Place guarantee to ECEC

Eligible children are entitled to 600 hours of funded pre-school education per annum.

This is usually delivered as around 16 hours per week over the school year (38 weeks).

Affordability

All 3-4-year-old children are legally entitled to free, part-time non-compulsory early learning and childcare (ELC). In addition, so are a number of 2-year olds, whose families are in receipt of certain types of benefits (around 27% of 2-year olds).

Local education authorities are responsible for making this provision. Local Authorities are funded by the Scottish Government to provide this care. Overall funding provided to local authorities takes account of the extra cost of making early learning and childcare provision (and other services) available in rural areas.

Local authorities can choose to provide transport to facilitate access to early learning and childcare in rural areas. The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act 2000 allows them to provide free transport to and from places offering early learning and childcare, although they do not have a duty to do so.