Teach First partner schools improve at twice the national rate
Data shows that the GCSE attainment gap can be narrowed
27 January 2012
Press Release
New data shows that those schools that recruit Teach First teachers have seen their GCSE results improve at twice the rate of schools nationally, between 2010 and 2011.
The government data, published as part of secondary school league tables, shows an 11.3% increase (from 43.5% to 48.4%), in the numbers of pupils achieving 5 A*-C grades including English and maths studying in schools that partner with Teach First. This figure compares with a national average increase of 5.5% (from 56.1% to 59.2%), in all maintained schools in England.
This shows that the gap between Teach First partner schools and all maintained schools is closing. In 2010 the GCSE ‘gap’ was 12.6 percentage points, while in 2011 it had narrowed to 10.8 percentage points
Teach First is an independent charity working to break the link between low family income and poor educational attainment. Teach First places outstanding graduates to teach and lead in schools in challenging circumstances, and is creating a movement of leaders who are committed to raising the achievement, aspiration and access to opportunity of children from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Teach First’s Director of External Relations James Westhead said: “It is clear that with the right combination of great teaching, strong, visionary leadership, and a positive school culture, all schools have the potential to improve”.
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Notes To Editors
Notes to editors
Contact
For media enquiries please contact Garfield Myrie in the Teach First press office on: 0203 117 2378 or 07866 436 014. Email: gmyrie@teachfirst.org.uk or Hannah McCullagh on 0203 117 2469 or 07739 147 841 Email: hmccullagh@teachfirst.org.uk
About Teach First
Teach First is an independent charity working to break the link between low family income and poor educational attainment which is greater in the UK than in almost any other developed country. The scale of change needed is so great that it requires a movement of leaders to make a difference at a pupil, school and system level. Teach First is working towards achieving its mission by enabling its participants and ambassadors in the classroom to raise the achievement, aspiration, and access to opportunity of children from low socio-economic backgrounds, whilst developing a network of leaders with a life-long commitment to ending inequality in education from both inside and outside the classroom.
Since launching in 2002, Teach First has recruited and trained increasing numbers of participants – more than 757 new participants began their teacher careers in September – and is working to place 1140 graduates per year by 2013, which would make it the largest graduate recruiter in the UK.
Teach First operates in six regions across England: London, West Midlands, East Midlands, Yorkshire the Humber, North West and the North East.
The charity has expanded to work in the primary sector with the first cohort of 84 Teach First primary teachers entering classrooms in September in London, the East and West Midlands, the North West and Yorkshire & the Humber.
Teach First is raising the quality and profile of the teaching profession and has made teaching in a challenging school one of the most prestigious options for top graduates. In 2010, Teach First was ranked 7th in the coveted league of Times Top 100 Graduate Employers. Interest in the programme continues to grow amongst top graduates, with the number of applicants rising from 3,000 in 2009 to over 5,000 in 2011.
Teach First has built a national reputation for collaborating with schools, local authorities and business partners to help close the attainment gap. Working in six regions across England, it knows that placing inspirational teachers in schools in challenging circumstances for a minimum of two years drives improvement in standards and results.
A recent external evaluation by the University of Manchester identified a link between Teach First and improved GCSE results. The 2010 research found that schools in challenging circumstances which employ Teach First teachers have seen a statistically significant improvement in their GCSE results. The report also found that the more Teach First teachers were placed in schools the bigger the improvement.
Teach First primary schools currently have more than 50% of their pupils living in the lowest 30% of the IDACI*, prioritising those schools with higher levels of deprivation.
Teach First secondary schools currently have one of the following:
• A first criterion based on the IDACI - Teach First works in schools that have more than 50% of their pupils living in the lowest 30% of the IDACI, prioritising those schools with higher levels of deprivation;
• A second criterion based on attainment - Teach First prioritises schools with low attainment in regards to the 5+ A*-C (English & Maths) GCSE measure. Teach First works in schools whose results fall below the lowest 30% of the national distribution;
*Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.
The eight Teach First partner schools in the region are:
• Archbishop Sentamu Academy
• Winifred Holtby School Technology College
• Endeavour High School
• Kingswood College of Arts
• Sirius Academy
• Oasis Academy Immingham
• Whitgift Academy
• Havelock Academy
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