Pupils in maintained schools aged 5-15 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
2,141Number of pupils2007/08PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
15,113Number of pupils2007/08PembrokeshireAll pupils
3,536Number of pupils2007/08CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
22,396Number of pupils2007/08CarmarthenshireAll pupils
5,518Number of pupils2007/08SwanseaEligible for free school meals
28,282Number of pupils2007/08SwanseaAll pupils
3,572Number of pupils2007/08Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
17,641Number of pupils2007/08Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
3,157Number of pupils2007/08BridgendEligible for free school meals
17,605Number of pupils2007/08BridgendAll pupils
2,056Number of pupils2007/08Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
17,262Number of pupils2007/08Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
6,632Number of pupils2007/08Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
31,040Number of pupils2007/08Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
1,859Number of pupils2007/08Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
7,570Number of pupils2007/08Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
4,764Number of pupils2007/08CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
23,955Number of pupils2007/08CaerphillyAll pupils
1,957Number of pupils2007/08Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
8,849Number of pupils2007/08Blaenau GwentAll pupils
2,358Number of pupils2007/08TorfaenEligible for free school meals
13,290Number of pupils2007/08TorfaenAll pupils
1,040Number of pupils2007/08MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
10,062Number of pupils2007/08MonmouthshireAll pupils
3,666Number of pupils2007/08NewportEligible for free school meals
19,261Number of pupils2007/08NewportAll pupils
8,447Number of pupils2007/08CardiffEligible for free school meals
39,379Number of pupils2007/08CardiffAll pupils
64,604 [t]Number of pupils2007/08WalesEligible for free school meals
380,474 [t]Number of pupils2007/08WalesAll pupils
1,387Number of pupils2008/09Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
7,815Number of pupils2008/09Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
1,817Number of pupils2008/09GwyneddEligible for free school meals
14,460Number of pupils2008/09GwyneddAll pupils
2,074Number of pupils2008/09ConwyEligible for free school meals
12,941Number of pupils2008/09ConwyAll pupils
2,072Number of pupils2008/09DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
12,966Number of pupils2008/09DenbighshireAll pupils
2,171Number of pupils2008/09FlintshireEligible for free school meals
18,962Number of pupils2008/09FlintshireAll pupils
2,644Number of pupils2008/09WrexhamEligible for free school meals
15,284Number of pupils2008/09WrexhamAll pupils
1,585Number of pupils2008/09PowysEligible for free school meals
16,117Number of pupils2008/09PowysAll pupils
975Number of pupils2008/09CeredigionEligible for free school meals
7,999Number of pupils2008/09CeredigionAll pupils
2,074Number of pupils2008/09PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
14,787Number of pupils2008/09PembrokeshireAll pupils
3,504Number of pupils2008/09CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
22,039Number of pupils2008/09CarmarthenshireAll pupils
5,412Number of pupils2008/09SwanseaEligible for free school meals
27,838Number of pupils2008/09SwanseaAll pupils
3,704Number of pupils2008/09Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
17,222Number of pupils2008/09Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
3,240Number of pupils2008/09BridgendEligible for free school meals
17,387Number of pupils2008/09BridgendAll pupils
2,155Number of pupils2008/09Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
17,031Number of pupils2008/09Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
7,043Number of pupils2008/09Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
30,731Number of pupils2008/09Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
1,847Number of pupils2008/09Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
7,422Number of pupils2008/09Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
4,908Number of pupils2008/09CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
23,467Number of pupils2008/09CaerphillyAll pupils
2,278Number of pupils2008/09Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
8,525Number of pupils2008/09Blaenau GwentAll pupils
2,229Number of pupils2008/09TorfaenEligible for free school meals
12,987Number of pupils2008/09TorfaenAll pupils
964Number of pupils2008/09MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
9,848Number of pupils2008/09MonmouthshireAll pupils
3,932Number of pupils2008/09NewportEligible for free school meals
19,020Number of pupils2008/09NewportAll pupils
8,480Number of pupils2008/09CardiffEligible for free school meals
38,966Number of pupils2008/09CardiffAll pupils
66,495 [t]Number of pupils2008/09WalesEligible for free school meals
373,814 [t]Number of pupils2008/09WalesAll pupils
1,408Number of pupils2009/10Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
7,802Number of pupils2009/10Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
1,884Number of pupils2009/10GwyneddEligible for free school meals
14,272Number of pupils2009/10GwyneddAll pupils
2,303Number of pupils2009/10ConwyEligible for free school meals
12,740Number of pupils2009/10ConwyAll pupils
2,278Number of pupils2009/10DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
12,782Number of pupils2009/10DenbighshireAll pupils
2,419Number of pupils2009/10FlintshireEligible for free school meals
18,875Number of pupils2009/10FlintshireAll pupils
2,889Number of pupils2009/10WrexhamEligible for free school meals
15,170Number of pupils2009/10WrexhamAll pupils
1,719Number of pupils2009/10PowysEligible for free school meals
15,813Number of pupils2009/10PowysAll pupils
978Number of pupils2009/10CeredigionEligible for free school meals
7,892Number of pupils2009/10CeredigionAll pupils
2,464Number of pupils2009/10PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
14,528Number of pupils2009/10PembrokeshireAll pupils
3,505Number of pupils2009/10CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
21,673Number of pupils2009/10CarmarthenshireAll pupils
5,640Number of pupils2009/10SwanseaEligible for free school meals
27,698Number of pupils2009/10SwanseaAll pupils
3,846Number of pupils2009/10Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
16,919Number of pupils2009/10Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
Showing 201 to 300 of 1,679 rows
Page 3 of 17

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 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 schools meal 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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