Pupils in schools in England

Source: Department for Education (DfE), series Headcount of pupils, all school types, England (School characteristics by key stage). Annual, usually early June, from the January school census (4 June 2026 for 2025/26). The DfE public statistics API needs a POST query with the national 'Total' filter options; it is not an ONS time series, so the site cannot read it automatically

What it measures

This is the number of pupils on roll in schools in England on census day in January, across state-funded primary, secondary, special, nursery and alternative provision schools, independent schools and non-maintained special schools. It is a headcount, so a part-time nursery pupil counts as one. It comes from the school census and, for independent schools, the school level annual school census. Children educated at home, in private nurseries outside the school system, or in further education colleges are not included.

How to read it

Pupil numbers move mainly with past births: the DfE links the current fall to the peak in births in 2012 moving through to secondary age, while fewer children start primary school. Check which school types a figure covers; many published totals are state-funded schools only. Independent schools held 560,300 pupils (6.3%) in January 2026. For pupils eligible for free school meals or with special educational needs, the same release gives shares as well as counts. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland run separate censuses on different dates.

Background

The national total in the DfE data set rose from 8,559,540 in 2015/16 to 9,092,073 in 2023/24, then fell to 9,032,426 in 2024/25 and 8,920,227 in January 2026, a drop of 112,200 (1.2%) in a year. Primary pupil numbers peaked in 2018/19 and secondary numbers in 2024/25, according to the DfE. Numbers in state-funded and non-maintained special schools rose 4.8% to 178,000, continuing recent increases. The DfE projects primary and secondary pupil numbers to keep falling to 2030.

Other parts of the UK

Scottish Government: school education statistics · Welsh Government: schools' census results · Department of Education Northern Ireland: school enrolments

How many pupils are in schools in England?

There were 8,920,227 pupils in all schools in England in January 2026, according to the DfE school census published on 4 June 2026. That was 112,200 (1.2%) fewer than a year earlier. The total includes independent schools.

Are school rolls falling in England?

Yes, overall. The DfE reported fewer pupils in primary, secondary and independent schools in January 2026 than a year earlier, driven by fewer births since the 2012 peak. Special school numbers continued to rise. The DfE projects primary and secondary numbers to keep falling to 2030.

How many pupils go to private schools in England?

Independent schools in England had 560,300 pupils in January 2026, 3.8% fewer than a year earlier and the second consecutive annual fall. They accounted for 6.3% of all pupils in the DfE census.

How many school children are there in the UK?

The DfE figure covers England only. For a UK total add the pupil censuses of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, each published by its own government on different dates and with slightly different coverage.

How many pupils get free school meals in England?

In January 2026, 26.5% of pupils, over 2.2 million, were eligible for free school meals, up from 25.7% a year earlier. Eligibility is different from taking a meal on census day, which the DfE reports separately.

Related questions

• How many pupils are in schools in England?
• How many children get free school meals?
• How do I use Explore Education Statistics?
• How do I find school performance tables?
• How many teachers are there in England?

More on this source: Explore education statistics (Department for Education)