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Pupils in maintained schools eligible for free school meals by local authority and year

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Local authorityShown in tableAll 23 valuesChange values
CategoryShown in tableAll 3 valuesChange values
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Table

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Data valuesData descriptionYearLocal authorityCategory
1,933Number of pupils2003/04Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
18.2Percentage of pupils2003/04Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
10,621Number of pupils2003/04Isle of AngleseyAll pupils
2,366Number of pupils2003/04GwyneddEligible for free school meals
12.8Percentage of pupils2003/04GwyneddEligible for free school meals
18,553Number of pupils2003/04GwyneddAll pupils
2,530Number of pupils2003/04ConwyEligible for free school meals
14.3Percentage of pupils2003/04ConwyEligible for free school meals
17,666Number of pupils2003/04ConwyAll pupils
2,182Number of pupils2003/04DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
13.0Percentage of pupils2003/04DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
16,810Number of pupils2003/04DenbighshireAll pupils
2,918Number of pupils2003/04FlintshireEligible for free school meals
11.4Percentage of pupils2003/04FlintshireEligible for free school meals
25,505Number of pupils2003/04FlintshireAll pupils
2,692Number of pupils2003/04WrexhamEligible for free school meals
13.9Percentage of pupils2003/04WrexhamEligible for free school meals
19,314Number of pupils2003/04WrexhamAll pupils
1,998Number of pupils2003/04PowysEligible for free school meals
9.6Percentage of pupils2003/04PowysEligible for free school meals
20,779Number of pupils2003/04PowysAll pupils
1,233Number of pupils2003/04CeredigionEligible for free school meals
11.6Percentage of pupils2003/04CeredigionEligible for free school meals
10,590Number of pupils2003/04CeredigionAll pupils
2,912Number of pupils2003/04PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
Showing 1 to 25 of 1,909 rows
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Metadata

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Next update expected:August 2027

Updates

5th August 2026

Data added from PLASC 2026.

18th September 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics
Data provider
Welsh Government
Data source
Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC)
Time period covered
September 2003 to August 2026
Dataset ID
7be88416-50db-4a08-917d-ca6e4a17db39

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

Published by

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