AQW 27069/22-27


Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley


Tabled Date: 13/05/2025
Answered On Date: 16/05/2025
Priority Written: Yes


Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to outline the number of non-target aged children being placed in funded pre-school places, over the last five years and including allocations for 2025/2026.


Answer:
The table below sets out the number of penultimate age children that have been placed in funded statutory pre-school places over the last five academic years:
School type
2020/21
2021/22
2022/23
2023/24*
2024/25
Nursery Unit in Primary Schools
577
726
772
N/A
808
Nursery Schools
390
533
570
N/A
588
Total
967
1,259
1,342
N/A
1,396
*Data relating to 2023/24 was impacted by industrial action, due to Action Short of Strike (ASOS). Although data was received from all schools, for 25% of schools (primary, post primary and special schools) pupil level information was not received in electronic format. It also meant it was not possible to fully undertake normal validation processes.
The pre-school admission process is a two-stage process.
Applications in respect of penultimate age pupils for the 2025/26 academic year will be considered during stage two of the process; decisions regarding stage two offers will be communicated to applicants on 10 June 2025.