Department for Education

Academic year 2025/26

Schools, pupils and their characteristics

School and pupil statistics for England including age, gender, free school meals (FSM), ethnicity, English as additional language (EAL), class size.

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• Published: 4 June 2026

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This page provides a range of routes to access data from within this statistical release to suit different users.

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• Featured tables

  Featured tables are pre-prepared tables created from a statistical release's data sets. They provide statistics that are regularly requested by users and can be adapted to switch between different categories.

• Data sets: download or create tables

  Data sets present comprehensive open data from which users can create their own tables using the EES table tool or download a zipped CSV file.

• Supporting files

  Supporting files provide an area for teams to supply non-standard files for download by users where required.

• Data guidance

  Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

• Data catalogue

  Alternatively use our data catalogue to search and filter for specific data sets from this release or our entire library, providing full data summaries, data previews and access to API data sets.

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Featured tables

Featured tables are pre-prepared tables created from a statistical release's data sets. They provide statistics that are regularly requested by some users (such as local councils, regional government or government policy teams) and can be adapted to switch between different categories (such as different geographies, time periods or characteristics where available).

16 featured tables

• Alternative provision - by sex - 2017/18 to 2025/26

  Table showing the number of pupils in other local authority funded alternative provision from 2017/18 to 2025/26, by sex

  View, edit or download

• First language of pupils by school type, 2024/25 and 2025/26

  Number and percentage of pupils

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• FSM eligibility by ethnicity 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Percentage of pupils FSM eligible

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• FSM Eligibility by National Curriculum Year Group 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Percentage of pupils FSM eligible

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• Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals by region, England, 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals

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• FSM eligibility by school type, England, 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals by school type

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• Infant average class sizes (reception plus KS1), England, 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Average size of infant classes, infant constitutes reception plus KS1

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• Infant classes by size of class, England,2023/24 and 2025/26

  Number of infant (reception plus KS1) classes and pupils by size band of class

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• KS2 average class sizes, England, 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Average number of pupils per class in Key Stage 2

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• KS2 classes by size of class, England, 2023/24 and 2025/26

  Number of classes and pupils by size band of class

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• Primary and secondary average class sizes 2015/16 and 2025/26

  Average class sizes

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• Pupil ethnicity, 2015/16 and 2025/26

  Number and percentage of pupils

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• Universal Infant Free School Meal (UIFSM) uptake by FSM Eligibility, 2015/16 and 2025/26

  Number of infant (reception plus key stage 1) pupils taking a free school meal on census day, by whether or not they were FSM eligible under the income criteria

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• Number of schools and number of pupils attending by type of school 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Includes pupil counts and number of schools

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• Headcount of pupils, by school type, 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Headcount of pupils and number of schools - includes state-funded schools, non-maintained special schools and independent school

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• Young carer, 2022/23 and 2025/26

  Number of pupils recorded as young carers by schools, first included in school census January 2023 to 2026

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Data sets: download or create tables

Data sets present comprehensive open data from which users can create their own tables using the EES table tool or download a zipped CSV file.

21 data sets available for download

Download all (ZIP)

• Pupil characteristics - number of pupils by age and sex

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools, pupil referral units and independent schools.

  • Number of rows: 773,769
  • Indicators:
    • Full time equivalent
    • Full time pupils
    • Headcount
  • Filters:
    • Pupil age
    • Pupil sex
    • School type
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Pupil characteristics - number of pupils by national curriculum year group and sex

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools, pupil referral units and independent schools.

  • Number of rows: 663,957
  • Indicators:
    • Full time equivalent
    • Full time pupils
    • Headcount
  • Filters:
    • Pupil sex
    • School type
    • Year group
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Pupil characteristics - number of pupils by ethnicity and language

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools, pupil referral units and independent schools.

  • Number of rows: 362,710
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
    • Percent
  • Filters:
    • Ethnicity
    • First language
    • School type
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Pupil characteristics - number of pupils by fsm eligibility

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools, pupil referral units and independent schools.

