This page contains the following guidance for completing the January 2026 Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC). It will be updated as and when we receive updates from the Welsh government.
PWYSIG / IMPORTANT: Urgent action required: Updated guidance on recording ALN provision status of learners in PLASC and EOTAS census returns see the documents below.
- Important Dates
- Known Issues
- Resolved Issues
- Welsh Government Guidance
- Bromcom Guidance
- Book onto a Live Webinar
- Watch Webinar Recordings
- Additional Guidance
Access: The permissions required to run and troubleshoot the PLASC are found in the Census Module of Config>Setup>Roles and Permissions. Each tick box on the right determines which functions are visible/available on the page for users with the selected Role.
See also: How to get started with Roles & Permissions
Important Dates
- Census Date – Tuesday 20th January 2026
- Deadline Date – Friday 6th March 2026
- Returns must be submitted to the Local Authority via DEWi. Each Local Authority sets its own deadline for submission of school returns. Please check with the relevant Local Authority for their submission deadline.
Known Issues
12/02/2026
- CAS-459429-X4V6B9 – PLASC – WelshMediumEducation tag value not changing when a new census is generated. Information not reflecting the “Medium in which Welsh is taught” field in the census file
03/02/2026
- CAS-459140-W8Z8G4 – Extra unrequired columns included in the XML file for the PLASC for Primary Schools. This is causing error when customer upload the file to DEWI
23//01/2026
- CAS-458034-C6P4M0 – Primaries Only – the wording for “Breakfast & Milk” will be updated to make it clear that this section is collecting information for the week before Census reference date, per Welsh Government guidance
Resolved Issues
25/02/2026
- CAS-463427-K8S5Y0 – PLASC – Error 1450 More than one pupil record with the same UPN – Incorrectly triggered for permanently excluded but re-instated students
23/02/2026:
- CAS-461202-K4P6Q7 – PLASC (Special Schools only) errors 11237 & 11241 being triggered incorrectly due to the required tags missing from the PLASC census file, despite relevant data being present in the MIS. Concerns Special Schools having teachers with relevant “Special School Teacher” qualifications.
19/02/2026:
- CAS-462519-K5Q3N4 – PLASC Spec (Welsh Language – Pupil)
12/02/2026 :
- Welsh Gov error in the summary table
- PLASC Summary Report – Data not reflecting to tables 5.1 & 5.2 regarding Additional Learning Needs (ALN)
04/02/2026 :
- CAS-457956-W9R9P6 – PLASC Summary table 2.5 – Incorrect Welsh Language and return file (summary table and file both look to reference incorrect Welsh teaching option)
- CAS-458351-S1V4K0 – PLASC Wales – primary school class size exceptions issue – (The i panel on the class information panel contains the incorrect code meanings for the pupil ratio above 30)’
- CAS-458141-V2X7M0 – PLASC – errors showing for Milk and Breakfast Special School
27/01/2026 :
- CAS-455150-C6F0Y2 – Census PLASC Part Time Attendance Indicator shows false when should be true – This is when a student has AM or PM session only recorded in Key Data
26/01/2026 :
- CAS-456812-Q0K6S2 – PLASC Census Error 3390
- CAS-457874-F5V1R7 – Schools that are of the type PRU (Pupil Referral Unit) are unable to generate a PLASC. It is expected that PRUs do not run a PLASC, so this feature will be hidden for that School Type to avoid confusion.
23/01/2026 :
- CAS-457003-L7H8W0 – ALN Type – Incorrect Welsh Lookups (PLASC) All of Wales
22/01/2026 :
- Category column under Class Information grid. Correction to the PLASC Class Information panel so that it will only appear for primary and middle schools.
15/01/2026:
- CAS-454643-V0S8K0 – “Level of Welsh” not pulling through to Class Panel
Welsh Government Guidance
This guide should be used in conjunction with guidance which is made available to all schools via the Welsh Government.
IMPORTANT: It is the school’s responsibility to review the Welsh Government guidance to ensure all required information is submitted as part of the PLASC.
- For the Welsh Government guidance on PLASC, please see here.
Bromcom Guidance
Click on the links below for Bromcom PLASC January 2026 guidance.
PLASC 2026 Error Resolutions Guide
Book onto a Live Webinar
Reserve a place on the free Census Webinars by selecting the relevant links below.
Pre Census Checks
Primary Dates
- Thursday 8th January – 1.30pm – 2.45pm
- Wednesday 14th January – 9.30am – 10.45am
Secondary Dates
- Tuesday 6th January – 1.30pm – 2.45pm
- Tuesday 13th January – 9.30am – 10.45am
How to Generate a Census
Primary Dates
- Thursday 8th January – 3.15pm – 4.15pm
- Wednesday 14th January – 11.15am – 12.15pm
Secondary Dates
- Tuesday 6th January – 3.15pm – 4.15pm
- Tuesday 13th January – 11.15am – 12.15pm
Watch Webinar Recordings
Click on the links below to watch a recording of the PLASC 2026 sessions. Name and email address must be entered to access the recording.
Primary How to Generate a Census
Secondary How to Generate a Census
Additional Guidance
For Census Reporting see How to View Census Reports
For Attendance Reporting see How to Access Attendance Analysis Exports and How to Access Attendance Reports