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

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

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Data valuesData descriptionYearLocal authorityCategory
4,119Number of pupils2006/07Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
1,815Number of pupils2007/08PowysEligible for free school meals
2,685Number of pupils2005/06TorfaenEligible for free school meals
6,507Number of pupils2006/07SwanseaEligible for free school meals
9,422Number of pupils2006/07CardiffEligible for free school meals
2,490Number of pupils2007/08WrexhamEligible for free school meals
6,562Number of pupils2005/06SwanseaEligible for free school meals
2,510Number of pupils2005/06Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
2,233Number of pupils2006/07ConwyEligible for free school meals
4,202Number of pupils2006/07CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
2,436Number of pupils2006/07Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
4,242Number of pupils2006/07NewportEligible for free school meals
2,038Number of pupils2007/08GwyneddEligible for free school meals
2,334Number of pupils2007/08FlintshireEligible for free school meals
1,863Number of pupils2005/06PowysEligible for free school meals
4,042Number of pupils2005/06CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
2,363Number of pupils2005/06Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
5,656Number of pupils2005/06CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
9,527Number of pupils2005/06CardiffEligible for free school meals
2,121Number of pupils2006/07GwyneddEligible for free school meals
2,532Number of pupils2006/07WrexhamEligible for free school meals
2,509Number of pupils2006/07PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
9,054Number of pupils2006/07Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
5,521Number of pupils2006/07CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
2,662Number of pupils2006/07TorfaenEligible for free school meals
1,188Number of pupils2006/07MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
76,529 [t]Number of pupils2006/07WalesEligible for free school meals
1,410Number of pupils2007/08Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
2,161Number of pupils2007/08ConwyEligible for free school meals
2,160Number of pupils2007/08DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
2,611Number of pupils2005/06FlintshireEligible for free school meals
2,573Number of pupils2005/06WrexhamEligible for free school meals
1,102Number of pupils2005/06CeredigionEligible for free school meals
2,704Number of pupils2005/06PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
4,322Number of pupils2005/06Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
3,957Number of pupils2005/06BridgendEligible for free school meals
9,022Number of pupils2005/06Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
2,486Number of pupils2005/06Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
1,186Number of pupils2005/06MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
4,719Number of pupils2005/06NewportEligible for free school meals
77,944 [t]Number of pupils2005/06WalesEligible for free school meals
1,481Number of pupils2006/07Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
2,070Number of pupils2006/07DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
2,561Number of pupils2006/07FlintshireEligible for free school meals
1,894Number of pupils2006/07PowysEligible for free school meals
1,093Number of pupils2006/07CeredigionEligible for free school meals
3,854Number of pupils2006/07BridgendEligible for free school meals
2,424Number of pupils2006/07Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
2,404Number of pupils2006/07Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
2,427Number of pupils2004/05ConwyEligible for free school meals
1,998Number of pupils2003/04PowysEligible for free school meals
1,945Number of pupils2004/05DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
2,416Number of pupils2003/04Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
2,822Number of pupils2004/05FlintshireEligible for free school meals
2,182Number of pupils2003/04DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
2,728Number of pupils2004/05WrexhamEligible for free school meals
10,262Number of pupils2003/04Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
1,950Number of pupils2004/05PowysEligible for free school meals
1,233Number of pupils2003/04CeredigionEligible for free school meals
1,136Number of pupils2004/05CeredigionEligible for free school meals
2,756Number of pupils2003/04Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
2,768Number of pupils2004/05PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
1,933Number of pupils2003/04Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
4,296Number of pupils2004/05CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
6,149Number of pupils2003/04CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
7,347Number of pupils2004/05SwanseaEligible for free school meals
2,912Number of pupils2003/04PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
4,542Number of pupils2004/05Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
2,765Number of pupils2003/04Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
4,148Number of pupils2004/05BridgendEligible for free school meals
2,918Number of pupils2003/04FlintshireEligible for free school meals
2,407Number of pupils2004/05Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
3,290Number of pupils2003/04TorfaenEligible for free school meals
9,877Number of pupils2004/05Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
4,594Number of pupils2003/04CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
2,660Number of pupils2004/05Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
1,304Number of pupils2003/04MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
5,844Number of pupils2004/05CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
2,530Number of pupils2003/04ConwyEligible for free school meals
2,762Number of pupils2004/05Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
5,246Number of pupils2003/04NewportEligible for free school meals
3,009Number of pupils2004/05TorfaenEligible for free school meals
7,646Number of pupils2003/04SwanseaEligible for free school meals
1,241Number of pupils2004/05MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
10,801Number of pupils2003/04CardiffEligible for free school meals
5,129Number of pupils2004/05NewportEligible for free school meals
2,692Number of pupils2003/04WrexhamEligible for free school meals
10,062Number of pupils2004/05CardiffEligible for free school meals
87,022 [t]Number of pupils2003/04WalesEligible for free school meals
83,108 [t]Number of pupils2004/05WalesEligible for free school meals
4,785Number of pupils2003/04Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
1,602Number of pupils2005/06Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
1,790Number of pupils2004/05Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
2,244Number of pupils2005/06GwyneddEligible for free school meals
2,366Number of pupils2003/04GwyneddEligible for free school meals
2,244Number of pupils2005/06ConwyEligible for free school meals
2,218Number of pupils2004/05GwyneddEligible for free school meals
1,964Number of pupils2005/06DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
4,244Number of pupils2003/04BridgendEligible for free school meals
1,090Number of pupils2007/08CeredigionEligible for free school meals
Showing 1 to 100 of 1,794 rows
Page 1 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.

Published by

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

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