For the 2024 National Preschool Attendance Collection, the NSW Department of Education (NSW DoE) extrapolated data collected for the NECECC. For further details, see the Timeliness, Accuracy, and Coherence sections of this data quality statement.
In 2024, the NSW DoE submission to the NECECC consisted of data from two data collections:
- 'Government School Census'
- 'Early Childhood Education Annual Preschool Census'
A) Government School Census
Institutional Environment
The organisation responsible for the Government School Census was NSW DoE. Data was collected under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law 2010 (NSW) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations.
Relevance
Data is collected by NSW DoE and supplied to the ABS for the purpose of producing high-quality preschool attendance estimates for use by the Australian Government DoE in the calculation of PRA performance indicators. The 2024 Government School Census collected data using a URL data collection methodology for children and service providers.
Data is provided against the 2024 ECEC NMDS and is reported at the episode level for each enrolment of an in-scope child within the reference period. An episode refers to a child’s enrolment at a specific service provider. A child enrolled at multiple services will have at least one episode per service.
In-scope children
In 2024, NSW data includes all children aged 3 to 6 years (inclusive) who were enrolled in a preschool program during a two-week reference period of 29 July to 9 August, excluding children enrolled after the census date (2 August). Children who were non-permanent residents are included in the NSW data.
The scope of the preschool component of the Government School Census included all children enrolled in a preschool program or Early Intervention class at a government school in NSW. Children are eligible to enrol at a government preschool if they turn 4 on or before 31 July of that year. Priority is given to children from disadvantaged backgrounds who are unable to access other children's services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and children from families who experience financial hardship. While most children are aged 4 or 5, if there is spare capacity, places may be offered to 3-year-olds.
Children enrolled in an Early Intervention class at a NSW government school have been included in the Government School Census since 2012. Early intervention classes provide preschool education in a preschool setting for children with a disability.
In-scope services
The 2024 Government School Census included all government schools in NSW.
Timeliness
Data is collected over the reference period and extracted iteratively, with the first extraction date being 13 September 2024 and the final extraction date being 30 October 2024.
Reference period
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and with endorsement from the ABS, NSW data was extrapolated from data collected during the Government School Census. The Government School Census is an annual collection and in 2024 was undertaken on 2 August, with a two-week reference period of 29 July to 9 August. Fortnightly data was converted to a one-week average (per NECECC) and multiplied by the standard NSW government Term 2, 2024 period of 10 weeks. The NSW DoE compiled, processed and validated the data before submitting it to the ABS in November 2024.
Accuracy
Data for the NPAC is aligned according to national standards outlined in the 2024 NPAC NMDS to maximise consistency of data across jurisdictions.
In 2024, per agreement with the ABS, NSW data was extrapolated from data collected during the Government School Census. All NSW DoE government school-based preschools were required to participate in the Government School Census by completing an online census form. NSW DoE ensured that all preschools submitted the compulsory data.
There were three sections to the preschool component of the Government School Census:
- general preschool data that is not collected from harvested data (e.g. How many children are accessing Integration Funding Support? How many children in total are still waiting for a position in the preschool this year?)
- class or group data (overall session details for service and individual enrolment and attendance by child, along with daily fees paid, date of birth, sex, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status, language background other than English, refugee status, disability status, health care card status and suburb)
- Teacher and School Learning Support Officer data (e.g. qualifications and length of employment)
Indigenous students are identified at enrolment through the enrolment form. In 2015 the Indigenous status question on the form was changed to match the standard national question, with users required to select one of four answers corresponding to the first 4 values of the 2024 ECEC NMDS item Person-Indigenous status. The corresponding Indigenous status question on the Enrolment Registration Number (ERN) system matched the standard national question.
Schools were required to answer the question by selecting a single value from an on-screen drop-down list. The values available for selection comprised the first 4 values of the 2024 ECEC NMDS as well as a supplementary value 'Unknown/Not Provided' to accommodate instances where the parent or carer did not provide this information on the enrolment form. Some records for school-based preschools did not distinguish between Aboriginal children and Torres Strait Islander children. Records for these children were coded as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin not further defined.
During the collection period, NSW DoE extracted children's details from the ERN system. Preschool staff checked enrolment data and allocated children to class groups. If enrolment details for any children were missing from the ERN, staff recorded these details and were encouraged to update ERN accordingly. Staff also entered additional information, such as Health Care Card and Disability status and attendance, and then electronically submitted the census to the secure NSW DoE Collection portal.
Data quality management
Preschools were notified about the data collection through online notices. Detailed instructions on collecting and entering the data using the secure NSW DoE Collections portal were available to preschools throughout the survey period. The online census contained validation rules to prevent inconsistencies and omissions. During the data collection period, preschool support workers could phone NSW DoE to clarify counting rules and data collection procedures. In addition, data anomaly reports were generated identifying problems such as incorrect age, low attendance or duplicate children. All anomalies were checked and data corrected if required. Signoff was required from all Principals whose school provided a preschool program.
