Graduate Careers at Teach First

To apply for Teach First you must have a 2:1 undergraduate degree, or more than 300 UCAS points at A-Level, and a Grade C or above in GCSE Maths and English Language, or their equivalent. You will be allocated a teaching subject based on either your degree or A-levels, though in some schools you may find yourself teaching more than one subject depending on the requirements of the school. It is necessary to have achieved a minimum of a B at A-level (and preferably an A) in your subject – with the exception of science where you will need two different science subject A-levels, and should have degree level knowledge in a British National Curriculum subject. 

However, you need to bear in mind that some subjects fill up more quickly than others, while others have shortages. For example, graduates with A-levels in Maths, Music, Religious Education, Science or Foreign Languages are generally more in demand than those with qualifications in say history, or geography as these are often more over-subscribed. As part of the process, you need to go through a subject knowledge audit to determine whether you are knowledgeable enough to teach your subject.

Furthermore, Teach First emphasises the need for candidates to be more than just bright. Qualities like resilience, empathy, creativity and humility are as important as academic credentials. You also need to be flexibility because you can’t choose the location you are allocated to. 

Teach First Graduate Recruitment Info

Contact:

Tel: +44 (0)203 117 2498

or +44 (0)121 654 9248

Email: faq@teachfirst.org.uk

Application Deadlines: Applications open in June 2011

How to apply: apply.teachfirst.org.uk/

Teach First Profile & Stats

Teach First is a charitable organisation that aims to get the best and brightest graduates in the country to train as teachers at the most disadvantaged secondary schools. It’s an initiative that aims to have both sides win: students benefit from enthusiastic, young instructors, and university graduates gain a real-world skill-set that looks fantastic on their CVs.

Teach First took root in the summer of 2001, when London First and Business in the Community hired the consulting firm McKinsey & Company for a pro bono project. McKinsey conducted a study which found that schools with better teachers had consistently higher pupil performance. The consultancy recommended a teacher training programme that would bring bright young teachers into struggling schools. The result was Teach First.

Teach First participants are assigned positions in schools that fall below certain government standards. Many teach maths and science, subjects that have suffered most in underachieving secondary schools, but the programme covers all subjects. The two-year programme begins with a week-long on-site school observation period, followed by an intensive six-week summer training institute. The first year of teaching is full-time, though programme participants are considered ‘unqualified’ teachers and given slightly reduced course loads. At the end of the first year, participants will be assessed to determine if they have earned ‘qualified to teach status’ (QTS), which can mean additional responsibilities and a salary increase in the second year. Throughout the programme, participants blend training, classroom experience, participation in school events and administration, career development, networking and social events.

As part of their two years with Teach First, participants must take part in an entrepreneurship course and leadership programme that runs concurrently with teaching assignments. The course is made up of a series of classes and events and covers topics like strategy, finance, fundraising, proposal writing and educational management. Sector specific courses are taught by experts and academics and at the end of the sector-training programme, Teach First participants become lifelong members of their sector’s Teach First network of mentors.

While many Teach First-ers fall in love with the classroom, others finish their two years and go on to jobs in business, industry, politics, or non-profit management, armed with the real-world skills they’ve picked up in a challenging and often unpredictable environment. Companies including Accenture, Deloitte and JP Morgan encourage finance and consulting graduates to first spend two years with Teach First, allowing them to defer their internships at the firms for the duration of their teacher training.