§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the number and percentage of four-year-olds in(a) maintained nursery schools and nursery classes, (b) reception classes in primary schools, (c) private or voluntary sector provision and (c) pre-school provision overall. [9059]
§ Mr. Robin SquireThe following table shows the breakdown between schools for four-year-olds born between I January 1990 and 31 August 1990. It excludes both those children who were three years old on 31 August 1994 but who were four years old on 1 January 1995, and those who were four years old on the 31 August 1994 but who were five years old on 1 January 1995—the rising fives.
691WA separate estimate of all children who were four years old on 1 January 1995 suggests that at that time 517,000 four-year-olds—78 per cent. of all children aged four—were attending maintained schools. We estimate that approximately 125,000 more—19 per cent. of all children aged four—were in some form of private or voluntary provision.
Pupils aged four years of age in schools in England: January 1995 School type Pupils Percentage of population1 Maintained nursery schools and nursery classes 46,058 10 Infant classes in primary schools2 342,395 78 Independent schools2 18,893 4 All schools4 409,451 93 1Full-time and part-time pupils aged four years of age at 31 August 1994 excluding pupils of compulsory school age in January 1995—the rising fives—expressed as a percentage of the relevant portion of the population aged four at 31 August 1994. 2Includes reception and other classes. 3Incudes pupils in direct grant nursery schools. 4Includes pupils in maintained nursery, primary and special schools, non-maintained special schools and independent schools.