Interim Results

ATA Group PLC
31 August 2001


ATA Group Plc
31 AUGUST 2001

                 ATA GROUP PLC ('ATA' or 'the Company')

            INTERIM RESULTS FOR THE SIX MONTH PERIOD TO 30 JUNE 2001

Highlights

-     Turnover £6.6m (2000 - £3.4m) an increase of 94 per cent.
-     Profit before tax £0.42m (2000 - £0.32m) an increase of 31 per cent.
-     Earnings per share 3.46p (2000 - 3.31p) an increase of 5 per cent.
-     Dividend per share 2.0p (2000 - 2.0p)
-     Successful integration of the Catalis group of companies
-     Appointment of Karl Chapman as Non Executive director

Bill Douie, Chairman commented:

'Against the backdrop of a difficult economic environment I am pleased to
report that all of our companies have performed creditably and have dealt
with the difficulties which have arisen competently.

The period to 30 June is the first complete period covering our ownership of
the Catalis group of companies and we are pleased with the progress made to
date'.

'In particular, my earlier remarks concerning likely timescales at Catalis
have proved to be overcautious and both volumes and profits are ahead of
budget'.

CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT

For the six months ended 30th June 2001.

I am pleased to present the interim report of the Company for the period to
30 June 2001.

PROGRESS

Against the backdrop of a difficult economic environment I am pleased to
report that all of our companies have performed creditably and have dealt
with the difficulties that have arisen competently.

We are pleased to have secured the services of Karl Chapman as a Non -
Executive Director. Karl has extensive experience of the business support
services industry and his skills will be particularly useful to us in the
years to come.

The period to 30 June is the first complete period covering our ownership of
the Catalis group of companies and we are pleased with the progress made to
date.

TRADING

Recruitment and Consultancy. Whilst activity levels and profitability have
held up well in the first half, there is some evidence that demand for our
services from manufacturing industry has reduced with consequential pressure
on operating efficiencies, particularly within our assignment based
Advertising Selection company and, to a lesser extent, in our Engineering
company. In the period the Sales recruitment market has been less affected
and that company is performing to expectation. Our new Rail recruitment
branch opened on 4 June and is showing promising early results.

Training. The review of the Catalis companies is now largely complete and
costs of re-organisation have been held to satisfactory levels. Activity in
all areas of operation have made gratifying progress and trading has improved
faster and further than earlier expectations. In particular, my previous
remarks concerning likely timescales at Catalis have proved to be
overcautious and both volumes and profits are ahead of expectation.
Foot and mouth had a short-term adverse effect on the two Fairbourne
companies and Sloan Shrago Limited but all three companies have returned to
expected levels of trading.

TRADING RESULTS

Pre-tax profits have risen to £420,000 (2000: £321,000) on turnover of
£6,559,000 (2000 : £3,408,000). Earnings are £280,000 (2000 : £215,000) after
charging corporation tax of £140,000 (2000: £106,000) resulting in earnings
per share of 3.46 p (2000: 3.31p) on share capital increased in connection
with the acquisition of the Catalis Group of companies. Corporation tax rates
are and will remain marginally elevated as profits before tax are reduced
after allowing for goodwill write-off consequent upon acquisitions. Your
directors are pleased with profitability achieved in the first half.

OUTLOOK FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2001

There must be concerns over the range of possibilities for the remainder of
the year. Whereas some of our activities cannot but be affected by any
serious worsening of economic conditions, current activity levels remain
sound in key recruitment areas. Outdoor training and Sloan Shrago are
beginning to benefit from opportunities arising from Rail Industry
relationships and within Catalis activity levels in Rail Training and
external Conferencing are performing strongly. Your Directors are
particularly pleased with the timely conclusion of that acquisition which
largely serves industries and conferencing customers which are significantly
less directly affected by the changing economic climate than our traditional
client base.

