Preschool education in United Kingdom?

Question

Could you name several internet resources (web pages, etc.), where UK's preschool education is presented? For instance,

I'd like to know these things about children education before school in UK:

1. types of preschool institutions;

2. statictics (how many parents choose to bring up children at home and how many lead them to kindergartens);

3. what criterion is applied, when children in kindergartens are divided into groups (for example, in my country children are grouping by their age);

4. the content of education (aims of education, methods, curriculum, education tools, etc.)

5. are children evaluated and if yes, then in what way? do they get marks or something analogous?

6. who's funding preschool education? is it government, or a department for education, or maybe parents?

7. how does a day in UK's kindergarten look like? (for instance, at what time children come there, how much time do they spend there, are they going outside often, do they sleep and eat in kindergarten, etc.

Answer 1

Children start socializing with their peers from birth.

age 0 -2 and half they go to mums and tots groups - voluntary, usually run by parents

two and half to 3 = playgroup run by Nursery nurses - parents pay but attending is voluntary.

Three to 5 = Foundation Stage, the first year is voluntary. The second was known as reception. From then on it's year 1, 2 and so on throughout school up to year 11. Then it's 6th form.

Children can also go to childcare day centres which are private and paid for by parents, up until starting school.

School curriculum=

Foundation Stage

Key Stage 1

Key stage 2

Key stage 3

Key stage 4