Summary statistics for schools in Scotland no. 7: 2016 edition

5. Early Learning and Childcare

99% of 3 & 4 year olds are registered for LA funded ELC (97% in 2015)
9% of 2 year olds are registered for LA funded ELC (7% in 2015)

Table 5.1 shows that there were 96,961 registrations for ELC local authority funded places in September 2016 (97,262 in 2015). This suggests around 99% of eligible 3 and 4 year olds were registered (97% in 2015). Children registered to receive local authority funded ELC at more than one centre may be counted more than once, and so this will overestimate true uptake. Three year olds accessing a funded place prior to the term after their third birthday will also overestimate this figure.

Table 5.1: Funded registrations ⁽¹⁾ for early learning and childcare at local authority and partnership centres, September 2016

(1) This is a snapshot of registrations at census week (19-23 September 2016). It does not include children who were registered between census week and the end of December.

(2) Refers to academic year - 3 and 4 year olds were previously referred to as 'ante pre-school' and 'pre-school' respectively.

(3) Eligible children are estimated from National Records of Scotland population projections. For 3 year olds, eligibility is assumed as at the term after the child's 3rd birthday.

(4) Refers to children who are eligible to attend primary school but have deferred entry and remain in ELC.

(5) A small proportion of Edinburgh's ELC returns (17 centres) have been estimated by the local authority as the centres did not return their data.

Nine per cent of 2 year olds are registered for ELC, compared with 7 per cent in 2015. Around a quarter of 2 year olds are now eligible for funded ELC through the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 and through subsequent secondary legislation which commenced in August 2015.

Table 5.2 below shows that 71 per cent of children at eligible ELC centres had access to a GTCS registered teacher during census week, down from 73 per cent the previous year. This includes children whose access was provided by external teachers on an ad hoc or occasional basis. Some local authorities only ensure access to teachers for 3 and 4 year olds. Since 2011, teachers only form part of the graduate workforce as a Bachelor's degree in Childhood Practice was introduced.

Table 5.2: Percentage of children with access to a GTCS registered teacher by local authority, September 2016 ⁽¹⁾

(1) See background note 4 and the glossary for definitions of a GTCS teacher and ad hoc teacher.

(2) A small proportion of Edinburgh's ELC returns (17 centres) have been estimated by the local authority as the centres did not return their data.