Teach First increases number of graduate places by 61% in 2009

Educational charity Teach First, which works with business to recruit high quality graduates to teach in some of the UK’s most challenged schools, today announced that it will be increasing the number of places it is able to offer graduates this year to 600.

A 93% rise in the number of applications to Teach First’s teaching and leadership programme, coupled with continuing demand from schools to employ Teach First teachers in their classrooms, means the charity will place 140 extra teachers on top of a planned 460 for the 2009 cohort. Teach First offered 373 places in 2008, and is on target to offer 850 places per year by 2013.

The additional places will be used to fill teaching vacancies in shortage subjects Mathematics, Science and ICT, as well as supporting the expansion of Teach First’s programme to new regions of the UK.

Teach First will take the new vacancies to university campuses across the country on 1st February 2009.

James Darley, Director of Graduate Recruitment for Teach First, said:

"The response rate we have had this year has been incredible, and we have been extremely impressed by the high quality of all applicants. We are delighted that our reputation for producing inspirational and effective teachers has meant that schools are prepared to work with us to meet this rising demand.

Whilst it would be foolish to deny that a diminishing number of vacancies elsewhere forms part of the picture, it is clear that Teach First has been able to demonstrate the value of teaching as a leadership profession to the UK’s brightest young people. The skills learned in teaching have application in a variety of fields and the Teach First scheme is a great start to a career."

Brett Wigdortz, Chief Executive of Teach First, said:

"By increasing the number of graduates to Teach First, we are increasing the number of young people who have the motivation, skills and expertise to meet the challenge of educational disadvantage, both inside and outside the classroom.

Teach First works because we not only produce excellent teachers to teach in challenged secondary schools, but because we are equipping the next generation of leaders in all fields with an understanding of the issues faced by young people from disadvantaged backgrounds."

For all press inquiries please contact Natalie Whitty on nwhitty@teachfirst.org.uk or 07737 989 672.

Notes to Editors

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.