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Dept for Education and Skills

Answer

Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free (a) nursery and (b) pre-school places were available for (i) three and (ii) four year olds in Crosby in each of the last seven years. [160399] Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested. Figures on the number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four year olds in Sefton local education authority area are shown in the table. The latest figures on provision for three and four year olds in England were published in a Statistical Bulletin Provision for children under five years of age in England--January 2003' which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsqateway/. By April 2004, six months ahead of our original target, all three year olds in England whose parents want one, will have access to a free, part-time early education place. Number of free nursery education places1,2,3 taken up by three and four year old children Sefton Local Education Authority area 1997-2003 Position in January each year _________________________________________________________________________________________________. Three year olds Four year olds 1997 2,100 3,200 1998 2,000 3,300 1999 2,100 3,200 2000 2,400 3,100 2001 2,900 3,200 2002 2,700 3,200 2003 2,700 3,000 _________________________________________________________________________________________________. 1. Part-time equivalent number of free nursery education places taken up by three and four year old children. 2. A free nursery education place comprises five two and a half hour sessions of early years education per week, for thirty-three weeks of the year, usually three terms of eleven weeks. 3. Maintained nursery and primary schools and private, voluntary and independent providers.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

419 c1186-7W;419 c1188-9W; 160399

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Pre-school education Sefton

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk