According to the Department for Education, demand from parents for the 30 hours free childcare in the eight council areas taking part in the pilot scheme has ‘tipped the scales’, with more than 5,400 places already allocated – surpassing the 5,000 target set last year.
The eight council areas that have been piloting the scheme since last September are Hertfordshire, Newham, Northumberland, Portsmouth, Staffordshire, Swindon, Wigan and York.
A further four councils - Dorset, Leicestershire, North Yorkshire and Tower Hamlets - will start offering the 30 hours for three- and four-year-olds from next week, ahead of the national roll-out in September.
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