Teach First Press Releases

Teach First - Press notes

1. Teach First’s mission is to address educational disadvantage by transforming exceptional graduates into effective, inspirational teachers and leaders in all fields. Teach First targets high calibre students who would not normally consider a career in teaching and places them in challenged schools – where more than a third of pupils are eligible for free school meals – for the course of the two year placement.
2. Teach First recruits, trains and supports its recruits as teachers and long-term leaders. Recruits to the programme begin their intensive training with a three week programme run by universities in their respective location (London, the North West, the Midlands and, from 2009, Yorkshire). The recruits then all join up together for a further three weeks at Canterbury Christ Church University. This sets them on the path to achieving the award of Qualified Teacher Status by the end of the first year.
3. All teachers attend additional leadership training with partners including Imperial Business School and Manchester Business School. School placements last two years, at which point participants can continue teaching or pursue another career.
4. Teach First is an independent charity, Reg. No. 1098294, established in 2002. It is supported by all the main political parties, teaching unions, graduate organisations and over eighty leading employers. In 2008, Teach First gained 9^th place on the coveted league of Times Top 100 Graduate Employers.

For more information please contact:

Philip Fearn email: pfearn@teachfirst.org.uk telephone: 020 7517 6412

Natalie Whitty email: nwhitty@teachfirst.org.uk telephone: 07737 989 672