number of pupils2004/05CardiffAll pupils
36,520Number of pupils2003/04SwanseaAll pupils
489,870 [t]Number of pupils2004/05WalesAll pupils
494,161 [t]Number of pupils2003/04WalesAll pupils
10,192Number of pupils2005/06Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
10,621Number of pupils2003/04Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
18,251Number of pupils2005/06GwyneddAll pupils
10,440Number of pupils2004/05Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
17,203Number of pupils2005/06ConwyAll pupils
22,750Number of pupils2003/04Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
16,581Number of pupils2005/06DenbighshireAll pupils
10,122Number of pupils2007/08CeredigionAll pupils
Showing 1 to 100 of 1,794 rows
Page 1 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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