The Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey collects information on the ages of children in child care and early years providers in England. The following tables show the number and proportion of children attending child care settings for each year for which data are available. Data in the following tables are from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Childcare and Early Years Providers Surveys. Data are not available separately for those aged under one year. In the 2005 survey data are only available for two age bands: under two, and between two and four years. Data for earlier years are not available.
Type of provider Under 2 years 2 years 3 years 4 years Full day care 167,900 203,100 249,700 144,400 Full day care in children’s centres 14,300 18,800 19,700 11,000 Sessional care 5,200 63,500 158,600 93,700 After school 2,800 4,100 11,300 32,000 Holiday clubs 4,200 5,800 10,600 19,200 Childminder 53,300 39,700 33,600 26,500 Nursery schools1 — — 17,600 20,600 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes1 — — 119,200 214,000 Primary schools with reception but no nursery — — — 83,800
Percentage Type of provider Under 2 years 2 years 3 years 4 years Full day care 13 34 42 25 Full day care in children’s centres 1 3 3 2 Sessional care 0 10 27 16 After school 0 1 2 6 Holiday clubs 0 1 2 3 Childminder 4 7 6 5 Nursery schools — — 3 4 Primary schools with nursery and reception classes — — 20 37 Primary schools with reception but no nursery — — — 15
Type of provider Under 2 years 2 years 3 years 4 years Full day care 169,200 206,600 259,900 174,100 Sessional care 98,700 189,100 349,300 230,800 Before school 36,700 44,900 65,400 55,600 After school 41,000 50,300 73,400 66,400 Holiday care 55,400 68,400 91,700 73,100 Childminders 47,300 37,600 33,500 24,000 Primary school with nursery1 — — 96,000 16,700 Primary school with reception1 — — — 17,100 Maintained nursery1 — — 14,900 1,400
Percentage Type of provider Under 2 years 2 years 3 years 4 years Full day care 13.1 32.9 42.9 29.5 Sessional care 7.6 30.1 57.6 39.2 Before school 2.8 7.2 10.8 9.4 After school 3.2 8.0 12.1 11.3 Holiday care 4.3 10.9 15.1 12.4 Childminder 3.7 6.0 5.5 4.1 Primary schools with nursery1 — — 15.8 2.8 Primary schools with reception1 — — — 2.9 Maintained nursery1 — — 2.5 0.2
Type of provider Under 2 years old 2 to 4 years old Full day care 146,400 491,400 Sessional day care 9,000 354,000 Out of school 10,700 79,300 Childminders 47,600 82,800
Percentage Type of provider Under 2 years old 2 to 4 years old Full day care 11.5 27.5 Sessional day care 0.7 19.8 Out of school 0.8 4.4 Childminders 3.8 4.6 1 These providers were only asked to provide data on the age groups where proportions are presented. Notes: 1. Children may attend more than one provider and therefore will be included in the figures and proportions for more than one of the provider types in the tables. For this reason some columns total more than 100 per cent. 2. Sessional care: defined as “facilities where children under eight attend day are for no more than five sessions a week, each session being less than a continuous period of four hours in any day. Where two sessions are offered in any one day, there is a break between sessions with no children in the care of the provider.”
The extension to the free early education entitlement for three and four year-olds from 12.5 hours to 15 hours a week will be delivered, in all local authorities, by September 2010.
An offer of free early education to 15 per cent. of the most disadvantaged two-year-olds and their families will begin to be delivered in all local authorities by September 2009. We will be testing offers of both 10 and 15 hours in different local authorities, while we evaluate the best approach to further roll out of the offer.
Decisions regarding the pace and scale of wider roll out will be taken based on evidence gathered from the pilot and in the light of wider fiscal considerations as part of the next comprehensive spending review.