Pre-school places

Under the Department of Education's Pre-School Education Expansion Programme, nearly £58 m has been invested since 1998 to create and support over 10,000 new pre-school education places.  This additional provision has been introduced on a phased basis since the 1998/99 school year.  

New places have been created through the building of new nursery schools and units in the statutory nursery sector and the funding of places in the voluntary and private sectors.

In the current school year there are approximately 21,000 funded places.  The availability of places for children in their final pre-school year has increased from 45 percent in 1997 to over 90 percent this school year.

Pre-School education places are available in a range of centres including nursery schools, nursery classes/units in primary schools and voluntary and private playgroups and day nurseries which are part of the expansion programme. (These centres may also offer places for which parents pay).