  • API data set ID: 019e7404-df19-71ce-90a8-f2e3db7dd7fa
  • Number of rows: 95,323
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
    • Percentage of pupils
  • Filters:
    • Breakdown of free-school meals groupings
    • Pupil eligibility for free school meals
    • School type
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Class sizes - state-funded primary and secondary schools

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Number of pupils and classes in England, by class type, including average class size and class size distribution in state-funded primary and secondary schools.

  • API data set ID: 019e7401-70d1-73ca-9855-bd7258e5a1ca
  • Number of rows: 45,552
  • Indicators:
    • Average class size
    • Number of classes
    • Number of pupils
  • Filters:
    • Size of class
    • Type of class
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Alternative provision - local authority funded placements - placement counts

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number of pupils in local authority funded alternative provision.

  • Number of rows: 3,000
  • Indicators:
    • Number of placements
  • Filters:
    • Type of setting
  • Time period: 2022/23 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Alternative provision - local authority funded placements - setting type and placement reason

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number of placements in local authority funded alternative provision by placement reason and setting type.

  • Number of rows: 11,566
  • Indicators:
    • Number of placements
    • Percentage of placements
    • Total placements
  • Filters:
    • Reason for AP placement
    • Type of setting
  • Time period: 2017/18 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Alternative provision - local authority funded placements - pupil counts

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number of pupils in local authority funded alternative provision

  • Number of rows: 152,565
  • Indicators:
    • Headcount
  • Filters:
    • Ethnicity
    • Free school meals
    • Pupil age
  • Time period: 2017/18 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• FSM eligibility by ethnicity or national curriculum year group

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and pupil referral units by free school meal eligibility and ethnicity or year group.

  • Number of rows: 553,987
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
    • Percentage
    • Total headcount
  • Filters:
    • Characteristics
    • FSM Eligibility
    • School type
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM)

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Information on the take up of Universal Infant Free School Meals, including by FSM eligibility.

  • Number of rows: 42,399
  • Indicators:
    • Number of infant pupils taking a meal
    • Percentage of infant pupils taking a meal
    • Total number of infant pupils
  • Filters:
    • FSM eligibility
    • Lunch taken
    • School type
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• Young carers by national curriculum year group

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Pupils in state-funded nursery, primary, secondary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and pupil referral units who have been identified as a young carer.

  • Number of rows: 68,588
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
    • Percentage
    • Total headcount
  • Filters:
    • Known to be a young carer
    • National Curriculum year
    • School type
  • Time period: 2022/23 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School arranged alternative provision - by characteristics

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number of pupils in school arranged alternative provision, by pupil characteristics.

  • Number of rows: 73,911
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
  • Filters:
    • Pupil characteristic
    • Type of setting
  • Time period: 2022/23 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School arranged alternative provision - by placement reason

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Number of pupils in school arranged alternative provision, by reason for placement.

  • Number of rows: 16,376
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
  • Filters:
    • Placement Reason
    • Type of setting
  • Time period: 2022/23 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School characteristics by year, sex and attendance pattern

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Number of schools and pupils in England, by type, phase, denomination, admissions policy, sex, urban or rural classification and academy status, including pupil counts by national curriculum year group.

  • API data set ID: 019e7403-0e46-7122-9bc2-3252d775517c
  • Number of rows: 2,846,580
  • Indicators:
    • Count of pupils in early years 1 year group
    • Count of pupils in early years 2 year group
    • Count of pupils in nursery 1 year group
  • Filters:
    • Academy indicator
    • Attendance type
    • Denomination
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School characteristics by age, sex and attendance pattern

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Number of schools and pupils in England, by type, phase, denomination, admissions policy, sex, urban or rural classification and academy status, including pupil counts by age.

  • API data set ID: 019e7401-bedb-711a-ae3d-836fbca519f3
  • Number of rows: 2,846,580
  • Indicators:
    • Count of pupils aged 0
    • Count of pupils aged 1
    • Count of pupils aged 10
  • Filters:
    • Academy indicator
    • Attendance type
    • Denomination
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School characteristics by key stage

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Number of schools and pupils in England, by type, phase, denomination, admissions policy, urban or rural classification and academy status, including pupil counts by key stage.

