Almost 3,000 extra people will be able to begin Initial Teacher Training courses next year as the number of places rises to 34,675 - the highest for more than a decade, while employment-based routes, including the Graduate Teacher Programme, are also being expanded by more than 1,000.

Commenting on today's announcement by School Standards Minister, David Miliband, TTA Chief Executive Ralph Tabberer said:

'Filling every place is going to be the greatest challenge faced by the TTA, and training providers. In initial teacher training alone, it means recruiting 600 more people in mathematics, 300 in modern languages and 550 in science subjects than this year.

'At the same time, the inquiries we are receiving demonstrate the huge demand from people who are attracted to the rewards that teaching offers and are interested in joining the profession. This is a terrific opportunity to accommodate them.'

Today, the TTA announced how ITT places will be allocated to 127 universities, colleges and schools. There will be:

- 15,200 Primary. 1,200 or nine per cent more than this year, with 460 earmarked for primary language specialists; and

- 19,475 Secondary. 1,685, also nine per cent, up on this year.

Around 2,300 of the places are on flexible or distance learning courses, which enable people to combine their training with their current careers or circumstances.

The Graduate Teacher Programme, which enables people aged 24 or over to train in school while earning a salary, will rise from 3,400 places this year to 4,750 next year, and expand to at least 6,000 places by 2005/06.

Mr Tabberer said:

'This year more than 31,000 people are starting initial teacher training - the third increase in successive years. The Government's financial incentives, such as training bursaries and golden hellos have proved their worth, and we have yet to see the full impact of the Student Loan Repayment Scheme.

'We must continually look for new ways to attract good candidates in the key secondary subjects and we now have funding to pilot three innovative schemes - studentships, subject enhancement courses, and extension courses - which could boost recruitment for future years.

'Meanwhile, we will work closely with training providers and do everything we can to ensure every place is filled by people with the ability and commitment to become good teachers, and help each pupil fulfil their potential.'

The TTA's recruitment campaign 'Those who can, teach' is helping to attract 250,000 visits per month to the TTA website, and 12,000 registrations of interest in becoming a teacher each month to the Teaching Information Line.

Studentships will be awarded, by competition, to about 150 of the brightest and best undergraduates in mathematics, physics and chemistry, offering bursaries worth £5,000, and opportunities for further personal development, with placements and in industry and schools during vacations.

More details will be announced next summer, with the aim of selecting the first group of students in time to begin their degree courses in autumn 2004.

Subject enhancement courses will be aimed at people, including career changers, who have had some element of mathematics, physics or chemistry in their first degrees, and occupational experience in using the subject, to help them reach the standard required to enter ITT. At least one third of new teachers are career changers.

The proposal reflects the need to widen the pool of potential recruits in these subjects. Course participants will be paid a bursary towards their costs and be able to continue to Qualified Teacher Status by any postgraduate route (e.g. PGCE and GTP). The first enhancement courses in physics and mathematics are expected to begin in January 2004. The TTA will work in partnership with the Gatsby Foundation to fund the physics enhancement course.

The TTA is also exploring funding language extension courses, enabling people with one modern language, possibly studied as part of a joint honours degree, to gain sufficient subject knowledge to teach a second language to pupils at Key Stage 3 level. In the initial pilot course, the extension language will be French.

Notes for Editors

This announcement relates to England only.

Providers receiving the most additional places in today's allocations include: Middlesex University (112), St Mary's College, Twickenham (131), the University of Derby (106), University of East London (165), University of Greenwich (101), and the University of Wolverhampton (121).

Full details of Initial Teacher Training allocations for the academic year 2003-04 are available on the TTA website at www.canteach/community/itt/funding. Places have been awarded to five newly accredited providers - SCITTELS (Newham, London), West Mercia SCITT (Leominster), Colchester SCITT, Swindon SCITT, and the Royal Academy of Dance.

Of the 33,848 places allocated so far, 25,873 are postgraduate, and 7,975 are undergraduate. Around 600 places remain to be allocated. The number of PE places rises from 1,200 to 1,500 to support the National PE and School Sport Strategy.

Places have been allocated in response to bids from providers and awarded principally on the basis of the quality of training provided, while also taking into account the economic size of a cohort, regional factors, past record in recruiting from under-represented groups, and denominational balance. The TTA is holding 400 places in reserve, 300 of them for the new secondary vocational subjects.

More information about subject enhancement courses, studentships and language extension courses will be published by the TTA as the projects are developed. All three pilot projects will be closely monitored and evaluated to inform Ministers' decisions on whether they should be extended in future years.

Provisional figures based on the TTA's annual census of ITT registrations shows 31,261 people are beginning ITT (including the Fast Track programme) during the current academic year, equivalent to 98 per cent of the number of places available. Another 18,600 people are in the second, third or fourth years of the ITT courses. A further 4,350 are starting on employment-based routes, including the GTP, this year.

Details of the expansion of employment-based routes are: The Graduate Teacher Programme: 2003/04 - 4750, 2004/05 - 5250, 2005/06 - 6000; Registered Teacher Programme: 2003/04 - 150, 2004/05 - 200, 2005/06 - 250; Overseas Trained Teachers: 2003/04 - 600, 2004/05 - 800, 2005/06 - 1000.

Eligible trainees on postgraduate courses are entitled to a training bursary worth £6,000. Newly Qualified Teachers in priority subjects (English, mathematics, science, modern languages, design and technology and ICT) are entitled to 'golden hello' payments worth £4,000 before tax after successfully completing their induction. They may also be entitled to re-payment over time of their student loans.

Salaries for classroom teachers start at £17,595 (£20,700 in inner London) and rise to £32,217 (£35,322 in inner London).

Media enquiries
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E-mail: pressoffice@teach-tta.gov.uk

General TTA enquiries
Tel : 020 7925 3700
Prospective applicants to Initial Teacher Training should visit the TTA website, Teach, or contact the Teaching Information Line: 0845 600 0991.