At a range of events nationwide, TTA will be targeting men, asking those who are interested in training to apply now for a place on a course which begins next year. A guide to effectively completing a primary teacher training application form will be available online at www.useyourheadteach.gov.uk/menprimary. TTA will also host a series of seminars around the country to advise eligible men on how best to prepare their application to secure a training place.

Higher Education Institutions which provide primary teacher training indicate that some men who apply for a training place misunderstand the competitive market:

There are a limited number of training places available and they fill up quickly. Men often apply very late and take less care over their applications than female candidates thereby losing out.

At interview, men prepare less well than women. Those who do not demonstrate their suitability for a course are not offered places.

Commenting on the TTA's man hunt, Mary Doherty, Director of Teacher Supply and Recruitment said: '20,000 men are using their heads every day, teaching primary school pupils. Men who have not yet applied: do you know what you are missing?'

Applicants are encouraged to check the TTA website for the nearest provider of Primary Initial Teacher Training courses in their area.

For further information please contact:
Claire Barry / Andrew Millington, Teacher Training Agency Media Support Team
Tel: 020 7269 7122 / 7250
Email: claire.barry@fd.com / Andrew.Millington@fd.com

Notes to editors:
For more information about how to become a teacher, visit the Teacher Training Agency recruitment website. Personal advice is available from the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 (minicom 01245 45 43 43).

Applications for most postgraduate Initial Teacher Training courses are processed through the Graduate Teacher Training Registry and can be submitted online. Applications for undergraduate teacher training courses can be made via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. Applications for primary teacher training beginning in September 2004 must be submitted by 15 December 2003 to ensure they are sent to applicants' preferred providers.

A Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) can expect to start on a scale that ranges from £18,105 to £26,460 (£21,522 to £30,000 in inner London). The pay scale for good, experienced classroom teachers rises to £39,093 in inner London and £33,150 outside London.

Additional allowances may be paid for management and other responsibilities. The pay scale for headteachers rises to £88,155.

Eligible trainees on postgraduate Initial Teacher Training courses in England are entitled to a tax-free training bursary worth £6,000. Tuition fees for 'home' or European students are paid by the Government. NQTs with a PGCE in a priority subject (mathematics, science, modern languages, English, design and technology, and Information and Communications Technology) also may be eligible for a 'golden hello' payment worth £4,000 after successfully completing their induction period. Details are available on the TTA website at www.useyourheadteach.gov.uk/training/about_teacher_training/funding_while_training.html.

In a pilot scheme, the Government will repay, over time, the student loans of NQTs in the priority subjects (as above) who have qualified since 1 February 2002. The scheme will be reviewed in spring 2004. Details are set out on the Department for Education and Skills website at www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachersloans.

The Graduate Teacher Programme enables people to train to become a teacher while employed in a school. Details are available at www.tta.gov.uk/ebr

The Teacher Training Agency was established under the Education Act 1994. Its purpose is to contribute to raising standards in schools in England by attracting able and committed people to teaching and by improving the quality of teacher training and induction.

This news release applies to England only.