  • API data set ID: 019e7402-bf2d-7213-925d-3f64030f78cc
  • Number of rows: 2,846,580
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
    • Number of schools
  • Filters:
    • Academy indicator
    • Denomination
    • Pupil key stage
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School characteristics by first language

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Number of schools and pupils in England, by type, phase, denomination, admissions policy, urban or rural classification and academy status, including pupil counts by first language.

  • API data set ID: 019e7444-74bf-776b-ac5d-77b929ebfcba
  • Number of rows: 853,974
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
    • Number of schools
  • Filters:
    • Academy indicator
    • Denomination
    • Pupil first language
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School characteristics by FSM eligiblity

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Number of schools and pupils in England, by type, phase, denomination, admissions policy, urban or rural classification and academy status, including pupil counts by free school meal eligibility and breakdown.

  • API data set ID: 019e4b0c-1021-772b-ad78-48d5e411a2ff
  • Number of rows: 1,992,606
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
    • Number of schools
  • Filters:
    • Academy indicator
    • Breakdown of free-school meals groupings
    • Denomination
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School characteristics by boarders

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Number of schools and pupils in England, by type, phase, denomination, admissions policy, urban or rural classification and academy status, including pupil counts by sex and boarding status.

  • API data set ID: 019e7442-fec1-7393-bfec-a87aeff2286d
  • Number of rows: 1,707,948
  • Indicators:
    • Number of pupils
    • Number of schools
  • Filters:
    • Academy indicator
    • Denomination
    • Pupil boarding status
  • Time period: 2015/16 to 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School level

  Available by API

  School

  Number and percentage of pupils in England at school level, by phase, school type, admissions policy, sex, urban or rural classification, and other breakdowns including age and denomination.

  • API data set ID: 019e7403-4523-7749-b530-159f451dd83c
  • Number of rows: 5,071,293
  • Indicators:
    • Breakdown topic
    • Number of pupils
    • Percentage of pupils
  • Filters:
    • Admissions policy
    • All through school description
    • Attendance
  • Time period: 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

• School level - Nurseries in Mainstream Schools

  Available by API

  Local authority, National, Parliamentary constituency, Regional

  Number of nurseries within mainstream schools in England.

  • API data set ID: 019e8808-c9a4-7483-972c-ccfb11da6863
  • Number of rows: 704
  • Indicators:
    • Number of nurseries within mainstream schools in England
  • Time period: 2025/26

  Data set information page
  Create table

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Supporting files

Supporting files provide an area for teams to supply non-standard files for download by users where required.

2 supporting data files

• School level underlying data 2026

  One row per school at January 2026 - includes school information and pupil characteristics including headcount, year group, age, sex, FSM, ethnicity, language data at school level, and young carers.

  Download (csv, 22 Mb)

• School level underlying data - class sizes - 2025/26

  One row per school at January 2026 - includes class size data for infants and key stage 2, and primary/secondary split

  Download (csv, 10 Mb)

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Data guidance

Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

Description

This document describes the data included in the ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ National Statistics release’s underlying data files. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government License (opens in a new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data (opens in a new tab) (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab).

The publication methodology, available on the publication report, should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

This release provides information on the number of schools and pupils in:

• state-funded primary schools
• state-funded secondary schools
• state-funded special schools
• non-maintained special schools
• pupil referral units
• independent schools
• local authority alternative provision

It includes information on:

• pupil numbers, including headcount and fte, gender, ethnicity, language and free school meals eligibility
• school numbers, including school type, academy status, denomination, admission policy, urban/rural and gender

The information is based on data collected via the pupil level spring school census, school level annual school census, general hospital schools census and alternative provision census.

File formats and conventions

Rounding

These datasets have not had suppression applied.

Conventions

The following convention is used throughout the underlying data. 

‘x’ Not applicable

‘z’ Unknown

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Schools, pupils and their characteristics statistics and data:

Schools and Pupils Statistics Team

Email: schools.statistics@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Schools and Pupils Statistics Team

Press office

If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

Public enquiries

If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Phone: 0370 000 2288

Opening times

Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30pm (closed on bank holidays)