AQW 25994/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) the total number of children that applied through the Education Authority for a pre-school place in North Down for the 2025-26 academic year; (ii) the number of children that did not receive their first choice; and (iii) the number of children that did not receive any allocation in North Down.
Asked by Connie Egan MLA on 10 April 2025
- Answered
- Written
- Priority
- Tabled
- 10 April 2025
- Answer due by
- 16 April 2025
- Answered
- 16 April 20256 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- Yes
Answer
The EA has advised that at this stage in the pre-school admissions process, 97% of target aged children whose parents applied for a pre-school place have already received an offer of a funded place in a setting of their preference.
The pre-school admissions process has two stages and stage two remains ongoing at this time. The EA has advised that there are currently sufficient funded places available to accommodate all children who have not yet received the offer of a funded place in a setting of their parents’ preference.
The current information in respect of the North Down parliamentary constituency area is set out in the table below.
| Total No’ of children that applied for a funded pre-school place in North Down parliamentary constituency area at Stage one | 792 |
| No’ of children that did not receive their first preference at Stage one | 96 |
| No’ of children that did not receive an offer in a preferred setting in North Down parliamentary constituency area at Stage one | 12 |
| No’ of funded pre-school places available at end of Stage one in North Down parliamentary constituency area | 78 |