Teach First
Like SHINE, Teach First believes that superb teachers can transform a child's education. To that end, it recruits and trains top graduates before placing them into some of London's most challenging secondary schools. These schools have a very high proportion of disadvantaged children and have experienced serious difficulties recruiting and retaining good staff.
SHINE was a founding supporter of Teach First when it launched in 2002. In 2009 it was named 'Education and Training Charity of the Year'; it was also placed eighth in The Times league of Top 100 Graduate Employers. The first teachers started work in 2003; since then, Teach First has placed around 1,500 graduates into schools in London, the Midlands, the North West and, most recently, Yorkshire.
The grant recipient
Teach First is modelled on a scheme that has thrived in America. Teach for America has over 7,000 teachers in disadvantaged schools and has had an impact on the lives of one million disadvantaged children in the USA.
The Teach First programme
What it aims to do
The Teach First programme aims to respond directly to the growing shortage of excellent teachers in inner London schools and to the damaging effect this is having on the life prospects of pupils in London's most deprived boroughs.
Results
The programme recruits, trains and places top graduates from UK universities into challenging London secondary schools for two years at a time.
Successful candidates are trained at the Teach First Summer Institute at Canterbury Christ Church University and are placed in secondary schools across 21 London boroughs. These are chosen specifically because of the difficult circumstances they face and the difficulty they have recruiting and retaining good teachers.
- the Teacher Training Agency is carrying out an independent evaluation of the Teach First programme
- Teach First track each cohort of student teachers and have found that 53% of the first cohort of students have continued to teach even after graduating from the two year programme
The funding and large scale expansion
SHINE made a founding sponsorship grant to Teach First. Other funding is provided by businesses, the government, trusts and foundations.
Following the success of the first three years Teach First has expanded to Manchester.
Funding: £50,000 founding sponsorship grant to Teach First.
Visit Teach First's website: http://www.teachfirst.org.uk
"This is a truly innovative programme which has a proven record in the US at dealing with the challenges of educating young people. Schools have the benefit of someone who, with business backing, brings first class skills to bear."
Dame Judith Mayhew, Corporation of London
"Teach First has introduced me to a career in teaching which I had not previously considered; one which I hope to follow well into the future. It is a fantastic fast track route into a unique, rewarding and addictive career."
Student, Teach First.
Quotes
"This is a truly innovative programme which has a proven record in the US at dealing with the challenges of educating young people. Schools have the benefit of someone who, with business backing, brings first class skills to bear."
Dame Judith Mayhew, Corporation of London
"Teach First has introduced me to a career in teaching which I had not previously considered; one which I hope to follow well into the future. It is a fantastic fast track route into a unique, rewarding and addictive career."
Student, Teach First.