More than 1,100 people will take up places on the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) - working as unqualified teachers while they follow an individual training programme - in September, the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) announced today.

The sharpest rise has been in the key secondary shortage subjects of maths, science, technology, modern languages and English, with 510 places allocated for September starts compared with 213 this time last year - a 137 per cent increase.

Places for primary teachers specialising in shortage subjects have risen by over 90 per cent, places for under-represented groups by 43 per cent and places for other applicants by 85 per cent.

Additional Government funding has enabled the TTA to increase the number of places starting in September to 1,016 - an increase of 85 per cent over last September's 548. The allocations include 44 to people currently working as teaching assistants.

In addition, provisional offers for September starts are being made to another 130 applicants, subject to confirmation of their qualifications.

There were more than 1,400 applications, nearly twice as many as for September last year. Unsuccessful applicants will be able to apply again for January and April, when about 1,000 further places are expected to become available.

TTA Chief Executive Ralph Tabberer said:

'This programme is especially attractive to people who want to change careers and become a teacher, because they earn a salary while they are training in school.

'I am delighted that we have been able to allocate the highest number of places in a single tranche, to help meet the rising demand. The marked increase in applications for secondary shortage subjects is particularly welcome.

'The number of applications enables us to give priority to the best trainees. Top quality trainees deserve the opportunity to work in a top quality school, and I welcome the growth in the number of good schools who are keen to play a fuller part in teacher training through the employment-based route.'

NOTES FOR EDITORS

1. On the Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP), trainees work as unqualified teachers while following an individual programme of teacher training leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). The programme normally takes a year but can be shortened for people with teaching experience. The TTA pays schools a grant of up to £13,000 in a full year towards the cost of employing the trainee and up to £4,000 to the school or its training provider for training costs. Places are allocated by the TTA on the basis of advice from a panel of independent experts
2. Priority categories for GTP places are:
   • secondary shortage subjects (mathematics, science, information technology, design and technology, modern foreign languages and English;
   • primary teachers specialising in mathematics, science or technology;
   • under-represented groups - men into primary, minority ethnic teachers, teachers with disabilities;
   • other good quality applications in any subject or phase;
   • people currently working as Teaching Assistants.
3. There are also 330 places a year allocated for London Excellence in Cities areas, where the TTA is funding four partnerships of LEAs and teacher training providers to support schools in using the GTP. The partnerships have been given provisional allocations of numbers and expect to fill about150 places for autumn starts.
4. 1507 new GTP places were allocated in school year 2000/01.
5. In addition, a special GTP for overseas-trained teachers (OTTs) provides an assessment-only route with the option of a short training programme if needed. The TTA pays grant for assessment and, where necessary, training but does not provide a salary grant. More than 280 OTTs have been taken on to the programme in the current school year.