The available information on the number of part-time funded places filled by three and four year olds in Suffolk, Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire local authority areas is shown in the following tables.
Since April 2004 all three and four year olds have been entitled to a free, good quality, early education place consisting of 12.5 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. This will be extended to 15 hours a week by 2010 and by that time, parents who wish to do so will also be able to access the free entitlement flexibly across a minimum of three days.
Part-time funded places filled by 3 year olds Part-time funded places filled by 4 year olds Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools3 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3 year olds Maintained nursery and primary schools4 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 4 year olds 1997 610 — 610 — — 57,400 1998 560 — 560 — — 57,600 1999 720 — 720 — — 58,000 2000 630 60 600 — — 58,000 2001 860 6480 1,300 — — 57,600 2002 1,000 63,200 4,200 6,300 51,600 7,900 2003 1,100 63,300 4,400 6,100 71,700 7,800 2004 1,300 84,300 5,600 5,800 91,600 7,300 2005 1,300 84,400 5,700 5,800 91,500 7,300 2006 1,300 84,400 5,700 5,500 91,500 7,000 1 A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. 2 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate. 3 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools’ Census. 4 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools’ Census. 5 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 6 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 7 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools’ Census. 8 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31st December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools’ Census. 9 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools’ Census.
Part-time funded places filled by 3 year olds Part-time funded places filled by 4 year olds Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools3 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3 year olds Maintained nursery and primary schools4 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 4 year olds 1997 1,500 — 1,500 — — 58,200 1998 1,800 — 1,800 — — 58,400 1999 1,900 — 1,900 — — 58,500 2000 1,900 60 1,900 — — 58,900 2001 1,900 6130 2,100 — — 58,400 2002 1,800 63,000 4,700 6,600 51,900 8,400 2003 1,800 64,300 6,200 6,500 51,900 8,400 2004 2,100 84,400 6,500 6,300 91,800 8,200 2005 2,000 84,100 6,100 6,200 91,700 7,900 2006 2,200 84,700 6,900 5,900 91,800 7,700 1 A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. 2 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate. 3 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools’ Census. 4 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools’ Census. 5 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 6 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 7 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools’ Census. 8 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31st December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools’ Census. 9 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools’ Census.
Part-time funded places filled by 3 year olds Part-time funded places filled by 4 year olds Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools3 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3 year olds Maintained nursery and primary schools4 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 4 year olds 1997 1,600 — 1,600 — — 514,000 1998 1,900 — 1,900 — — 515,000 1999 2,000 — 2,000 — — 515,200 2000 2,000 60 2,000 — — 515,100 2001 2,000 6220 2,200 — — 515,100 2002 2,000 66,700 8,700 10,400 54,700 5 15,100 2003 2,000 69,500 11,500 10,400 74,600 7 15,000 2004 2,000 89,700 11,700 10,500 94,500 9 15,000 2005 1,900 810,000 11,900 9,900 94,500 9 14,400 2006 2,000 9,900 11,900 9,900 94,200 9 14,100 1 A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. 2 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate. 3 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools’ Census. 4 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools’ Census. 5 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 6 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 7 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools’ Census. 8 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31st December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools’ Census. 9 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools’ Census.
Part-time funded places filled by 3 year olds Part-time funded places filled by 4 year olds Position in January each year Maintained nursery and primary schools3 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3 year olds Maintained nursery and primary schools4 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 4 year olds 1997 1,100 — 1,100 — — 55,800 1998 1,100 — 1,100 — — 56,500 1999 1,200 — 1,200 — — 56,300 2000 1,100 60 1,100 — — 56,400 2001 1,200 6870 2,000 — — 55,900 2002 1,200 61.500 2,700 4,700 51,600 6,200 2003 1,100 62,700 3,800 4,600 71,600 6,200 2004 1,000 82,800 3,800 4,500 91,600 6,100 2005 980 84,000 4,900 4,400 91,300 5,700 2006 1,100 84,000 5,100 4,500 91,500 6,000 1 A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. 2 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate. 3 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools’ Census. 4 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools’ Census. 5 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 6 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 7 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools’ Census. 8 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31st December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools’ Census. 9 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools’ Census.
The latest figures on early education places for three and four year olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 32/2006 ‘Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2006 (final)’ in September, which is available on my Department’s website at:
www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.