Nonetheless there is an audible rumble of distant thunder and, following the
acquisition of Catalis, the Group's previous cushion of cash is much reduced.
Accordingly, cost control, cash conservation and cash generation are key
planks of current strategy, whilst maintaining prudent growth tactics in all
companies.

DIVIDENDS

Whilst this is clearly a time for prudence your Directors have concluded that
cash generation within the businesses is likely to remain at satisfactory
levels and therefore your Board has decided to declare an unchanged interim
dividend of 2.0p, payable on 5 October to shareholders on the register on 14
September.

ATA Group is in a strong position to deal with a more difficult trading
climate should one emerge and is well placed to take advantage of
re-established favourable economic conditions thereafter.

W.J.C.DOUIE,
Chairman

31st August 2001

ENQUIRIES:

Bill Douie, Chairman
Clive Chapman, Chief Executive
Peter McWeeney, Finance Director

ATA Group Plc

Today 020 7426 9000
Thereafter 0117 924 1600

CONSOLIDATED PROFIT & LOSS ACCOUNT
for the six months ended 30 June 2001

                                                                              
                        Note     6 Months to    6 Months to       12 Months to
                                30 June 2001   30 June 2000   31 December 2000
                                 (Unaudited)    (Unaudited)          (Audited)
                                       £'000          £'000              £'000
  TURNOVER                 2            6559           3408               8314
                               =============   ============   ================
  OPERATING PROFIT                       430            303                837
  Net interest                          (10)             18                 10
  receivable/(payable)                                                        
                               -------------   ------------   ----------------
  PROFIT ON ORDINARY                                                          
  ACTIVITIES                                                                  
  BEFORE TAXATION                        420            321                847
  Taxation                 3           (140)          (106)              (241)
                               -------------   ------------   ----------------
  PROFIT ON ORDINARY                                                          
  ACTIVITIES                                                                  
  AFTER TAXATION                         280            215                606
  Dividends                4             162            130                437
                               -------------   ------------   ----------------
  RETAINED PROFIT                        118             85                169
                               =============   ============   ================
  EARNINGS PER SHARE       5            3.46           3.31               9.02
  (pence)                                                                     
                               -------------   ------------   ----------------

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEET
as at 30 June 2001

                                                                              
                                30 June 2001   30 June 2000   31 December 2000
                                 (Unaudited)    (Unaudited)          (Audited)
                                       £'000          £'000              £'000
  FIXED ASSETS                                                                
  Intangible assets                     1100             66               1120
  Tangible assets                       2412            856               2478
                                ------------   ------------   ----------------
                                        3512            922               3598
                                ------------   ------------   ----------------
  CURRENT ASSETS                                                              
  Stock                                   14             15                 14
  Debtors falling due after             1036              -               1036
  more than one year                                                          
  Debtors falling due within            2432            875               2210
  one year                                                                    
  Cash at bank                           687           1014               1185
                                ------------   ------------   ----------------
                                        4169           1904               4445
  CREDITORS: Due within one           (3882)         (1463)             (4190)
  year                                                                        
                                ------------   ------------   ----------------
  NET CURRENT ASSETS                     287            441                255
  (LIABILITIES)                                                               
                                ------------   ------------   ----------------
  TOTAL ASSETS LESS                                                           
  CURRENT LIABILITIES                   3799           1363               3853
  CREDITORS: Due after more            (874)          (233)             (1033)
  than one year                                                               
  Provisions for liabilities           (278)              -              (291)
  and charges                                                                 
                                ------------   ------------   ----------------
  NET ASSETS                            2647           1130               2529
                                ============   ============   ================

  CAPITAL AND RESERVES                                                        
  Called up share capital                 81             65                 81
  Capital redemption reserve              50             50                 50
  Share premium account                 1732            433               1732
  Profit and loss account                784            582                666
                                ------------   ------------   ----------------
  SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS                   2647           1130               2529
                                ============   ============   ================


CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENT
for the six months ended 30 June 2001

                                                                              
                      Note    6 Months to     6 Months to        12 Months to 
                             30 June 2001    30 June 2000    31 December 2000 
                              (Unaudited)     (Unaudited)           (Audited) 
                                    £'000           £'000               £'000 
  CASH INFLOW FROM                                                            
  OPERATING            1             376             443                1296  
  ACTIVITIES 
                                                                 
  Returns on                         (10)             17                (124) 
  investments and                                                             
  servicing of                                                                
  finance
                                                                     
  Taxation                           (30)            (49)               (165) 

  Capital                           (240)           (225)               (399) 
  expenditure                                                                 

  Acquisitions                         -               -                (948) 

  Equity dividends                  (307)           (246)               (376) 
  paid                                                                        
                             ------------    ------------    ---------------- 
  Net cash inflow                   (211)            (60)               (716) 
  (outflow) before                                                            
  use of liquid                                                               
  resources and                                                               
  financing 
                                                                  
  Net proceeds                          -               -               1315  
  from issue of                                                               
  share capital                                                               

  Increase                           (188)            (28)              (558) 
  (decrease) in                                                               
  medium term loan  
                                                          
  Capital element                    (16)               -                (17) 
  of finance lease                                                            
  rental payments                                                             
                             ------------    ------------    ---------------- 
  INCREASE                          (415)            (88)                 24  
  (DECREASE) IN                                                               
  CASH BALANCES                                                               
                             ============    ============    ================ 
                                                               
Note 1                                       

OPERATING PROFIT                     430

Depreciation charges                 327

Increase in debtors                 (222)

Decrease in creditors               (159)

NET INFLOW FROM OPERATING ACTIVITES  376
                                  ------

NOTES TO THE INTERIM REPORT
for the six months ended 30 June 2001
 
 
1     ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The accounting policies used in the preparation of the interim accounts are
consistent with those used in the preparation of the audited annual accounts
for the year ended 31 December 2000. The group financial information
consolidates the accounts of ATA Group Plc and all of its material subsidiary
undertakings using the acquisition method.

The comparative figures for the year ended 31 December 2000 do not constitute
statutory accounts within the meaning of S.240 of the Companies Act 1995, but
they have been derived from the audited financial statements for that year,
which have been filed with the Registrar of Companies, and on which our
auditors gave an unqualified report.

2 SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

                                                                              
                                 6 Months to    6 Months to       12 Months to
                                30 June 2001   30 June 2000   31 December 2000
                                 (unaudited)    (unaudited)          (audited)
                                       £'000          £'000              £'000
  TURNOVER                                                                    
  Recruitment and consultancy           3367           3070               6683
  Training                              3192            338               1631
                                ------------   ------------     --------------
                                        6559           3408               8314
                                ------------   ------------     --------------
  OPERATING PROFIT                                                            
  Recruitment and consultancy            303            357                959
  Training                               127           (54)              (112)
                                ------------   ------------     --------------
                                         430            303                837
                                ------------   ------------     --------------
     
     
The operating profit is stated after charging £36,000 goodwill in the period.
Of this, £30,000 relates to the acquisition of the entire share capital of
Catalis Group Limited in November 2000.

 
3     TAXATION ON PROFIT ON ORDINARY ACTIVITIES

The taxation charge for the period to 30 June 2001 has been provided at the
estimated rate applicable to the group for the period.

4     DIVIDENDS

An interim dividend of 2.0p per ordinary share net will be paid on 5 October
2001 to shareholders on the register of members on 14 September 2001.

5     EARNINGS PER SHARE

The earnings per share have been calculated on the profit on ordinary
activities after taxation and on the number of shares in issue (8,082,400)
during the period. The fully diluted earnings per share are not materially
different from the basic earnings per share and have not been disclosed.


ATA GROUP PLC
Registered Office
20 Portland Square,
BRISTOL BS2 8SJ