Coherence
2024 is the first year of the NPAC and the data is experimental. Due to jurisdictional differences in coverage, collection methodologies and alignment with the 2024 ECEC NMDS standards, the data presented in this first iteration of the collection may not be directly comparable across all jurisdictions or with following years.
Calculation of Hours Attended during the Reference Period
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and endorsement from the ABS, NSW data was extrapolated from data collected during the Government School Census. The Government School Census is an annual collection and in 2024 was undertaken on 2 August, with a two-week reference period of 29 July to 9 August. Fortnightly data was converted to a one-week average (per NECECC) and multiplied by the standard NSW government Term 2 2024 period of 10 weeks.
Calculation of Operationally Unavailable Hours
NSW did not collect data with sufficient granularity in 2024 to derive this optional element and had no analogous field from the NECECC.
Deviation from the NECECC standards
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and endorsement from the ABS, NSW data for the NPAC was derived using data collected for the NECECC cycle. As a result, the details below are deviations from the NECECC standards:
- Early childhood education program hours enrolled per week (Child): Derived as most government preschools operate 6 hours per day. The system allows enrolment to be entered as half day or full day.
- Early childhood education program hours attended per week (Child): Derived as most government preschools operate 6 hours per day. The system allows enrolment to be entered as half day or full day.
Interpretability
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and endorsement from the ABS, NSW data was extrapolated from data collected during the Government School Census. NSW DoE preschools were notified about the Government Schools Census through online notices. Detailed instructions on collecting and entering data using the secure NSW DoE Collections portal were available to preschools throughout the collection period.
Accessibility
Privacy and confidentiality requirements within Family Assistance Law limit the publication of childcare administrative data at certain granularities. De-identified aggregate data (which includes childcare administrative data) is published as part of Preschool Attendance on the ABS website.
High level aggregate data is also available on the NSW Department of Education Insights Hub and Schools: In-Brief and Schools and students - Statistical Bulletin publications.
Confidentialised microdata will be made available via ABS DataLab to the Australian Government DoE, and state and territory education departments, subject to approval.
Information source
The information in this report has been sourced from the NSW Department of Education in consultation with the ABS. Further information is available from the NSW Department of Education website.
B) Early Childhood Education (ECE) Annual Preschool Census
Institutional Environment
The organisation responsible for the 2024 ECE Annual Preschool Census is the NSW DoE. Data for the ECE Annual Preschool Census was collected under Funding Specifications, which are contracts with each service provider outlining the terms of renewable funding under the Early Childhood Education Grants Program. These preschools and mobile preschools are regulated under the Children (Education and Care Services) National Law 2010 (NSW) and the Education and Care Services National Regulations.
Relevance
Data is collected by NSW DoE and supplied to the ABS for the purpose of producing high-quality preschool attendance estimates for use by the Australian Government DoE in the calculation of PRA performance indicators. The 2024 ECE Annual Preschool Census used a URL collection methodology for children and service providers. Data for CCS-funded CBDC services is out-of-scope for the New South Wales submission and is provided by the Australian Government DoE.
In-scope children
In 2024, NSW data includes all children aged 3 to 6 (inclusive) enrolled in a preschool program regulated and funded by NSW DoE during a two-week reference period of 29 July to 9 August, excluding children enrolled after the census date (2 August).
Services counted in the ECE Annual Preschool Census are required to give equal priority of access to children who are at least 4 years old on or before 31 July in that preschool year and not enrolled or registered at a school; children who are at least 3 years old on or before 31 July and from low income or Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander families; children with English Language needs; children with disabilities; children who are at risk of significant harm (from a child protection perspective). There is no order of priority assigned to the list above.
In-scope services
Participation in the ECE Annual Preschool Census was mandatory for NSW Government-funded preschools. The collection included NSW Government-funded (but not necessarily NSW Government-run) preschool services, including preschools operated by Catholic and Independent schools, preschools operated by local governments, and community-managed preschools.
Early childhood education programs not funded by the NSW Government, including some preschools delivered in non-government schools, were not in scope of the collection. These services are not excluded from applying for NSW Government funding, provided that they meet eligibility criteria, consistent with the objectives of universal access. As and when any of these services do enter into a funding agreement with the NSW Government under relevant preschool funding programs, they are thereafter required to participate in the ECE Annual Preschool Census.
The majority of preschool programs in NSW are delivered by commercial CBDC providers. Although NSW DoE provides funding to these services, the Australian Government is the primary funder of CBDCs. As a result, no data was collected from these services by the NSW Government as part of the ECE Annual Preschool Census. Data on commercial CBDCs was collected for the NECECC by the Australian Government DoE using the CCSS.
Some services operate both a community preschool and a CBDC under the one service approval. Because of the latter, they are registered for the CCS but were requested to provide information in the ECE Annual Preschool Census only for children who did not receive the subsidy.
