The available information is shown in the table. Information relating to 2007 will be available in May.
3-year-olds 4-year-olds Total 3-year-olds Total 4-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools2 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Number Percentage Maintained nursery and primary schools3 Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Number Percentage 1997 214,200 4— 214,200 33.8 4— 4— 5576,200 88.9 1998 222,000 4— 222,000 35.4 4— 4— 5591, 500 93.2 1999 225,700 4— 225,700 37.0 4— 4— 5593,800 94.7 2000 229,900 640,300 270,200 44.1 4— 4— 5598,500 97.7 2001 226,600 6108,800 335,400 55.4 4— 4— 5589,300 96.2 2002 223,500 6184,700 408,300 68.8 477,700 5106,820 584,500 97.3 2003 218,700 6226,100 444,800 76.9 472,200 7109,600 581,800 98.1 2004 215,300 8246,200 461 ,600 82.0 461,100 9110,000 571,200 98.5 2005 214,300 8259,800 474,000 85.1 449,500 9104,400 553,900 98.3 2006 215,500 8268,000 483,500 85.9 442,200 9104,000 546,200 98.0 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. 2 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census. 3 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census. 4 Not available. 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 31 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 August, which is available on the Department's website
www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/
As at 31 March 1997 there were 637,700 registered child care places1 in England. The equivalent figure for 2006 is 1,254,400.
The latest figures on registered child care providers and places are available on the following website, www.ofsted.gov.uk/
1 Local authorities were responsible for the registration and inspection of children’s day care facilities until these responsibilities were transferred to Ofsted in September 2001.
With the introduction of the National Day Care Standards and the transfer of responsibilities for registration and inspection of child care providers from local authority social service departments to Ofsted in September 2001, child care places were classified according to the type of day care provided. Previously, child care places were classified according to the type of provider. The figures for 1997 include child minders, day nurseries and out of school clubs. The figures for 2006 include child minders, full day care and out of school care.