Training teachers to use computers has had no impact in England's classrooms three years after it began, inspectors have said.

A report from the school's watchdog, Ofsted, said the government's �1bn National Grid for Learning strategy was making "an important contribution" to information and communication technology (ICT) in schools.

But the associated training for teachers - using �230m of lottery funds since April 1999 - was "unsatisfactory" and "has not yet had an impact".

The overall picture was "poor".

The lottery's New Opportunities Fund said there was much that was positive in the report, which had been written when only around half the eligible teaching staff had completed the training.

Little improvement

The Education Secretary, Estelle Morris, has a vision of schools as hi-tech environments where pupils learn through computer technologies.

Her department said it accepted that the effect of ICT in the classroom was not as widespread as might have been expected by this stage.

Since Ofsted first highlighted the training issue there had been "some improvements" in the standard of training, the new report said.

So teachers' basic skills had improved and they were using ICT more.

Pupils' capability was improving throughout primary schools.

But in secondary schools, "the incidence and quality of subject teaching using ICT varies significantly", the inspectors said.

Not happening

Even where it was used, it had no "beneficial impact on teaching" in six out of 10 departments.

And the training "remains unsatisfactory in its overall effect".

"In many secondary schools, the programme has simply ground to a halt."

Some schools had won refunds from training providers.

"Too many teachers still lack confidence in using ICT and this is often made worse by a lack of appropriate software, unreliable computers and internet connections, and insufficient technical support when things go wrong," the report said.

'Excellent take-up'

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: "We recognise that the report also raises concerns that this has not had as widespread an effect on classroom practice as intended, or as might reasonably be expected at this stage of the programme."

But the take-up of the training had been "excellent" and further improvements were expected.

The lottery's New Opportunities Fund highlighted the fact that only half of England's teachers had completed their training.

"We are not surprised, therefore, that the training has only had an impact in around half of schools," said the head of policy, Richard Hill.

"Take-up of the programme has proved immensely popular but at this point our training programme still has 18 months left to run."

Success depended in part on senior management support and teachers' personal ownership of computers.

"The scheme is also entirely voluntary - it is unreasonable to expect the training to succeed in every school when it is competing for time with the many other demands made on teachers.

"I must emphasise that this is an interim report that does say the training has not yet had an impact.

"We will do all in our power to ensure that by the end of the programme it has."

Ideas

Looking to the future, the Ofsted report said there was a need for government to "set out broad intentions" on funding to make sure advances in resources were maintained.

An issue that concerns many schools is that ICT equipment is expensive to maintain and dates rapidly.

There was also a need for a long-term national strategy for high-speed internet access, the report said.

Training about ICT needed to be built into the national training programme for school managers.

And the role of ICT in such things as the national numeracy and literacy strategies should be developed further.