Expansion to early childcare entitlements: eligibility codes issued and validated
September 2025

Description

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Coverage

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File formats and conventions

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Data files

Autumn 2025 codes issued and validated

Filename: autumn_2025_local_authority_codes_issued_and_validated.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2025
Content summary: Autumn 2025 local authority codes issued and validated

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------
age                   |  Age
codes_issued          |  Codes issued
codes_validated       |  Codes validated
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated
user_type             |  User Type

Footnotes:

1. Eligibility Checking Service data was aggregated to local authorities using the child's postcode, and the ONS February 2025 postcode directory. Sometimes, a geography cannot be assigned, and the aggregate of LAs may not equal the full national total. This also means that validation rates can only be between 0% and 100%, as the same postcode is used for both (unlike in other statistics relating to entitlements).
2. 'Existing' users are those who had an eligible code in the term prior to the one for which data is presented. 'New' users, by contrast, have codes which have only just entered eligibility (due to age or application date).


Autumn 2025 local authority time series

Filename: autumn_2025_local_authority_time_series.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2024 January to 2025 September
Content summary: Autumn 2025 local authority time series

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------
codes_issued          |  Codes issued for 9 months to two-year-olds (Autumn term)
codes_validated       |  Codes validated for 9 months to two-year-olds (Autumn term)
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated (Autumn term)
user_type             |  User

Footnotes:

1. Eligibility Checking Service data was aggregated to local authorities using the child's postcode, and the ONS February 2025 postcode directory. Sometimes, a geography cannot be assigned, and the aggregate of LAs may not equal the full national total. This also means that validation rates can only be between 0% and 100%, as the same postcode is used for both (unlike in other statistics relating to entitlements).
2. Small drops in the validation rate can occur as the number of codes issued can exceed validations by more than the validation rate. Generally, validation rates will rise over time as the issued date precede the validation date for any individual user. This trajectory of validation rates is consistent with other terms and with data on three and four-year-olds.
3. 'Existing' users are those who had an eligible code in the term prior to the one for which data is presented. 'New' users, by contrast, have codes which have only just entered eligibility (due to age or application date).


Summer 2025 codes issued and validated

Filename: summer_2025_local_authority_codes_issued_and_validated.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2025
Content summary: Summer 2025 local authority codes issued and validated

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------
age                   |  Age
codes_issued          |  Codes issued
codes_validated       |  Codes validated
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated
user_type             |  User Type

Footnotes:

1. Eligibility Checking Service data was aggregated to local authorities using the child's postcode, and the ONS February 2025 postcode directory. Sometimes, a geography cannot be assigned, and the aggregate of LAs may not equal the full national total. This also means that validation rates can only be between 0% and 100%, as the same postcode is used for both (unlike in other statistics relating to entitlements).
2. 'Existing' users are those who had an eligible code in the term prior to the one for which data is presented. 'New' users, by contrast, have codes which have only just entered eligibility (due to age or application date).


Summer 2025 local authority time series

Filename: summer_2025_local_authority_time_series.csv
Geographic levels: Local authority; National; Regional
Time period: 2024 January to 2025 August
Content summary: Summer 2025 local authority time series

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------------------------------------
codes_issued          |  Codes issued for 9 months to two-year-olds (Summer term)
codes_validated       |  Codes validated for 9 months to two-year-olds (Summer term)
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated (Summer term)
user_type             |  User

Footnotes:

1. Eligibility Checking Service data was aggregated to local authorities using the child's postcode, and the ONS February 2025 postcode directory. Sometimes, a geography cannot be assigned, and the aggregate of LAs may not equal the full national total. This also means that validation rates can only be between 0% and 100%, as the same postcode is used for both (unlike in other statistics relating to entitlements).
2. Small drops in the validation rate can occur as the number of codes issued can exceed validations by more than the validation rate. Generally, validation rates will rise over time as the issued date precede the validation date for any individual user. This trajectory of validation rates is consistent with other terms and with data on three and four-year-olds.
3. 'Existing' users are those who had an eligible code in the term prior to the one for which data is presented. 'New' users, by contrast, have codes which have only just entered eligibility (due to age or application date).


Headline stats autumn release

Filename: headline_stats_autumn_release.csv
Geographic levels: National
Time period: 2024/25 Summer term to 2025/26 Autumn term
Content summary: Headline statistics

Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:

Variable name         |  Variable description
--------------------  |  -----------------------------
age_of_child          |  Age of child at start of term
codes_issued          |  Codes issued
codes_validated       |  Codes validated
percentage_validated  |  Percentage of codes validated
