HC Deb 17 July 1984 vol 64 cc102-3W
17. Mr. Wood

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science how many pupils under the age of five years were in school, including nursery schools, in 1975 and 1983; and what are those figures as a percentage of the year group.

Sir Keith Joseph

There were 404,000 pupils under five receiving education in maintained primary and nursery schools in England in January 1975, representing 28 per cent. of the population of three and four-year-olds. The corresponding figures for January 1983 are 458,000 pupils, and 40 per cent. These figures exclude "rising fives".