Financing for equity in pre-primary education
SCOTLAND
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
According to UIS data, the official entrance age to pre-primary education is 3 years old. At least two years of free pre-primary education are granted in legal frameworks. As of 2015, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education was 96.79% in the United Kingdom.
In addition, about 25% of two year olds are eleigible for funded places in early learning and care provison. In 2024 , the net enrolment rate for pre-primary education was 95% in Scotland, down from 97% in 2023
Governance
Nursery schools are the joint responsibility of both Education Scotland and the Care Inspectorate. Local councils are mainly responsible for the provision of early learning and childcare in their area.
Tuition-free status
The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 replaced the previous entitlement of up to 475 hours per year of funded ‘pre-school education’ for 3-5 year olds, with a more flexible increased offer of funded ELC for all 3-5 year olds and certain eligible 2 year olds. Since August 2021 families of eligible children can now access up to 1140 hours of Scottish Government funded ELC each year.
Quality is at the heart of funded early learning and childcare and Funding Follows the Child and the National Standard are key policies to support the expansion of funded hours. The Scottish Government website provides up to date information about funded early learning and childcare.
Some ELC settings allow parents to also purchase additional hours of ELC for children who have a funded entitlement, or for those who are not yet entitled to funded hours.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
There are 32 Local Authority councils in Scotland. To distribute the allotted funds fairly among each council, each service area is considered separately within the Funding Allocation Formula. For education, 29 different areas are taken into account, one of which is early learning and childcare (ELC). The formula used to determine the allocation for each local authority is weighted as follows: 75% client numbers, 20% deprivation numbers (equity and excellence leads), and 5% rurality. For 2024-25, the total amount allocated to ELC was GBP 1 billion.
2. Education resources to institutions
Funds are delivered to institutions by the local councils. Private providers can enter into contracts with their local authority to deliver funded early learning and childcare (ELC). Nationally, approximately 70% of Early Learning and Care is provided by local authorities, around 28% by private providers, and 2% by childminders.
Children from care experienced backgrounds and from households entitled to free school meals are entitled to start early childhood education aged 2. In 2023 the estimated uptake for this programme was 52%.
3. Education resources to students and families
Since August 2021, all local authorities have been offering 1,140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) to all eligible families, regardless of their working status. This must be available at least 38 weeks a year in sessions of 10 hours or less. Funding is provided directly to the institution.
Children who are eligible for funded ELC can receive a free meal on the days they attend, which may be breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Students who qualify for the Lone Parents’ Grant (See Higher Education Section 3) also qualify for the Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant (LPCG), which helps cover the cost of registered or formal childcare. The maximum grant available is GBP 1,215 per year.
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods
The Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods programmes provide targeted support for early childhood, helping families with the costs of pregnancy and child-rearing. Best Start Foods assists families in purchasing healthy foods from pregnancy until the child reaches three years of age, providing between GBP 21.60 and GBP 43.20 every four weeks. The Best Start Grant – Early Learning Payment offers a one-time payment of GBP 319.80 to support early learning costs for children aged between two and three and a half years. Families receiving other forms of social support, such as income-based allowances, housing benefits, or child tax credit, are eligible to qualify for these programmes.
Households earning less than GBP 100000 a year are entitled to tax free childcare, GBP 2000 for each child, or GBP 4000 for a disabled child.
This profile was reviewed by Michael Cairney, MA, CEID Edinburgh University; and national expert David Watt.
