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
390	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Dyscalculia
680	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Visual impairment
15	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
[c]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
120	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
70	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
35	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
1,215	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Hearing impairment
635	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Dyspraxia
10	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
250	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
2,455	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Dyslexia
270	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Dyscalculia
335	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Dyspraxia
890	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
2,720	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
3,690	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Physical and medical difficulties
1,660	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Hearing impairment
5	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties
11,810	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
17,455	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
70	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Multi-sensory impairment
5,675	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Dyslexia
560	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	General learning difficulties
40	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Severe learning difficulties
5	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
380	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Dyslexia
80	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Dyscalculia
25	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Dyspraxia
40	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
145	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
130	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Physical and medical difficulties
85	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Hearing impairment
30	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Visual impairment
10	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Multi-sensory impairment
410	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
335	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
7,980	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Moderate learning difficulties
14,025	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	General learning difficulties
10,170	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Moderate learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
21,455	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	General learning difficulties
2,475	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Physical and medical difficulties
2,430	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
1,495	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
755	Number of pupils	2016/17	Primary schools	Severe learning difficulties
5	Number of pupils	2016/17	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
495	Number of pupils	2016/17	Middle schools	Moderate learning difficulties
565	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Visual impairment
25	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Multi-sensory impairment
4,310	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
9,580	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
785	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Moderate learning difficulties
125	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	General learning difficulties
1,690	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Severe learning difficulties
525	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
35	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Dyslexia
20	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Dyspraxia
165	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
1,610	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
730	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Physical and medical difficulties
150	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Hearing impairment
165	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Visual impairment
55	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Multi-sensory impairment
1,105	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
915	Number of pupils	2016/17	Special schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
19,430	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Moderate learning difficulties
36,180	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	General learning difficulties
2,905	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Severe learning difficulties
900	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
8,545	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Dyslexia
740	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Dyscalculia
1,015	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Dyspraxia
2,595	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
6,920	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
7,035	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Physical and medical difficulties
3,115	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Hearing impairment
1,440	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Visual impairment
155	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Multi-sensory impairment
23,345	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
22,670	Number of pupils	2016/17	All schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
415	Number of pupils	2016/17	Secondary schools	Severe learning difficulties
335	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Dyspraxia
220	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Dyscalculia
2,195	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Dyslexia
240	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
735	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Severe learning difficulties
8,445	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	Moderate learning difficulties
25	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
90	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Speech, language and communication difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Visual impairment
5	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Hearing impairment
21,505	Number of pupils	2017/18	Primary schools	General learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Physical and medical difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Severe learning difficulties
15	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	General learning difficulties
[c]	Number of pupils	2017/18	Nursery schools	Moderate learning difficulties

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.