Since April 2004 all three and four-year-olds have been entitled to a free part-time early education place for 12.5 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year. From 2010, this offer will be extended from 12.5 to 15 hours per week for 38 weeks of the year.
Information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds is shown in the table.
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 214,200 n/a 214,200 n/a n/a 5,6576,200 1998 222,000 n/a 222,000 n/a n/a 5,6591,500 1999 225,700 n/a 225,700 n/a n/a 5,6593,800 2000 229,900 740,300 270,200 483,700 114,800 5,6598,500 2001 226,600 7108,800 335,400 482,800 106,500 5,6589,300 2002 223,500 7184,700 408,300 477,700 5106,800 584,500 2003 218,700 7226,100 444,800 472,200 8109,600 581,800 2004 215,300 9246,200 461,600 461,100 10110,000 571,200 2005 214,300 9259,800 474,100 449,500 10104,400 553,900 2006 215,500 9268,000 483,500 442,200 10104,000 546,200 2007 221,000 9284,700 505,700 442,400 10106,300 548,700 2008 223,400 9303,200 526,600 459,600 10112,000 571,500 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 1997-99, four year old 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) 12/2008 “Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2008”, available on my Department’s website
www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/.