New courses are beginning in September for former teachers to ease their return into the classroom, the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) announced as it launched a new advertising campaign today. Courses offering bursaries and help with child-care costs will be available throughout England for the first time. And to help returning teachers in their search for employment, local course providers may receive incentives to place course participants in permanent teaching posts.

In March, the Government announced extra funding for courses to attract those considering returning to the teaching profession. From September, there will be about 1,800 places available on more than 80 courses throughout England, funded by the TTA as part of its successful 'Those who can, teach.' recruitment campaign. Former teachers attending the courses will be able to claim a bursary of up to £150 per week and up to £150 per week towards the cost of childcare while on the course. The increasingly popular returners' courses were first offered with bursaries in London Excellence in Cities areas in January.

Most returners' courses last between six and 12 weeks, and cover such topics as Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the National Numeracy and Literacy Strategies, classroom management, and an update on the National Curriculum.

TTA Head of Teacher Recruitment and Supply Mary Doherty said:

'The expansion of the returners' courses is part of the TTA's campaign to attract more people to take another look at the teaching profession.

'The bursaries and funding for child-care costs are just the beginning of the benefits those coming back to the classroom will receive. With improved pay and career structures, more classroom assistance, increased use of technology, and improved standards, teaching today is a competitive, rewarding and purposeful profession. There really has never been a better time to be a teacher.'

Those returning to the classroom may also benefit from Government plans to offer bonuses of up to £4,000 to qualified teachers who return to the classroom this year. The Government is currently consulting on the proposal and final details should be available in early September.

More than 31,000 people are expected to start training to be teachers this year. Last year saw the first increase in new recruits in eight years. The number of enquiries to the Teaching Information Line (0845 6000 991) from people interested in becoming teachers has substantially increased, with almost half coming from people aged 31 or over. Since the launch of the first phase of the returners' campaign in March, the TTA has received over 4,000 enquiries from former teachers interested in returning to teaching.

For those wishing to find out more about the returners' courses and other incentives, please contact the TTA's Keeping In Touch (KIT) Programme or visit the TTA website.

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

1) As part of the £200 million teachers' package announced in March, the Government proposes to offer bonuses of at least £2,000 to qualified teachers who return to teaching in a maintained school or non-maintained special school between 17 April and 31 December this year, having been away from teaching between 30 April 2000 and 31 March 2001. A higher, £4,000 bonus would be offered to returners in the shortage subjects of maths, sciences, modern languages, design and technology, information and communications technology and English (including drama).

2) To qualify for the bonus, it is proposed that returners must have been awarded QTS in England or Wales before 30 April 2000, or have been awarded QTS since 30 April 2000 on the basis of an equivalent qualification awarded elsewhere in the European Economic Area (EEA) before that date. They must have teaching experience prior to 30 April 2000.

3) In order to ensure that those who need to brush up their skills before returning to teaching are not disadvantaged, the Government proposes that those who attend a returners course for at least eight weeks in the autumn term should be eligible for the bonus if they take up a new post before 28 February 2002.

4) Every participant on a TTA-funded returners' course commencing after 1 April 2001 is eligible for a training bursary of up to £150 per week (to a maximum of £1,500 for the duration of the course). The bursary is fixed and is not dependent on the nature of the course (i.e. part-time, full-time or distance learning).

5) Childcare support is available as necessary and is intended to reimburse participants who incur childcare costs whilst attending a returners' course. Participants with children may require childcare support for time spent attending taught sessions, tutorials and school placements or to facilitate periods of independent study.

6) Participants are eligible for childcare support of up to £150 per week for every child up to the age of 5 years (to a maximum of £1,800 per child for the duration of the course) and up to £70 per week for every child between the age of 5 and 14 years (to a maximum £840 per child for the duration of the course).

7) Any initial teacher training (ITT) provider placing a course participant in a permanent teaching post in a maintained school is eligible for a bonus payment of £500 for every participant placed. The bonus is fixed and will be paid for placements in both full and part-time posts. A bonus will be paid to the ITT provider when they place any returner in a post within six months of completing the returners' course.

8) Acknowledging the important role mature entrants have to play in the profession, the Government has also extended the successful Graduate Teacher Programme (GTP) designed to ease the transition between other careers and teaching.

9) This year there is an increase to over 2,000 in the number of on-the-job training opportunities for eligible graduates to help meet demand.

10) Schools offering places on the Graduate Teacher Programme can receive up to £13,000 for salary costs. Training grants of up to £4,000 to cover expenses like assessment costs are also available.

11) The TTA was established under the Education Act 1994. Its purpose is to raise standards in schools by attracting able and committed people into teaching and by improving the quality of teacher training.

12) The Teacher Training Agency is responsible for a wide range of initiatives to promote recruitment to the teaching profession; for funding initial teacher training, which is linked to the quality of the training provision and identified through OFSTED inspection; for further development of the standards for award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), including currently the new QTS Skills Tests for numeracy, literacy and ICT; and working with the New Opportunities Fund for the provision of training in the use of ICT in subject teaching.