The figures were revealed by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, as he addressed new heads at a conference in London to make the start of the National College for School Leadership.

On Wednesday, a teachers' union claimed many schools are struggling to fill head and deputy head vacancies.

But the Education Secretary, David Blunkett - who was with Mr Blair - said the high number of applications for the new National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) showed that the status of head teachers was rising as more people perceived it as an attractive and rewarding career.

The NPQH, introduced in 1997, is to become a mandatory requirement for heads in England and Wales taking up their first posts.

Streamlined process

Research by the National Association of Head Teachers had suggested that in September, 399 posts were vacant, compared with 243 during the same period in 1999.

The union said positions remained unfilled because applicants were often not considered good enough.

Mr Blunkett said: "I am pleased that the first recruitment round for the new NPQH, streamlined and updated after last year's consultation exercise, has generated such huge interest.

"The 3,000 applicants have given a real vote of confidence to the new qualification. It is a clear demonstration that our commitment to improving the status of the profession is having an impact."

Teacher recruitment had risen for the first time since 1992/3 - with over 2,000 more trainees than last year, giving a total of nearly 28,000 trainee teachers this year.

'More to do'

Tony Blair said the government recognised the challenge it faced in recruiting more teachers and heads, but the introduction of new training salaries and more on-the-job training were beginning to pay off.

"Teachers matter," he said. "Teaching is a great profession. The vast majority of teachers do a great job.

"I want the brightest and best, in their tens of thousands, year after year, to sign up to the education crusade on which we are embarked.

"We are putting in the investment. We have done much already. But the government intends to continue to make teaching more attractive in terms of pay and rewards, particularly in the areas where it is hardest to recruit and retain."

The shadow education secretary, Theresa May, said Mr Blair was deluding himself, having failed to meet his own targets for recruitment.

"The only way to encourage more teachers into the profession is to make the job less stressful and more enjoyable," she said.

"By cutting bureaucracy and freeing schools, heads will be able to make their own decisions on recruitment and on how they run and manage their schools.

"Teachers will be free to spend more time doing what they joined the profession to do - teaching children."

Open access

Also at the conference was Heather Du Quesnay, director of the national college, who launched its first guide to its activities and to mark the fact that the "virtual college" website was going live.