Timeliness
Data is collected over the reference period, and extracted iteratively, with the first extraction date being 13 September 2024 and the final extraction date being 30 October 2024.
Reference period
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and endorsement from the ABS, NSW data used a two-week reference period of 29 July to 9 August (per NECECC) to extrapolate data for the NPAC submission. The ECE Annual Preschool Census is an annual collection and was undertaken in 2024 from 22 July to 23 August, with a reference period of 29 July to 9 August. A reference fortnight was adopted to reflect the preschool delivery model in NSW whereby delivery of a preschool education program can vary between weeks. Fortnightly data was converted to a one-week average to enable valid and reliable national comparisons.
The NSW DoE compiled, processed and validated the data before submitting it to the ABS in November 2024.
Accuracy
Data for the NPAC is aligned according to national standards outlined in the 2024 ECEC NMDS.
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and endorsement from the ABS, NSW data was extrapolated from data collected during the ECE Annual Preschool Census. The Early Childhood Contract Management System (ECCMS) is the online system used by NSW DoE and service providers to manage preschool service contracts and funding.
There are four main sections to the census component of ECCMS:
- Service location details (drawn from core ECCMS and not editable by users)
- Service location operating details
- Individual child details, e.g. name, address, daily fees, low income status, enrolment and attendance
- Individual worker details, e.g. qualification field and level, main role, main work activity
Information on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status was provided to the community preschool by a child's parent or carer in accordance with the record keeping requirements of the Education and Care Services National Regulations. Services were required to answer the question by selecting a single value from an on-screen drop-down list. The values available for selection comprised the first 4 values of the 2024 ECEC NMDS as well as the supplementary value Not Stated to accommodate instances where the parent or carer did not provide this information to the Service.
Data quality management
Prior to data submission a user with a defined level of authority must enter a declaration that the entered data is correct. Following data submission NSW DoE undertook a data validation phase where submitted data was cross-checked for consistency with service operational characteristics and past submissions. Where large variations or unusual data was apparent, service providers were contacted to confirm data accuracy. If data was incorrect the census was reopened to allow the user to correct and resubmit data. All data validation rules were coded into Structured Query Language procedures, and NSW DoE maintained an anomalies database to track communications, and the status of potential errors.
Coherence
2024 is the first year of the NPAC and the data is experimental. Due to jurisdictional differences in coverage, collection methodologies and alignment with the 2024 ECEC NMDS standards, the data presented in this first iteration of the collection may not be directly comparable across all jurisdictions or with following years.
Calculation of Hours Attended during the Reference Period
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and endorsement from the ABS, NSW data was extrapolated from data collected during the ECE Annual Preschool Census. The ECE Annual Preschool Census is an annual collection and in 2024 was undertaken on 2 August, with a two-week reference period of 29 July to 9 August. Fortnightly data was converted to a one-week average (per NECECC) and multiplied by the standard NSW government Term 2 2024 period of 10 weeks.
Calculation of Operationally Unavailable Hours
NSW did not collect data with sufficient granularity in 2024 to derive this optional element and had no analogous field from the NECECC.
Deviation from the NECECC standards
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and endorsement from the ABS, NSW data for the NPAC was derived using data collected for the NECECC cycle. As a result, the details below are deviations from the NECECC standards:
- Early childhood education program hours enrolled per week (Child): Derived as most government preschools operate 6 hours per day. The system allows enrolment to be entered as half day or full day.
- Early childhood education program hours attended per week (Child): Derived as most government preschools operate 6 hours per day. The system allows enrolment to be entered as half day or full day.
Interpretability
In 2024, per agreement with the Australian Government DoE and endorsement from the ABS, NSW data was extrapolated from data collected during the ECE Annual Preschool Census.
NSW DoE provided a range of information and support to service providers throughout all stages of the collection. These included:
- regular emails to services in the lead up to and during the collection phase in 2024
- a dedicated Early Childhood Education Census webpage providing summary information, portal access and links to resources and contact information
Detailed instructions on the process of data entry, including explanations and examples of concepts, were provided online within the application via summary 'tooltips' and extensive online help. NSW DoE also provided a separate ECE Annual Preschool Census Quick Reference Guide.
During the 5-week collection phase service providers could also contact a dedicated 1300 phone number and email for assistance.
Accessibility
De-identified aggregate data (which includes childcare administrative data) is published as part of Preschool Attendance on the ABS website. High level aggregate data is also available on the NSW Department of Education Insights Hub and Schools: In-Brief and Schools and students - Statistical Bulletin publications.
Confidentialised microdata will be made available via ABS DataLab to the Australian Government DoE, and state and territory education departments, subject to approval.
Information source
The information in this report has been sourced from the NSW DoE in consultation with the ABS. Further information is available from the NSW Department of Education website.