It suggests that nearly nine out of 10 heads back the thinking behind the National Literacy Strategy, with 56% believing it would significantly raise standards. Just 5% thought it would have no effect.

The survey of 801 primary headteachers in England was carried out by the BMRB polling organisation for CfBT Education Services.

Urban support

The strategy involves an emphasis on phonics, spelling and grammar, as well as the use of a concentrated daily "literacy hour".

It won even greater support in inner-city primary schools, where 64% of headteachers said they thought it would have a significant impact on standards.

Nearly eight in 10 heads said their teachers had a positive attitude towards the literacy campaign, with just 6% saying their staff had a negative attitude.

Estelle Morris: "The figures show that we are getting it right"

And 73% said parents understood and supported the strategy, while just 13% said they did not.

The School Standards Minister, Estelle Morris, welcomed the survey results.

"Those critics who said that the literacy hour was a burden on schools have been shown to be wrong," she said.

But a spokeswoman for the National Union of Teachers said that although teachers supported the literacy strategy, there were also deep concerns about its prescriptive nature and the lack of training and resources.