Teach First
 |
|
| Founder | Brett Wigdortz |
|---|---|
| Type | Company limited by guarantee and Registered Charity |
| Registration no. | Company ref 04478840 Charity ref 1098294 |
| Focus | Education |
| Location | |
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Area served
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England and Wales |
|
Key people
|
Brett Wigdortz, CEO |
|
Revenue
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£50.6m (2014) |
|
Employees
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408 (2014) |
| Website | teachfirst.org.uk |
Teach First (also Teach First Cymru) is a social enterprise registered as a charity which aims to address educational disadvantage in England and Wales. Teach First coordinates an employment-based teaching training programme whereby participants achieve Qualified Teacher Status through the participation in a two-year training programme that involves the completion of a PGCE along with wider leadership skills training and an optional master's degree.
Trainees are placed at participating primary and secondary schools where they commit to stay for the duration of the 2-year training programme. Eligible schools are those where more than half of the pupils come from the poorest 30% of families according to the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index. Following completion of the two-year programme, participants become Teach First ambassadors. This network of ambassadors aims to address educational disadvantage either in school or in other sectors.
Teach First is the largest recruiter of graduates in the United Kingdom, and was ranked 2nd only to PwC in The Times annual Top 100 Graduate Employers list in 2014 and 2015.
The Teach First scheme has been met with some controversy and criticism since its inception, which has impeded its planned expansion into Scotland.
In the summer of 2001 Charles, Prince of Wales as president of Business in the Community hosted a group of business leaders and headteachers. At this event Ian Davis of McKinsey and Company agreed to produce a report on the question of why inner-London Schools were not doing as well as they could do, and what business could do to contribute to the improvement of London schools for the event organisers and London First. The report highlighted the problems with the quality of London’s schools, particularly in inner London. It confirmed the link between poverty and educational outcomes and noted that the proportion of pupils on Free school meals in inner London was three times the national average. The report also highlighted how the scale of pupil mobility was inhibiting the progress of many young people. Fifteen per cent of students attending inner London schools were entering school, leaving school or changing schools during the school year. This cycle was affecting student performance at age 16.
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