* Virtually all three-year-old children in England have taken up daycare places in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors, Government statistics reveal. According to the statistics, 99 per cent of three-year-olds (571,300 children) took up places in January 2003 compared with 536,000 (90 per cent of the population) in January 2002. Fifty-six per cent (323,900 children) of this year's group attended private and voluntary provision.
* Virtually all three-year-old children in England have taken up daycare places in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors, Government statistics reveal.
According to the statistics, 99 per cent of three-year-olds (571,300 children) took up places in January 2003 compared with 536,000 (90 per cent of the population) in January 2002. Fifty-six per cent (323,900 children) of this year's group attended private and voluntary provision.
However, the number of four-year-olds taking up free places in maintained nursery and primary schools fell by 5,500 over the same period, from 447,700 in January 2002 to 472,200 in January 2003. But the number of four-year-olds taking free nursery places in private and voluntary provision rose by 20,800 from 89,500 (15 per cent) in January 2002 to 110,300 (19 per cent) in January 2003.
