Mr Blair, who agreed to be interviewed to mark the tenth anniversary of Teach First said: “I think the legacy is very clear. We put in place pillars of change and reform which will be built on by whoever is in power over the next generation…I think you will find, with the concept of academies, trust schools…actually the reforms will stand the test of time.” 

Mr Blair discussed the quality of teaching in the UK, which he said was a concern throughout his premiership. “In terms of making sure that the standard that you set and the action that you take in respect of teachers that don’t meet that standard, then yes, I think in retrospect I would have gone further on that,” he said.

Mr Blair’s son Nicky is a Teach First Ambassador. Nicky taught history at Smith’s Wood Sports College in Solihull, the West Midlands from 2007 to 2009.  

Of his son’s experience, Mr Blair said: “He found it very challenging, but I think that’s one of the great things that it [Teach First] does. It puts young people in a situation which is immensely challenging, out of which they have to develop a significant amount of leadership and courage.”

Mr Blair hit back at critics who claim that he failed to fulfil his promise to make education his priority, saying that academies would form the basis of school reform for a generation, and that he wished he had gone ‘further and faster’.

He also pointed to changes to increase the status of teaches, from pay rises to knighthoods for head teachers.

Read the full article on The Times Website.