Enabling schools to extend their early years offer to include two-year-olds was met by horror by some in the sector. Four years on and while more than two-thirds of disadvantaged two-year-olds are accessing places, the majority are in private, voluntary and independent settings, with schools remaining hesitant to open their doors to younger children.
The number of funded two-year-olds in maintained nursery schools and nursery classes in primary schools is gradually rising, according to the latest Government figures published in June 2016, but remains low. Private and voluntary providers care for 91 per cent of eligible two-year-olds, compared with just nine per cent in primary schools and nursery schools.
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