All 3 and 4-year-olds, and eligible disadvantaged 2-year-olds, are entitled to 570 hours of government-funded early years provision a year. This is typically taken as 15 hours a week over 38 weeks of the year (though it is also possible to take fewer hours over more weeks), and is referred to in these statistics as the 15-hour entitlement.
Children aged 3 and 4 with eligible working parents are entitled to an additional 570 hours, taking their total entitlement to 1,140 hours a year. This is typically taken as 30 hours a week over 38 weeks of the year (though it is also possible to take fewer hours over more weeks) and is referred to in these statistics as the 30-hour entitlement.
Children’s age for each reporting year is defined as how old they were on the preceding 31 December. For example, 2-year-olds for the 2023 reporting year were aged 2 on 31 December 2022.
The series started in:
- 2011 for 3 and 4-year-olds and the 15-hour entitlement
- 2015 for 2-year-olds and the 15-hour entitlement (with the full eligibility criteria)
- 2018 for 3 and 4-year-olds and the 30-hour entitlement.
This corresponds with when figures were first collected or when comparable figures first became available.
15-hour entitlement for eligible disadvantaged 2-year-olds
2-year-olds are eligible for the 15-hour entitlement if their parents (or the sole parent in a lone parent household) are in receipt of certain income-related benefits or have no recourse to public funds. 2-year-olds are also eligible for non-economic reasons including if they have an Education Health and Care (EHC) plan, receive disability living allowance, are looked after by a local authority, or have left care under an adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order.
The number of 2-year-olds eligible for the 15-hour entitlement is estimated using the number of households with 2-year-olds that are in receipt of income-related benefits but excludes children eligible for the other reasons listed above. Therefore, the true number of 2-year-olds eligible is under-estimated. In turn, take-up of the 15-hour entitlement for 2-year-olds is over-estimated. However, the size of this over-estimate is expected to be small given that most 2-year-olds registered for the 15-hour entitlement are recorded as meeting the eligibility criteria for economic reasons (97% in 2023).
15-hour entitlement for all 3 and 4-year-olds
The 15-hour entitlement for all 3 and 4-year-olds is commonly referred to as the ‘universal entitlement’ or ‘15 hours free childcare’ and aims to support child development and school readiness. Children (mainly 4-year-olds) in a state-funded reception class are considered to be registered for the 15-hour entitlement.
The take-up rates for the 15-hour entitlement for 3 and 4-year-olds are calculated based on population estimates derived from mid-year estimates and projections produced by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The population estimates used in this publication do not yet take updated figures based on Census 2021 data into account, as a full and consistent timeseries based on them was not available at the time of publication.
As a consequence, disparities between previously published estimates and new figures based on Census 2021 population data mean that previous population estimates for 3 and 4-year-olds from 2013 onwards are likely overestimates to some extent, and therefore the derived take-up rates are likely underestimates. This was estimated to be in the region of 5 percentage points for 2022 figures, and therefore the 3 and 4-year-old take-up rates need to be treated with caution. The population estimates and take-up rates back to 2013 will be revised in the 2024 release following ONS publication of a full and consistent timeseries based on Census 2021 population data. See methodology for more information.
30-hour entitlement for eligible 3 and 4-year-olds
The 30-hour entitlement is commonly referred to as the ‘extended entitlement’ or ‘30 hours free childcare’ and aims to support working parents. 3 and 4-year-olds are eligible for the 30-hour entitlement if their parents (or the sole parent in a lone parent household) work at least 16 hours a week at national minimum wage or living wage, but earn under £100,000 per year. These children are eligible until they start reception year or the start of the term after they turn 5.
The national take-up of the 30-hour entitlement is estimated using the Family Resources Survey (FRS), Survey of Personal Incomes (SPI), and population estimates derived from ONS estimates and projections. Due to the population data used for 2023 likely being an overestimate (see previous sub-section) and the reliability of the survey-based data, the 30-hour take-up rate should be treated with caution (hence a definitive percentage not being provided). See methodology for more details.
Support for disadvantaged 3 and 4-year-olds
Children aged 3 and 4 registered for the 15-hour entitlement who have not yet entered reception are eligible for early years pupil premium (EYPP) funding if their parents (or the sole parent in a lone parent household) are in receipt of certain income-related benefits, if they are looked after by a local authority, or if they have left care under an adoption, special guardianship, or child arrangements order.
When children join a state-funded reception class, they cease to be eligible for EYPP, so these statistics also identify children who are in reception and eligible for free school meals. Children are eligible for free school meals if they are in full-time education in a state-funded school and their parents are in receipt of certain income-related benefits or have no recourse to public funds.