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
18,098Number of pupils2006/07Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
16,515Number of pupils2007/08PowysAll pupils
13,767Number of pupils2005/06TorfaenAll pupils
28,827Number of pupils2006/07SwanseaAll pupils
19,660Number of pupils2006/07NewportAll pupils
15,538Number of pupils2007/08WrexhamAll pupils
29,217Number of pupils2005/06SwanseaAll pupils
9,410Number of pupils2005/06Blaenau GwentAll pupils
13,634Number of pupils2006/07ConwyAll pupils
22,535Number of pupils2006/07CarmarthenshireAll pupils
24,530Number of pupils2006/07CaerphillyAll pupils
10,307Number of pupils2006/07MonmouthshireAll pupils
8,000Number of pupils2007/08Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
19,405Number of pupils2007/08FlintshireAll pupils
17,089Number of pupils2005/06PowysAll pupils
22,688Number of pupils2005/06CarmarthenshireAll pupils
17,676Number of pupils2005/06Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
24,949Number of pupils2005/06CaerphillyAll pupils
40,461Number of pupils2005/06CardiffAll pupils
15,098Number of pupils2006/07GwyneddAll pupils
15,823Number of pupils2006/07WrexhamAll pupils
15,340Number of pupils2006/07PembrokeshireAll pupils
31,910Number of pupils2006/07Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
7,779Number of pupils2006/07Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
9,143Number of pupils2006/07Blaenau GwentAll pupils
13,546Number of pupils2006/07TorfaenAll pupils
39,970Number of pupils2006/07CardiffAll pupils
388,299 [t]Number of pupils2006/07WalesAll pupils
14,784Number of pupils2007/08GwyneddAll pupils
13,175Number of pupils2007/08DenbighshireAll pupils
20,024Number of pupils2005/06FlintshireAll pupils
15,919Number of pupils2005/06WrexhamAll pupils
8,387Number of pupils2005/06CeredigionAll pupils
15,600Number of pupils2005/06PembrokeshireAll pupils
18,560Number of pupils2005/06Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
18,061Number of pupils2005/06BridgendAll pupils
32,669Number of pupils2005/06Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
8,000Number of pupils2005/06Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
10,628Number of pupils2005/06MonmouthshireAll pupils
20,005Number of pupils2005/06NewportAll pupils
394,297 [t]Number of pupils2005/06WalesAll pupils
8,205Number of pupils2006/07Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
13,484Number of pupils2006/07DenbighshireAll pupils
19,774Number of pupils2006/07FlintshireAll pupils
16,858Number of pupils2006/07PowysAll pupils
8,290Number of pupils2006/07CeredigionAll pupils
17,923Number of pupils2006/07BridgendAll pupils
17,565Number of pupils2006/07Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
15,339Number of pupils2004/05GwyneddAll pupils
16,057Number of pupils2003/04WrexhamAll pupils
14,199Number of pupils2004/05ConwyAll pupils
18,630Number of pupils2003/04BridgendAll pupils
13,772Number of pupils2004/05DenbighshireAll pupils
14,381Number of pupils2003/04ConwyAll pupils
20,404Number of pupils2004/05FlintshireAll pupils
17,880Number of pupils2003/04Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
16,034Number of pupils2004/05WrexhamAll pupils
17,357Number of pupils2003/04PowysAll pupils
17,276Number of pupils2004/05PowysAll pupils
33,836Number of pupils2003/04Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
8,580Number of pupils2004/05CeredigionAll pupils
13,270Number of pupils2007/08ConwyAll pupils
15,772Number of pupils2004/05PembrokeshireAll pupils
8,334Number of pupils2003/04Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
22,811Number of pupils2004/05CarmarthenshireAll pupils
8,692Number of pupils2003/04CeredigionAll pupils
29,554Number of pupils2004/05SwanseaAll pupils
25,803Number of pupils2003/04CaerphillyAll pupils
18,839Number of pupils2004/05Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
13,757Number of pupils2003/04DenbighshireAll pupils
18,333Number of pupils2004/05BridgendAll pupils
9,711Number of pupils2003/04Blaenau GwentAll pupils
17,855Number of pupils2004/05Vale of GlamorganAll pupils
15,861Number of pupils2003/04PembrokeshireAll pupils
33,345Number of pupils2004/05Rhondda Cynon TafAll pupils
14,388Number of pupils2003/04TorfaenAll pupils
8,145Number of pupils2004/05Merthyr TydfilAll pupils
15,476Number of pupils2003/04GwyneddAll pupils
25,336Number of pupils2004/05CaerphillyAll pupils
10,874Number of pupils2003/04MonmouthshireAll pupils
9,566Number of pupils2004/05Blaenau GwentAll pupils
23,072Number of pupils2003/04CarmarthenshireAll pupils
14,171Number of pupils2004/05TorfaenAll pupils
20,413Number of pupils2003/04NewportAll pupils
10,775Number of pupils2004/05MonmouthshireAll pupils
20,668Number of pupils2003/04FlintshireAll pupils
20,193Number of pupils2004/05NewportAll pupils
41,849Number of pupils2003/04CardiffAll pupils
41,136Number of pupils2004/05CardiffAll pupils
29,906Number of pupils2003/04SwanseaAll pupils
400,078 [t]Number of pupils2004/05WalesAll pupils
404,809 [t]Number of pupils2003/04WalesAll pupils
8,437Number of pupils2005/06Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
8,779Number of pupils2003/04Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
15,256Number of pupils2005/06GwyneddAll pupils
8,643Number of pupils2004/05Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
13,955Number of pupils2005/06ConwyAll pupils
19,085Number of pupils2003/04Neath Port TalbotAll pupils
13,539Number of pupils2005/06DenbighshireAll pupils
8,082Number of pupils2007/08CeredigionAll pupils
Showing 1 to 100 of 1,679 rows
Page 1 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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