Pupils in maintained schools 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
10.5Percentage of pupils2005/06FlintshireEligible for free school meals
13.5Percentage of pupils2005/06WrexhamEligible for free school meals
9.2Percentage of pupils2005/06PowysEligible for free school meals
10.6Percentage of pupils2005/06CeredigionEligible for free school meals
13.9Percentage of pupils2005/06PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
14.6Percentage of pupils2005/06CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
18.2Percentage of pupils2005/06SwanseaEligible for free school meals
19.5Percentage of pupils2005/06Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
17.4Percentage of pupils2005/06BridgendEligible for free school meals
10.7Percentage of pupils2005/06Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
21.8Percentage of pupils2005/06Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
25.0Percentage of pupils2005/06Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
18.6Percentage of pupils2005/06CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
22.0Percentage of pupils2005/06Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
16.1Percentage of pupils2005/06TorfaenEligible for free school meals
9.2Percentage of pupils2005/06MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
19.0Percentage of pupils2005/06NewportEligible for free school meals
19.0Percentage of pupils2005/06CardiffEligible for free school meals
16.1 [t]Percentage of pupils2005/06WalesEligible for free school meals
14.9Percentage of pupils2006/07Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
11.8Percentage of pupils2006/07GwyneddEligible for free school meals
13.3Percentage of pupils2006/07ConwyEligible for free school meals
12.6Percentage of pupils2006/07DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
10.4Percentage of pupils2006/07FlintshireEligible for free school meals
13.3Percentage of pupils2006/07WrexhamEligible for free school meals
9.3Percentage of pupils2006/07PowysEligible for free school meals
10.6Percentage of pupils2006/07CeredigionEligible for free school meals
13.1Percentage of pupils2006/07PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
15.3Percentage of pupils2006/07CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
18.2Percentage of pupils2006/07SwanseaEligible for free school meals
19.0Percentage of pupils2006/07Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
17.0Percentage of pupils2006/07BridgendEligible for free school meals
11.0Percentage of pupils2006/07Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
22.2Percentage of pupils2006/07Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
24.5Percentage of pupils2006/07Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
18.4Percentage of pupils2006/07CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
21.8Percentage of pupils2006/07Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
16.2Percentage of pupils2006/07TorfaenEligible for free school meals
9.4Percentage of pupils2006/07MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
17.3Percentage of pupils2006/07NewportEligible for free school meals
18.9Percentage of pupils2006/07CardiffEligible for free school meals
16.0 [t]Percentage of pupils2006/07WalesEligible for free school meals
14.4Percentage of pupils2007/08Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
11.5Percentage of pupils2007/08GwyneddEligible for free school meals
13.1Percentage of pupils2007/08ConwyEligible for free school meals
13.3Percentage of pupils2007/08DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
9.6Percentage of pupils2007/08FlintshireEligible for free school meals
13.2Percentage of pupils2007/08WrexhamEligible for free school meals
9.0Percentage of pupils2007/08PowysEligible for free school meals
10.8Percentage of pupils2007/08CeredigionEligible for free school meals
12.9Percentage of pupils2007/08PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
15.1Percentage of pupils2007/08CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
17.1Percentage of pupils2007/08SwanseaEligible for free school meals
18.0Percentage of pupils2007/08Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
17.2Percentage of pupils2007/08BridgendEligible for free school meals
10.5Percentage of pupils2007/08Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
20.7Percentage of pupils2007/08Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
23.2Percentage of pupils2007/08Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
17.7Percentage of pupils2007/08CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
19.5Percentage of pupils2007/08Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
16.0Percentage of pupils2007/08TorfaenEligible for free school meals
9.3Percentage of pupils2007/08MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
17.1Percentage of pupils2007/08NewportEligible for free school meals
19.0Percentage of pupils2007/08CardiffEligible for free school meals
15.5 [t]Percentage of pupils2007/08WalesEligible for free school meals
15.9Percentage of pupils2008/09Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
11.5Percentage of pupils2008/09GwyneddEligible for free school meals
14.3Percentage of pupils2008/09ConwyEligible for free school meals
14.4Percentage of pupils2008/09DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
10.2Percentage of pupils2008/09FlintshireEligible for free school meals
15.8Percentage of pupils2008/09WrexhamEligible for free school meals
9.1Percentage of pupils2008/09PowysEligible for free school meals
11.2Percentage of pupils2008/09CeredigionEligible for free school meals
12.6Percentage of pupils2008/09PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
15.2Percentage of pupils2008/09CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
17.1Percentage of pupils2008/09SwanseaEligible for free school meals
19.4Percentage of pupils2008/09Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
17.8Percentage of pupils2008/09BridgendEligible for free school meals
11.1Percentage of pupils2008/09Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
22.4Percentage of pupils2008/09Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
23.6Percentage of pupils2008/09Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
18.5Percentage of pupils2008/09CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
24.2Percentage of pupils2008/09Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
15.4Percentage of pupils2008/09TorfaenEligible for free school meals
8.8Percentage of pupils2008/09MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
18.5Percentage of pupils2008/09NewportEligible for free school meals
19.2Percentage of pupils2008/09CardiffEligible for free school meals
16.2 [t]Percentage of pupils2008/09WalesEligible for free school meals
16.0Percentage of pupils2009/10Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
12.0Percentage of pupils2009/10GwyneddEligible for free school meals
16.0Percentage of pupils2009/10ConwyEligible for free school meals
15.9Percentage of pupils2009/10DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
11.4Percentage of pupils2009/10FlintshireEligible for free school meals
17.3Percentage of pupils2009/10WrexhamEligible for free school meals
10.1Percentage of pupils2009/10PowysEligible for free school meals
11.5Percentage of pupils2009/10CeredigionEligible for free school meals
15.5Percentage of pupils2009/10PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
15.5Percentage of pupils2009/10CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
18.0Percentage of pupils2009/10SwanseaEligible for free school meals
20.4Percentage of pupils2009/10Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
Showing 1,201 to 1,300 of 1,794 rows
Page 13 of 18

Main information

Most recent update
18 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

Published by

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

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