There are more academies open than maintained schools for the first time this year, according to the latest government data.

The Department for Education has published a breakdown of schools, pupils and their characteristics taken from its latest census data for this year.

Here are six key findings.

1. Academies outnumber maintained schools

The figures show that academies outnumber maintained schools for the first time.

The data for 2024-25 shows there were 11,280 academies and 10,743 maintained schools. Last year, there were 10,640 academies and 11,392 maintained schools.

In January of this year, almost half (46.1 per cent) of all schools - including independent schools - were academies, and more than half of all pupils (58.4 per cent) were attending an academy.

And 43.8 per cent of all schools are maintained schools.

More than eight in 10 secondary schools (83 per cent) are academies or free schools, educating 82.7 per cent of pupils. 

The proportion is still much lower for primary schools, where 46.1 per cent are academies or free schools, accounting for 47.3 per cent of the primary school population.

Almost half (49.6 per cent) of state-funded special schools are academies or free schools, accounting for 46.4 per cent of special school pupils.

2. Rise in pupils eligible for free school meals

The data shows that almost 2.2 million pupils - 25.7 per cent of the pupil population - are eligible for free school meals, up from 24.6 per cent in 2024. 

In 2014-15 this figure was 14.3 per cent.

The DfE announced last night that all children living in households in receipt of universal credit will be eligible for free school meals from the start of the 2026 school year.

Since April 2018, transitional protections have been in place which meant that pupils eligible for free school meals on or after that date retain their free school meals eligibility even if their circumstances change. 

3. Rise in numbers in alternative provision

The number of pupils in state-funded AP schools has increased by 4.9 per cent to 16,600. This includes pupils placed by schools and local authorities, and whose sole or main registration is in a state-funded AP school.

The number of pupils in AP decreased between 2017-18 and 2021-22, but has since increased and returned to 2017-18 pupil numbers, the department said.

Two-thirds (66.6 per cent) of pupils in AP schools are male, but this proportion has been decreasing since 2021-22.

There has also been a marked rise in pupils placed in non state-funded alternative provision. 

The number of placements in AP has increased by 24 per cent this year to 59,700. The number of open placements has more than doubled since 2017-18. Some pupils will have multiple placements. 

4. Infant class sizes the lowest since 2009

The data shows the average class size for infant pupils - those in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 - has decreased.

Infant class size has fallen slightly to 26.2 from 26.6 in 2024, amid a fall in the birth rate. The DfE said this is the lowest infant class size since 2009. There is a statutory limit of 30 pupils in an infant class.

The data also shows 1.6 million infant pupils were recorded as taking a free school meal on census day.

Of those, almost 1.3 million are not normally eligible for FSM through the criteria above and received them under the Universal Infant FSM policy. This is a similar pattern to previous years, according to the department.

5. Overall pupil numbers down

There has been a decrease of 59,600 pupils across all school types from the previous year, with a total of just over 9 million pupils. This represents a decrease of 0.7 per cent.

This figure includes all state-funded and independent schools.

The number of schools has increased slightly, by 26 to 24,479.

The data published today combines information from the January school census, the school-level annual school census, the general hospital school census and the alternative provision census.

6. Private school numbers down after VAT change

The number of pupils in private schools in England has fallen following the introduction of VAT on fees.

There were around 11,000 fewer pupils in private schools in January 2025 compared with the same point last year, dropping from 593,486 to 582,477.

The government’s policy to impose 20 per cent VAT on private school fees was introduced on 1 January.

However, the DfE has said the 1.9 per cent drop in pupil numbers remains “firmly within historical patterns seen for over 20 years”.

A government spokesperson said: “Today’s figures shatter the myth that charging VAT on private education would trigger an exodus.”

They added that this was in line with the broader demographic trends and changes in the state sector, “with almost no change in secondaries and a 1.3 per cent reduction in state-funded primary school pupil numbers”.

You can now get the UK’s most trusted source of education news in a mobile app. Get Tes magazine on Android. The iOS version is coming soon