Education
Two thirds of 3 and 4-year-olds go to school
Children aged under five in schools, UK
The proportion of three and four-year-olds enrolled in early years education in all schools in the UK has risen from 21 per cent in 1970/71 to 64 per cent in 2007/08. The increase in the proportion of children enrolled in early years education over the last three decades partly reflects the increase in the number of places available. In 2007/08, there were 3,273 state nursery schools, around four and a half times the number in 1970/71 (723 schools). In 2007/08, 35 per cent of three and four-year-olds were placed with other non-school settings offering early years education such as playgroups, either instead of, or alongside, their school place.
In England in 2008, girls were more likely than boys to reach the expected standard of educational attainment at Key Stages (KS) 1 to 3. A higher proportion of girls met this level for all subjects with the exception of mathematics at KS2 and science at KS3 where boys' achievement exceeded girls' by 1 percentage point. In 2008, just under half (48 per cent) of pupils achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C (including English and Maths), or equivalent, the expected standard at Key Stage 4. Girls were more likely than boys to achieve this level, 52 per cent compared with 43 per cent.
Permanent and fixed period exclusions from schools: by reason, England, 2006/07
In 2006/07, there were around 8,680 permanent exclusions of pupils from primary, secondary and special schools in England. The number of permanent exclusions among boys was much higher than among girls, 6,850 compared with 1,790. In the same year there were 425,600 fixed period exclusions, 75 per cent of which (320,410) were among boys.
The most common reason for both types of exclusions in 2006/07 was persistent disruptive behaviour which accounted for 31 per cent of all permanent exclusions and 23 per cent of fixed period exclusions. The second most common reason for permanent exclusions was physical assault against a pupil (16 per cent). However, using verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult was the second most common reason (21 per cent) for fixed period exclusions. A large proportion of all exclusions (31 per cent of fixed period and 27 per cent of permanent exclusions) were for other reasons which include verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against a pupil, damage, theft and bullying.
Although bullying was one of the least common reasons for pupils to be excluded from school in 2006/07, two-thirds (66 per cent) of pupils in year 11 complained they had experienced bullying, including name-calling, social exclusion, extortion, being threatened or being hit, within the last three years. Around half (52 per cent) of those who had been bullied in the previous three years achieved the expected standard at Key Stage 4 (five or more A*-C grade GCSEs or equivalent) in 2006 compared with 67 per cent of those who had not.
Source: Department for Children, Schools and Families; Welsh Assembly Government; Scottish Government; Northern Ireland Department of Education; Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE)
Notes: Children aged under five in pre-compulsory education. Includes pupils who are aged three and four (but may include some two-year-olds) at 31 December each year, with the exception of Scotland where reference dates differ over the period, and are presented as a proportion of all three and four-year-olds.
Key Stages (KS) in England are as follows: KS1 includes children aged 5 to 7, KS2 includes children aged 7 to 11, KS3 includes children aged 11 to 14 and KS4 includes children aged 14 to 16. Key Stage 4 marks the end of compulsory secondary education (GCSE).
Permanent exclusions are when a pupil is excluded from school and their name removed from the register. Fixed period exclusions are when a pupil is excluded from school for a period of time but remains on the register.
There were 36 exclusions in 2006/07 included in the total for which age or gender were not recorded.
Other in the chart ‘Permanent and fixed period exclusions from schools’ includes verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against a pupil, theft, damage, sexual misconduct, bullying and racist abuse.
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