Information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds is shown in the tables.
3-year-olds 4-year-olds maintained nursery and primary schools4 other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers5 total 3-year-olds maintained nursery and primary schools6 other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers7 total 4-year-olds 2004 710 120 830 840 40 880 2005 740 130 870 860 40 900 2006 760 100 850 850 40 890 2007 750 130 880 830 40 870 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 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. 3 Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for this parliamentary constituency prior to 2004 is not available. 4 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. 5 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 6 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. 7 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.
3-year-olds 4-year-olds 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 2,400 n/a 2,400 n/a n/a 5,63,700 1998 2,300 n/a 2,300 n/a n/a 5,63,600 1999 2,300 n/a 2,300 n/a n/a 5,63,400 2000 2,600 7340 2,900 n/a n/a 5,63,400 2001 2,400 7400 2,800 n/a n/a 5,63,300 2002 2,400 7860 3,300 3,100 5160 3,200 2003 2,400 7370 2,800 3,000 8150 3,200 2004 2,300 9400 2,700 3,000 10160 3,100 2005 2,300 9370 2,700 2,800 10150 3,000 2006 2,300 9370 2,700 2,700 10140 2,800 2007 2,300 9390 2,700 2,800 10140 2,900 n/a = not available. 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 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. 3 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. 4 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School 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 For the years 1997-2001, four-year-old sub national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. 7 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. 8 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 School Census. 9 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 10 Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census.
The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 19/2007 “Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2007”, available on my Department’s website:
www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/.