Number of pupils taking free school meals on census day by local authority, region and year

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Category

Area Code

Measure1

Year

LARegion

LARegion 1

2012/13

2013/14

2014/15

2015/16

2016/17

2017/18

2018/19

2019/20

Whilst most of the usual data validation processes on the 2020 school census data have taken place, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the data did not undergo the usual final validation process. As part of the Welsh Local Government Finance Settlement, the data is usually returned to local authorities for final validation. Typically, overall numbers of pupils and teachers will not change significantly during this period, with the most likely change being in the characteristics of the pupils themselves e.g. free school meal entitlement. Users should therefore be more cautious when comparing data on characteristics of pupils and staff over time, in particular where small cohorts are involved.

2020/21

The schools census would usually take place in January. School closures between December 2020 and March 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic meant that the census date was delayed to 20 April 2021. The number of pupils was higher in April 2021 partly due to the later census date which meant that more pupils had entered nursery classes by the census date.

2021/22

The schools census would usually take place in January. Due to the level of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in January 2022, the census date was delayed to 15 February 2022.

2022/23

2023/24

North Wales There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

11,954

12,070

11,730

11,411

11,162

10,980

11,648

13,313

13,594

14,690

North Wales There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

Isle of Anglesey North Wales

1,307

1,209

1,147

1,114

1,098

1,002

996

1,140

1,179

1,205

Gwynedd

1,711

1,617

1,668

1,652

1,536

1,505

1,425

1,659

1,877

1,988

Conwy

2,085

2,107

1,985

1,816

1,848

1,743

1,810

2,146

2,498

2,494

Denbighshire North Wales

2,051

2,213

2,072

2,001

1,957

1,914

2,054

2,300

2,321

2,470

Flintshire North Wales

2,270

2,402

2,458

2,493

2,299

2,436

2,698

3,048

2,936

3,340

Wrexham

2,530

2,522

2,400

2,335

2,424

2,380

2,665

3,020

2,783

3,193

South West and Mid Wales There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

15,828

16,105

15,952

15,854

15,855

15,003

15,965

17,541

17,966

18,977

South West and Mid Wales There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

Powys

1,521

1,562

1,472

1,434

1,459

1,336

1,382

1,607

1,781

1,942

Ceredigion South West and Mid Wales

853

819

872

811

791

810

827

1,018

1,111

1,354

Pembrokeshire South West and Mid Wales

2,173

2,113

1,942

1,883

1,990

1,735

1,871

2,034

2,298

2,271

Carmarthenshire South West and Mid Wales

3,445

3,554

3,642

3,668

3,580

3,284

3,381

3,735

3,781

4,150

Swansea

4,877

4,855

4,807

4,774

4,832

4,740

5,155

5,654

5,411

5,602

Neath Port Talbot South West and Mid Wales

2,959

3,202

3,217

3,284

3,203

3,098

3,349

3,493

3,584

3,658

Central South Wales There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

22,384

22,868

21,964

21,369

20,895

20,112

20,353

22,671

21,318

25,293

Central South Wales There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

Bridgend

3,503

3,411

3,332

3,091

2,968

2,988

3,191

3,421

3,391

3,778

Vale of Glamorgan Central South Wales

2,369

2,438

2,206

2,068

2,044

1,979

1,869

2,269

2,467

2,842

Rhondda Cynon Taf Central South Wales

6,794

6,912

6,734

6,253

6,124

6,012

5,740

6,633

6,192

6,514

Merthyr Tydfil Central South Wales

1,354

1,615

1,485

1,413

1,302

1,275

1,245

1,431

1,328

1,663

Cardiff

8,364

8,492

8,207

8,544

8,457

7,858

8,308

8,917

7,940

10,496

South East Wales There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

12,417

12,673

12,369

11,596

10,884

10,786

11,431

12,487

11,582

14,064

South East Wales There are four formal Education consortia in Wales covering: North Wales, South West and Mid Wales, Central South Wales, South East Wales.

Caerphilly South East Wales

4,129

4,156

4,175

4,033

3,693

3,717

3,518

3,870

3,619

4,254

Blaenau Gwent South East Wales

1,660

1,934

1,811

1,623

1,439

1,426

1,468

1,569

1,372

1,769

Torfaen

1,973

2,064

1,902

1,834

1,670

1,855

2,190

2,386

2,103

2,508

Monmouthshire South East Wales

946

987

975

982

908

841

883

1,032

1,015

1,207

Newport

3,709

3,532

3,506

3,124

3,174

2,947

3,372

3,630

3,473

4,326

Wales

62,583

63,716

62,015

60,230

58,796

56,881

59,397

66,012

64,460

73,024

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Statistical quality information
Open Data

Title

Number of pupils taking free school meals on census day by local authority, region and year

Last update

31/07/2024

Next update

July 2025 (provisional)

Publishing organisation

Welsh Government

Source 1

Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC), Welsh Government

Contact email

school.stats@gov.wales

Designation

National Statistics

Lowest level of geographical disaggregation

Local authorities

Geographical coverage

Wales

Languages covered

English and Welsh

Data licensing

You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence

General description

See other items

Data collection and calculation

Schools’ data are derived from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) returns and STATS 1 returns supplied by schools open on Census day in January each year. The returns are authorised by headteachers and validated by Local Authorities.

Frequency of publication

Annual

Data reference periods

From 2003/04 or more recently if the data item is not available for earlier years.

Rounding applied

None.

Statistical quality

School Census returns are authorised by headteachers and validated by Local Authorities.

Whilst most of the usual data validation processes on the 2020 school census data have taken place, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the data did not undergo the usual final validation process. As part of the Welsh Local Government Finance Settlement, the data is usually returned to local authorities for final validation. Typically, overall numbers of pupils and teachers will not change significantly during this period, with the most likely change being in the characteristics of the pupils themselves e.g. free school meal entitlement. Users should therefore be more cautious when comparing data on characteristics of pupils and staff over time, in particular where small cohorts are involved.

Name

SCHS0237