Features: Teach First

Written by Rachel Shepherd, Editor, Graduate Prospects, February 2013

By joining Teach First, you not only gain your teaching qualification but the opportunity to join an exciting movement for change in UK education

Teach First is an education charity working to ensure that every child has the excellent education they are entitled to. It offers a two-year Leadership Development Programme which helps graduates to become outstanding teachers in low-income communities.

Graduates work towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in their first year, while receiving a salary and real responsibility from day one. In addition they are supported with professional leadership development, coaching and opportunities to network with supporters from all industry sectors.

Selection process

Hopefuls are initially selected on the basis of an online application, before being invited to an assessment centre where they take part in various exercises including a competency-based interview, case study and sample teaching lesson. Each exercise will test core competencies that Teach First believes are key to being successful in the classroom.

'Two of the most important competencies we are looking for are resilience and self-evaluation. Many of our applicants have been very successful up to the point when they join the programme. The reality of going into a challenging classroom is that you will fail on a fairly regular basis,' says James Darley, director of graduate recruitment at Teach First. 

'It's important to be able to self-evaluate at the end of a lesson, to say 'I should have done this or that'. You need to be able to not get too down about it, brush yourself down and head to the next lesson.’

Developing skills

The programme begins with a six-week intensive residential programme which has been developed in partnership with the UK's leading teacher training universities. This is where graduates develop the knowledge and skills to be effective in the classroom, gain experience in a school and meet their fellow participants.

'We know you won't be an amazing teacher after six weeks' training, which is why you won't achieve qualified teacher status (QTS) until after a year teaching. However, you can have an impact on children from day one,' says James. 

Applicants are assigned to schools throughout England and Wales based on the specific skills they can bring and the needs of the individual school. Teach First recognises that the transition from student to teacher can be daunting, so support is in strong supply.

Each participant is assigned a university tutor who provides advice and in-classroom training during the first year. Schools also provide a subject-specific mentor, while Teach First leadership development officers are on hand to give advice during that crucial first year. However, the strongest form of support often comes from your peers and participants are encouraged to meet up with fellow Teach First teachers throughout the year to share stories.

Future programme

Brett Wigdortz, founder and CEO of the charity, argues that Teach First is increasingly about forming a national movement aimed at ending the unequal relationship between parent earnings and child performance at school.

'Teach First's vision is that no child’s educational success is limited by their socio-economic background. We've seen a big improvement over the last ten years and we have managed to raise the prestige of teaching in low-income schools among graduates,' he says.

'Many of our teachers have gone on to become head teachers, politicians or have entered industry. We want to mobilise these alumni and become a bigger social movement aimed at closing the educational gap.'

One of Teach First's greatest success stories is Max Haimendorf, who became one of the UK's youngest head teachers when he took control of King Solomon Academy in London aged just 30, and Brett sees further success for Teach First in the future.

'We could rely on others to make the changes required, but we have a movement of ambassadors that is motivated and understands what Teach First is about. My goal now is to ask 'how can we help these individuals to really make this change happen?''

If you're interested in teaching and making a contribution to vital social change, Teach First might be the option for you.

Register and apply at Teach First - Graduates .