This report was compiled for the Training and Development Agency by Professor Sonia Blandford, Teach First’s Director of Leadership Development, Sue Rowells, a former Head Teacher in a Teach First school, and Teach First Ambassador and Institute of Education Researcher Katherine Richardson.

It highlights the Teach First’s role in the development of new approaches to Initial Teacher Education. Drawing on learnings from the Teach First, it makes a series of recommendations for future progress.

The report finds that:

• Teach First’s unique model of teacher training has recruited significant numbers of top graduates to train for work in areas of social disadvantage, in a variety of fields including, but not limited to, teaching.
• Teach First successfully attracts and selects graduates who are committed and motivated by the charity’s mission ‘to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields’.
• This excellence in marketing and recruitment practice contributes to a low drop-out rate from the two year Programme, and ensures that Teach First Ambassadors (alumni) continue to work to reduce educational inequalities and address its root causes, whether they remain in education or move into the business or social sector.
• Teach First has also highlighted the transferable and highly sought after skills that come from experience as a teacher. This has raised the profile of the profession and convinced top graduates that teaching can be part of a dynamic and varied career path.
• Teach First’s emphasis on peer support enables leaders from a variety of fields to input into the training and development of Teach First teachers. This gives them the opportunity to develop skills, resources, networks and knowledge that can be applied to leadership positions in all sectors of society

• Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) should remain central to all teacher training routes to ensure that a national and international standard is maintained. Where possible, HEIs should work in consortia to share good practice across regions.
• HEIs should seek to develop additional teacher training programmes specifically oriented to training graduates to teach and lead in urban or National Challenge category schools.
• All Teacher Training routes should encourage a workplace ethos, to ensure all trainee teachers are ready and able to adopt the levels of professionalism required for the workplace-based aspects of their course and their first teaching job.
• Marketing and recruitment of teachers should be revised urgently to reflect the changes in values and competencies required by 21st century schools. In particular, there is a need to move away from the message that teaching can only be a lifetime career.
• The new Master’s level qualification for teaching should include leadership knowledge, skills and experience within the training programme. These elements should be developed and delivered in conjunction with business to guarantee credibility and transferability of skills gained.
• HEIs and Local Authorities should work more closely together to deliver Continuing Professional Development, as part of the move towards Masters accreditation for all teachers. There is a case to consider building an element of conditionality on evidence of CPD into Qualified Teacher Status.