Year 9 students from Grey Court School in Richmond were set a brief and taught how to design and produce an e-mail using html. They were also given a copywriting lesson to create the e-mail’s tag line, responding to the statement ‘Why I like ICT’. 

The winning entry, which was selected for its creative and professional use of Photoshop by experts at direct marketing agency Draftfcb, will be distributed to potential ICT teachers. The winning students are heading into Draftfcb on Monday 16 July to learn about and help with final production of the e-mail.

Figures suggest that information and communication technology (ICT) teaching is an increasingly popular career choice.  The number of people qualifying to teach ICT has almost tripled in the past five years, from 395 in the academic year 2000/1 to 1,116 in 2004/5.  And nearly half (48 per cent) of those who qualified in 2004/5 were career changer teachers who had worked in other industries beforehand.  There are 1,119 places on ICT teacher training courses for the 2007/8 academic year.

Graham Holley, chief executive of the TDA, said:

“Increasing numbers of IT graduates and professionals are choosing to bring their expertise into teaching. ICT in schools is no longer about basic computing skills. Today’s curriculum reflects the scope of modern technology and includes subjects as diverse as graphic design and web development. 

“More importantly, the curriculum for ICT is continually changing to allow teachers, and their pupils, to stay at the forefront of new technology. There are also attractive financial benefits, including competitive starting salaries and training bursaries for postgraduate students.”

Kerry Duncan, lead teacher for ICT at Grey Court School, said:

“This project has introduced the students to new software, allowing them to extend their knowledge of ICT and develop their skills in new ways.  It’s a real two-way process, as I’ve learnt a lot from the development of this email as well”

James Kimber, aged 13, who took part in the project, said:

“I love ICT and it’s really exciting to think that our e-mail will be sent out to people who are considering ICT teaching as a career - I hope they'll be impressed by it and that it convinces them to become teachers. It was brilliant to learn how to do the animations and to find out how ICT skills can be used outside school, because by the time my generation gets into the workplace nearly every job will require good computing skills.”

Anyone interested in becoming an ICT teacher should visit www.teach.gov.uk, or call the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 – 992.

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Notes to editors

This news release applies to England only.

For more information about how to become a teacher, visit www.teach.gov.uk.  Personal advice is available from the Teaching Information Line on 0845 6000 991 – 992 for Welsh speakers (minicom 01245 45 43 43).

From 1 September 2007 a newly qualified teacher (NQT) will start on a salary of at least £20,133 (£24,168 in inner London). The pay scale for good, experienced classroom teachers who have 'crossed the threshold' rises to £34,281 outside London and £41,004 in inner London.  Additional allowances may be paid to teachers considered to be excellent, and to those who take on management and other responsibilities. The pay scale for head teachers can rise to over £90,000 depending on size of school. Further details are available at www.teach.gov.uk/payandbenefits.

Eligible trainees on postgraduate initial teacher training (ITT) courses in England are entitled to a tax-free training bursary worth £6-9,000. Newly qualified teachers with a postgraduate certificate in education (PGCE) in maths and science may also be eligible for a ‘golden hello’ payment worth £5,000 (taxed) after successfully completing their induction period. Those with a PGCE in modern languages, English or drama, design and technology, information and communications technology, music and religious education may receive £2,500. Details are available on the TDA website at www.teach.gov.uk/funding.
 
The graduate teacher programme (GTP) enables people to train to become a teacher while employed in a school. Details of employment-based routes can be viewed at www.teach.gov.uk/routes.

Data collected by the TDA shows that close to 40,000 people are beginning teacher training in the academic year 2006/07.

The TDA was established under the Education Act 2005 and was formerly known as the Teacher Training Agency. Its principal aim is to secure an effective school workforce that improves children’s life chances.

Media enquiries

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