Nursery World - Data for each child to stop overfunding

Plans for the collection of 'individual child-level' information from providers funded to deliver nursery education to three- and four-year-olds will prevent 'double-counting', where those registered with more than one provider are often funded twice, the DfES said last week. In its consultation on draft regulations for collecting such information, the DfES said local authorities would have more accurate data on the take-up of the free nursery entitlement and could identify factors leading to 'improved Foundation Stage profile outcomes'.

In its consultation on draft regulations for collecting such information, the DfES said local authorities would have more accurate data on the take-up of the free nursery entitlement and could identify factors leading to 'improved Foundation Stage profile outcomes'.

The DfES currently collects information from local authorities on the take-up of the free entitlement through the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) and the Early Years Census (EYC). Individual child- level data on three- and four-year-olds in the maintained sector is already collected through the PLASC. However, EYC data on those receiving nursery education in private, voluntary and independent settings is based on an aggregated setting level data, rather than individualised child-level information.

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