The rating, by more than 10,000 new teachers who completed their training last year, is an increase of four percentage points on the previous year and the highest figure since the survey began four years ago. Only one per cent rated their training as poor.
The survey is carried out six months after the teachers have completed their training to seek views on how well it has prepared them to perform effectively at the start of their new career.

Ralph Tabberer, Chief Executive of the TTA, said today:

'The results from this survey are encouraging and support what head teachers and Ofsted are telling us - that the quality of training and newly qualified teachers is better than ever.

People now thinking about becoming a teacher can be confident that training will provide them with the theory and practical experience they need to teach effectively. It will ensure they are ready from their first day to help every child achieve their potential.

The survey highlights some areas where trainees feel they need additional support and guidance. We shall discuss those in detail with the universities, colleges and schools which provide training, as we work together to continue to raise standards even higher and prepare the high quality professionals our schools need.'

The results also indicated:

• improvements in newly qualified teachers' perceptions of their training, quality of feedback and assessment (up two percentage points to 77 per cent), and the support and guidance needed to achieve the standard required for Qualified Teacher Status (up four points to 74 per cent);
• an increase in the rating for training in primary and early years teaching (up seven points to 84 per cent for postgraduate routes, and up five to 86 per cent for undergraduate training);
• differences in satisfaction with the quality of training across subjects at secondary level (ranging from 73 per cent in ICT to 93 per cent in history); and
• better preparation for use of information and communications (ICT) teaching in subject teaching (up five points to 61 per cent – an increase of 12 points over four years).
• The full results are published on the TTA's website, at: www.tta.gov.uk/teaching/nqtsurvey. Training providers are given individual results in order that they can benchmark their own performance against the national results.

Notes to editors

Around 10,200 questionnaires – twice as many as last year - were returned from more than 25,000 newly qualified teachers who completed their training during 2001/02. The vast majority of respondents trained via undergraduate or postgraduate routes, but around 200 were from employment-based routes. Some respondents did not answer every question.

The answers confirmed three areas as priorities for TTA action. They are:

• providing NQTs with the knowledge, skills and understanding needed to use ICT in their subject teaching. There has been an improvement of 12 per cent over last year, and the TTA has given training providers £5m to buy additional IT equipment and services.
• preparing trainees to teach pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. The TTA has created a network of experts to run conferences and produce materials and other guidance to support trainers and trainees.
• helping newly qualified teachers establish and maintain a good standard of discipline. A consortium of eight major training providers and three companies has been funded by the TTA to carry out research and spread effective practice in behaviour management.

The TTA was established by the Education Act 1994 to raise standards by attracting able and committed people to teaching, and by improving the quality of teacher training and induction.

Details of the universities, colleges and schools which provide initial teacher training can be found on the TTA's recruitment website at:
www.useyourheadteach.gov.uk/training/where_to_train/index.html.