Reports of additional learning or special educational needs in maintained schools by sector, type of need and year

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [c] = confidential information.

Data values	Data description	Year	Sector	Need
20	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
25	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
5	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
25	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
25	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
10	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
5	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
50	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
5	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
20	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
10	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
30	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
70	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Multi-sensory impairment
75	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
[c]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
90	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
10	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Multi-sensory impairment
30	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
15	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
[c]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
70	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
25	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
85	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
5	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
10	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
75	Number of pupils	2022/23	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
5	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
10	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
10	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
25	Number of pupils	2024/25	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
5	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
20	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
75	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
5	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
5	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
20	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
70	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2018/19	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
5	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2020/21	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
5	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
5	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
35	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
55	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2019/20	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
165	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Dyscalculia
335	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Dyspraxia
17,385	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
970	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
270	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Dyscalculia
90	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Multi-sensory impairment
12,260	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
3,430	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Physical and medical difficulties
2,455	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Dyslexia
1,385	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Hearing impairment
1,870	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Dyslexia
3,380	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
600	Number of pupils	2019/20	Primary schools	Visual impairment
7,160	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Moderate learning difficulties
755	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Severe learning difficulties
21,230	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	General learning difficulties
10,170	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Moderate learning difficulties
695	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Severe learning difficulties
335	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Dyspraxia
11,810	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
230	Number of pupils	2018/19	Primary schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
220	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Dyscalculia
2,195	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Dyslexia

Showing 1 to 100 of 734 rows

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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 2016 to August 2025

Data notes

• Rounding applied:

  Numbers are rounded to the nearest 5.

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.