An introduction from our Chair, Paul Drechsler, and Deputy Chair, John Rink

“We are a dynamic, passionate and ambitious charity dedicated to putting an end to educational inequality. We have set ourselves some big targets in order to make a difference for children from some of the poorest backgrounds in the UK.”

Our vision

How much you achieve in life should not be determined by how much your parents earn. Yet in the UK, it too often is. We are working hard to change this.

Teach First is working towards a future where no child’s educational success is limited by their socio-economic background.

Making an impact

We run a range of programmes designed to raise ambitions and close the achievement gap for children from the least advantaged homes, all focused on building leaders. We believe teachers make a unique difference so we recruit and train people with high leadership potential to become inspirational teachers in schools in low-income communities.

Other programmes we have launched include a top-rated mentoring programme – Teach First Futures – succeeding in helping the most disadvantaged young people overcome huge hurdles to access top universities. Our Teach First school governors programme is providing crucial leadership in schools serving low income communities and our Innovation Hub has helped spawn dozens of social enterprises focused on breaking down barriers to education for the least advantaged. 

The work of our community is held in high regard in the UK and since 2002 over 1 million young people have been taught by Teach First teachers. Working closely with our partner schools, we have seen a significant improvement in exam results, and more positive outcomes for the young people living in these communities. Teach First teachers are making a difference. But there is still so much more to do. Our Impact Report is attached for information.

Our values

The following values are firmly embedded in the charity and guide us in everything that we do:

Collaboration - We make greater impact through working with others

Commitment - We do all we can to achieve our mission

Excellence - We strive to be the best we can

Integrity - We act responsibly at all times

Leadership - We lead by example in everything we say and do

At Teach First, we believe in the power of diversity and advancing equality. We harness the different perspectives, experiences and talents of our society in order to learn from each other and best serve our culturally rich and diverse communities. This strengthens the movement to ensure that no child’s educational success is limited by their socio-economic background.

 

 

We recruit exceptional graduates to teach in challenging schools for a minimum of two years. The majority of these graduates would not otherwise have considered teaching.

 

With the support of our partner universities, we train our participants to be effective teachers and leaders of the future through our two-year Leadership Development Programme. This is aimed at ensuring that participants maximise their impact on pupil achievement in the short term and develop a set of transferable skills that will ensure their broader impact on educational disadvantage in the future as Teach First Ambassadors (alumni).

 

Since 2002, we have placed over 1800 of the UK’s highest achieving graduates into challenging schools in London, the East and West Midlands, Yorkshire and the North West. By 2013, we aim to be recruiting up to 850 graduates each year, making Teach First one of the largest graduate recruiters in the country.

 

On completion of the two year programme, our participants graduate as Teach First Ambassadors, joining a rapidly growing community of individuals committed to improving education. Some remain as excellent teachers and leaders in their schools, whilst others take on positions of responsibility in a variety of sectors. Whatever route they take, Teach First works to mobilize, equip and inspire them to achieve its mission through a range of initiatives including Teach On, Governance for Change and our Higher Education Access Programme for Schools (HEAPS).

By giving exceptional graduates the opportunity to teach and make a difference in the most challenging schools, Teach First aims to equip tomorrow’s leaders in all fields with the motivation, skills and understanding to end educational disadvantage.

Teach First is currently ranked 8th in The Times High Fliers annual survey of the most prestigious graduate recruiters – the highest ranked charity in Britain, and is the Charity Awards Education and Training Charity of the Year. The organisation currently has around 100 staff. Teach First has an annual operating budget of over £4.5 million, and relies on voluntary donations from companies and foundations and other sources in order to continue our work.

More information can be found at: www.teachfirst.org.uk