Statistics for January 2006 show a total of 541,700 three-year-olds, or 96 per cent of children of that age, using some of the free entitlement across all sectors in local authority and private, voluntary and independent settings.
Fifty-five per cent, or 307,800 three-year-olds, are in private and voluntary sector settings, a rise of just one per centage point on comparable figures in January last year.
A smaller proportion of three-year-olds (38 per cent) take up free early education places in maintained nursery and primary schools.
However, this year's figures show that the majority of four-year-olds (79 per cent) take up early education places in settings in maintained nursery and primary schools. All four-year-olds receive some form of free early education entitlement.
'Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2006 (Final)' is available at www.dfes.gov.uk/ statistics.