AQW 43168/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 42083/22-27, to detail the number of penultimate age children who were placed in (i) Nursery School (FT); (ii) Nursery School (PT); (iii) Nursery Unit (FT); and (iv) Nursery Unit (PT), in each of the last five academic years.
Asked by Nick Mathison MLA on 25 March 2026
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 25 March 2026
- Answer due by
- 13 April 2026
- Answered
- 8 April 202614 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
The information requested is set out in the table below.
| School Type | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 | 2025/26 |
| Nursery School FT | 205 | 163 | 207 | 263 | 331 |
| Nursery School PT | 328 | 407 | 275 | 325 | 163 |
| Nursery Unit FT | 258 | 201 | 192 | 314 | 381 |
| Nursery Unit PT | 468 | 571 | 385 | 494 | 526 |
| TOTAL | 1259* | 1342 | 1059 | 1396 | 1401 |
Source : NI School Census
*Includes 6 additional penultimate age children not previously included for one setting that closed in August 2022.
Data for 2023/24 was also impacted by industrial action due to ongoing Action Short of Strike at that time, resulting in full coverage of age data not being available for the 2023/24 census.