In response to the announcement about changes to tests for prospective trainee teachers, Teach First Founder and CEO, Brett Wigdortz, said: 

“Teach First welcomes efforts to ensure that all teachers have the potential to be excellent teachers and to raise the status of the teaching profession. We have set a high bar for entry to our Leadership Development Programme and these tests will form part of the selection process. Our teachers work in schools where the majority of pupils come from the country’s least advantaged communities, and it is important that they have levels of numeracy and literacy which enable them to support pupils learning, regardless of the subject they teach. 

“It is, of course, not just about literacy and numeracy. By the time our teachers get to take these tests they have already been through a rigorous assessment process which tests for key attributes which are essential ingredients for being an excellent teacher, such as resilience, leadership and humility, respect and empathy.

“Beyond initial teacher training, it is essential that all teachers have access to high quality CPD so that they can continue to develop their skills and subject knowledge throughout their careers.”

-Ends-