The pledges formed part of the eagerly awaited five-year strategy for children and learners, launched by education secretary Charles Clarke last week.
He set a target of 1,000 primary schools offering childcare from 8am to 6pm by 2008, and eventually one in every community.
The plan envisages childcare being organised around a more flexible concept of "educare", a hybrid of education and care.
Building on the existing entitlement for two-and-a-half hours of free nursery provision for three- and four-year-olds a day, Clarke announced plans to allow parents to bundle their hours.
As predicted by Children Now, they will be able to take the 12-and-a-half hours a week entitlement at times to suit their work patterns.
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