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

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

Data values	Data description	Year	Provision	Need
[c]	Number of pupils	2022/23	Local authority maintained individual development plan	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	Statemented	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Local authority maintained individual development plan	Dyspraxia
[c]	Number of pupils	2023/24	Statemented	Dyscalculia
[c]	Number of pupils	2021/22	Local authority maintained individual development plan	Multi-sensory impairment
[c]	Number of pupils	2024/25	School Action	Profound & multiple learning difficulties
36,415	Number of pupils	2017/18	All Provisions	General learning difficulties
36,390	Number of pupils	2018/19	All Provisions	General learning difficulties
36,180	Number of pupils	2016/17	All Provisions	General learning difficulties
33,170	Number of pupils	2019/20	All Provisions	General learning difficulties
30,655	Number of pupils	2020/21	All Provisions	General learning difficulties
27,280	Number of pupils	2016/17	School Action	General learning difficulties
27,125	Number of pupils	2017/18	School Action	General learning difficulties
26,855	Number of pupils	2018/19	School Action	General learning difficulties
25,005	Number of pupils	2018/19	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
24,920	Number of pupils	2019/20	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
24,650	Number of pupils	2018/19	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
24,480	Number of pupils	2020/21	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
24,415	Number of pupils	2017/18	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
24,405	Number of pupils	2020/21	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
24,375	Number of pupils	2019/20	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
24,165	Number of pupils	2017/18	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
23,845	Number of pupils	2019/20	School Action	General learning difficulties
23,345	Number of pupils	2016/17	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
22,670	Number of pupils	2016/17	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
22,400	Number of pupils	2021/22	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
21,710	Number of pupils	2020/21	School Action	General learning difficulties
21,680	Number of pupils	2021/22	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
20,905	Number of pupils	2022/23	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
19,640	Number of pupils	2022/23	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
19,430	Number of pupils	2016/17	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
18,255	Number of pupils	2023/24	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
16,875	Number of pupils	2017/18	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
16,590	Number of pupils	2023/24	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
15,875	Number of pupils	2024/25	All Provisions	Speech, language and communication difficulties
15,150	Number of pupils	2022/23	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
14,845	Number of pupils	2024/25	All Provisions	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
14,760	Number of pupils	2018/19	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
13,855	Number of pupils	2021/22	All Provisions	General learning difficulties
12,600	Number of pupils	2019/20	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
12,285	Number of pupils	2021/22	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
12,170	Number of pupils	2016/17	School Action	Moderate learning difficulties
11,740	Number of pupils	2023/24	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
11,585	Number of pupils	2018/19	School Action Plus	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
11,520	Number of pupils	2019/20	School Action Plus	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
11,385	Number of pupils	2020/21	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
11,370	Number of pupils	2018/19	School Action Plus	Speech, language and communication difficulties
11,290	Number of pupils	2017/18	School Action Plus	Speech, language and communication difficulties
11,210	Number of pupils	2017/18	School Action Plus	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
11,185	Number of pupils	2020/21	School Action Plus	Speech, language and communication difficulties
11,180	Number of pupils	2019/20	School Action Plus	Speech, language and communication difficulties
11,020	Number of pupils	2020/21	School Action Plus	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,975	Number of pupils	2024/25	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
10,770	Number of pupils	2023/24	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
10,725	Number of pupils	2016/17	School Action Plus	Speech, language and communication difficulties
10,590	Number of pupils	2018/19	School Action	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,560	Number of pupils	2022/23	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
10,445	Number of pupils	2017/18	School Action	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,410	Number of pupils	2019/20	School Action	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,330	Number of pupils	2016/17	School Action Plus	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
10,200	Number of pupils	2017/18	School Action	Moderate learning difficulties
10,110	Number of pupils	2020/21	School Action	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
9,995	Number of pupils	2021/22	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
9,820	Number of pupils	2020/21	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
9,750	Number of pupils	2016/17	School Action	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
9,485	Number of pupils	2021/22	School Action Plus	Speech, language and communication difficulties
9,305	Number of pupils	2024/25	All Provisions	Moderate learning difficulties
9,095	Number of pupils	2019/20	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
8,985	Number of pupils	2018/19	School Action	Speech, language and communication difficulties
8,955	Number of pupils	2021/22	School Action Plus	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
8,890	Number of pupils	2021/22	School Action	General learning difficulties
8,765	Number of pupils	2018/19	School Action	Moderate learning difficulties
8,710	Number of pupils	2017/18	School Action	Speech, language and communication difficulties
8,670	Number of pupils	2019/20	School Action	Speech, language and communication difficulties
8,615	Number of pupils	2016/17	School Action	Speech, language and communication difficulties
8,550	Number of pupils	2024/25	School maintained individual development plan	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
8,545	Number of pupils	2016/17	All Provisions	Dyslexia
8,535	Number of pupils	2020/21	School Action	Speech, language and communication difficulties
8,400	Number of pupils	2018/19	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
8,385	Number of pupils	2018/19	School Action Plus	General learning difficulties
8,290	Number of pupils	2021/22	School Action	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
8,285	Number of pupils	2017/18	School Action Plus	General learning difficulties
8,110	Number of pupils	2024/25	School maintained individual development plan	Speech, language and communication difficulties
8,090	Number of pupils	2017/18	All Provisions	Dyslexia
8,025	Number of pupils	2019/20	School Action Plus	General learning difficulties
7,985	Number of pupils	2016/17	School Action Plus	General learning difficulties
7,655	Number of pupils	2017/18	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
7,555	Number of pupils	2022/23	School Action	Moderate learning difficulties
7,500	Number of pupils	2020/21	School Action Plus	General learning difficulties
7,285	Number of pupils	2018/19	All Provisions	Physical and medical difficulties
7,225	Number of pupils	2017/18	All Provisions	Physical and medical difficulties
7,215	Number of pupils	2018/19	All Provisions	Dyslexia
7,200	Number of pupils	2019/20	School Action	Moderate learning difficulties
7,180	Number of pupils	2019/20	All Provisions	Physical and medical difficulties
7,035	Number of pupils	2016/17	All Provisions	Physical and medical difficulties
6,920	Number of pupils	2016/17	All Provisions	Autistic Spectrum Disorders
6,895	Number of pupils	2021/22	School Action	Speech, language and communication difficulties
6,890	Number of pupils	2020/21	All Provisions	Physical and medical difficulties
6,695	Number of pupils	2022/23	School Action Plus	Speech, language and communication difficulties
6,555	Number of pupils	2022/23	School Action Plus	Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties

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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.