Pupils in maintained schools aged 5-15 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
11.4Percentage of pupils2008/09FlintshireEligible for free school meals
17.3Percentage of pupils2008/09WrexhamEligible for free school meals
9.8Percentage of pupils2008/09PowysEligible for free school meals
12.2Percentage of pupils2008/09CeredigionEligible for free school meals
14.0Percentage of pupils2008/09PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
15.9Percentage of pupils2008/09CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
19.4Percentage of pupils2008/09SwanseaEligible for free school meals
21.5Percentage of pupils2008/09Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
18.6Percentage of pupils2008/09BridgendEligible for free school meals
12.7Percentage of pupils2008/09Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
22.9Percentage of pupils2008/09Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
24.9Percentage of pupils2008/09Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
20.9Percentage of pupils2008/09CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
26.7Percentage of pupils2008/09Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
17.2Percentage of pupils2008/09TorfaenEligible for free school meals
9.8Percentage of pupils2008/09MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
20.7Percentage of pupils2008/09NewportEligible for free school meals
21.8Percentage of pupils2008/09CardiffEligible for free school meals
17.8 [t]Percentage of pupils2008/09WalesEligible for free school meals
18.0Percentage of pupils2009/10Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
13.2Percentage of pupils2009/10GwyneddEligible for free school meals
18.1Percentage of pupils2009/10ConwyEligible for free school meals
17.8Percentage of pupils2009/10DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
12.8Percentage of pupils2009/10FlintshireEligible for free school meals
19.0Percentage of pupils2009/10WrexhamEligible for free school meals
10.9Percentage of pupils2009/10PowysEligible for free school meals
12.4Percentage of pupils2009/10CeredigionEligible for free school meals
17.0Percentage of pupils2009/10PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
16.2Percentage of pupils2009/10CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
20.4Percentage of pupils2009/10SwanseaEligible for free school meals
22.7Percentage of pupils2009/10Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
20.1Percentage of pupils2009/10BridgendEligible for free school meals
14.0Percentage of pupils2009/10Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
24.0Percentage of pupils2009/10Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
25.7Percentage of pupils2009/10Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
22.3Percentage of pupils2009/10CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
29.6Percentage of pupils2009/10Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
17.2Percentage of pupils2009/10TorfaenEligible for free school meals
11.1Percentage of pupils2009/10MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
21.1Percentage of pupils2009/10NewportEligible for free school meals
22.3Percentage of pupils2009/10CardiffEligible for free school meals
18.9 [t]Percentage of pupils2009/10WalesEligible for free school meals
18.8Percentage of pupils2010/11Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
14.2Percentage of pupils2010/11GwyneddEligible for free school meals
18.0Percentage of pupils2010/11ConwyEligible for free school meals
18.9Percentage of pupils2010/11DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
14.7Percentage of pupils2010/11FlintshireEligible for free school meals
18.9Percentage of pupils2010/11WrexhamEligible for free school meals
11.0Percentage of pupils2010/11PowysEligible for free school meals
13.2Percentage of pupils2010/11CeredigionEligible for free school meals
18.0Percentage of pupils2010/11PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
17.5Percentage of pupils2010/11CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
21.6Percentage of pupils2010/11SwanseaEligible for free school meals
23.6Percentage of pupils2010/11Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
20.0Percentage of pupils2010/11BridgendEligible for free school meals
14.2Percentage of pupils2010/11Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
25.2Percentage of pupils2010/11Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
25.1Percentage of pupils2010/11Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
24.0Percentage of pupils2010/11CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
29.1Percentage of pupils2010/11Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
18.2Percentage of pupils2010/11TorfaenEligible for free school meals
11.8Percentage of pupils2010/11MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
21.0Percentage of pupils2010/11NewportEligible for free school meals
23.3Percentage of pupils2010/11CardiffEligible for free school meals
19.7 [t]Percentage of pupils2010/11WalesEligible for free school meals
18.0Percentage of pupils2011/12Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
13.6Percentage of pupils2011/12GwyneddEligible for free school meals
17.8Percentage of pupils2011/12ConwyEligible for free school meals
18.7Percentage of pupils2011/12DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
15.0Percentage of pupils2011/12FlintshireEligible for free school meals
18.6Percentage of pupils2011/12WrexhamEligible for free school meals
11.1Percentage of pupils2011/12PowysEligible for free school meals
12.3Percentage of pupils2011/12CeredigionEligible for free school meals
17.5Percentage of pupils2011/12PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
16.3Percentage of pupils2011/12CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
21.0Percentage of pupils2011/12SwanseaEligible for free school meals
23.6Percentage of pupils2011/12Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
20.4Percentage of pupils2011/12BridgendEligible for free school meals
13.7Percentage of pupils2011/12Vale of GlamorganEligible for free school meals
24.5Percentage of pupils2011/12Rhondda Cynon TafEligible for free school meals
24.8Percentage of pupils2011/12Merthyr TydfilEligible for free school meals
25.2Percentage of pupils2011/12CaerphillyEligible for free school meals
29.1Percentage of pupils2011/12Blaenau GwentEligible for free school meals
19.4Percentage of pupils2011/12TorfaenEligible for free school meals
11.9Percentage of pupils2011/12MonmouthshireEligible for free school meals
20.8Percentage of pupils2011/12NewportEligible for free school meals
21.1Percentage of pupils2011/12CardiffEligible for free school meals
19.3 [t]Percentage of pupils2011/12WalesEligible for free school meals
18.5Percentage of pupils2013/14Isle of AngleseyEligible for free school meals
12.9Percentage of pupils2013/14GwyneddEligible for free school meals
18.1Percentage of pupils2013/14ConwyEligible for free school meals
19.4Percentage of pupils2013/14DenbighshireEligible for free school meals
13.9Percentage of pupils2013/14FlintshireEligible for free school meals
18.0Percentage of pupils2013/14WrexhamEligible for free school meals
10.8Percentage of pupils2013/14PowysEligible for free school meals
11.8Percentage of pupils2013/14CeredigionEligible for free school meals
17.9Percentage of pupils2013/14PembrokeshireEligible for free school meals
16.4Percentage of pupils2013/14CarmarthenshireEligible for free school meals
19.9Percentage of pupils2013/14SwanseaEligible for free school meals
22.9Percentage of pupils2013/14Neath Port TalbotEligible for free school meals
Showing 1,201 to 1,300 of 1,679 rows
Page 13 of 17

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 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 schools meal 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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