Pupils in maintained schools aged 5 or over, ability to speak Welsh as assessed by parents, by sector, category and year (primary, middle and secondary schools)

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

Data values	Data description	Year	Sector	Category
142,642	Number of pupils	2003/04	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
27,318	Number of pupils	2003/04	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
215,609 [t]	Number of pupils	2003/04	Secondary schools	Total
427,808 [t]	Number of pupils	2003/04	All schools	Total
31,629	Number of pupils	2003/04	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
42,239	Number of pupils	2003/04	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
96,258	Number of pupils	2003/04	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
272,603	Number of pupils	2003/04	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
212,199 [t]	Number of pupils	2003/04	Primary schools	Total
58,947	Number of pupils	2003/04	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
129,961	Number of pupils	2003/04	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
54,019	Number of pupils	2003/04	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
45,274	Number of pupils	2004/05	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
138,296	Number of pupils	2004/05	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
57,410	Number of pupils	2004/05	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
214,626 [t]	Number of pupils	2004/05	Secondary schools	Total
129,134	Number of pupils	2004/05	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
423,960 [t]	Number of pupils	2004/05	All schools	Total
53,846	Number of pupils	2004/05	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
267,430	Number of pupils	2004/05	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
99,120	Number of pupils	2004/05	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
209,334 [t]	Number of pupils	2004/05	Primary schools	Total
31,646	Number of pupils	2004/05	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
25,764	Number of pupils	2004/05	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
205,462 [t]	Number of pupils	2005/06	Primary schools	Total
47,447	Number of pupils	2005/06	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
59,465	Number of pupils	2005/06	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
121,358	Number of pupils	2005/06	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
32,222	Number of pupils	2005/06	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
131,727	Number of pupils	2005/06	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
58,510	Number of pupils	2005/06	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
213,045 [t]	Number of pupils	2005/06	Secondary schools	Total
26,288	Number of pupils	2005/06	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
418,507 [t]	Number of pupils	2005/06	All schools	Total
253,085	Number of pupils	2005/06	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
106,912	Number of pupils	2005/06	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
412,631 [t]	Number of pupils	2006/07	All schools	Total
25,483	Number of pupils	2006/07	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
113,647	Number of pupils	2006/07	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
111,826	Number of pupils	2006/07	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
58,801	Number of pupils	2006/07	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
210,353 [t]	Number of pupils	2006/07	Secondary schools	Total
242,004	Number of pupils	2006/07	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
202,278 [t]	Number of pupils	2006/07	Primary schools	Total
33,318	Number of pupils	2006/07	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
63,388	Number of pupils	2006/07	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
128,357	Number of pupils	2006/07	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
48,438	Number of pupils	2006/07	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
46,672	Number of pupils	2007/08	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
405,628 [t]	Number of pupils	2007/08	All schools	Total
25,001	Number of pupils	2007/08	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
118,458	Number of pupils	2007/08	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
57,194	Number of pupils	2007/08	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
206,936 [t]	Number of pupils	2007/08	Secondary schools	Total
102,957	Number of pupils	2007/08	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
71,786	Number of pupils	2007/08	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
32,193	Number of pupils	2007/08	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
229,976	Number of pupils	2007/08	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
198,692 [t]	Number of pupils	2007/08	Primary schools	Total
127,019	Number of pupils	2007/08	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
124,325	Number of pupils	2008/09	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
45,270	Number of pupils	2008/09	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
24,734	Number of pupils	2008/09	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
399,750 [t]	Number of pupils	2008/09	All schools	Total
32,538	Number of pupils	2008/09	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
194,329 [t]	Number of pupils	2008/09	Primary schools	Total
222,714	Number of pupils	2008/09	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
119,764	Number of pupils	2008/09	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
57,272	Number of pupils	2008/09	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
205,421 [t]	Number of pupils	2008/09	Secondary schools	Total
98,389	Number of pupils	2008/09	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
74,494	Number of pupils	2008/09	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
58,110	Number of pupils	2009/10	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
203,907 [t]	Number of pupils	2009/10	Secondary schools	Total
395,931 [t]	Number of pupils	2009/10	All schools	Total
46,142	Number of pupils	2009/10	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
216,394	Number of pupils	2009/10	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
121,427	Number of pupils	2009/10	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
25,004	Number of pupils	2009/10	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
95,516	Number of pupils	2009/10	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
75,285	Number of pupils	2009/10	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
33,106	Number of pupils	2009/10	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
192,024 [t]	Number of pupils	2009/10	Primary schools	Total
120,878	Number of pupils	2009/10	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
26,278	Number of pupils	2010/11	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh
392,698 [t]	Number of pupils	2010/11	All schools	Total
124,319	Number of pupils	2010/11	All schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
59,504	Number of pupils	2010/11	All schools	Fluent in Welsh
201,230 [t]	Number of pupils	2010/11	Secondary schools	Total
90,487	Number of pupils	2010/11	Secondary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
77,517	Number of pupils	2010/11	Secondary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
33,226	Number of pupils	2010/11	Secondary schools	Fluent in Welsh
191,468 [t]	Number of pupils	2010/11	Primary schools	Total
208,875	Number of pupils	2010/11	All schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
118,388	Number of pupils	2010/11	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
46,802	Number of pupils	2010/11	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
192,378 [t]	Number of pupils	2011/12	Primary schools	Total
117,609	Number of pupils	2011/12	Primary schools	Cannot speak Welsh/Information not obtained
46,758	Number of pupils	2011/12	Primary schools	Can speak Welsh but not fluently
28,011	Number of pupils	2011/12	Primary schools	Fluent in Welsh

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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 school meals due to the universal primary free school meal policy.

• Related reports:
  • Schools' census results

Published by

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

Metadata

The metadata for this dataset is not included when you download the data. You can download this separately. This contains all the information from the 'About this dataset' tab.