James Toop: How we are Rewriting the future to end educational disadvantage

Pupils growing up in the poorest areas are still twice as likely to leave school without strong English and maths GCSEs¹. There are up to five times more teacher vacancies in the poorest areas of England². The progress made in closing the attainment gap before the pandemic is being reversed. This is not only unfair, but also a profound waste of talent and potential.

We’ve seen what works

While it might feel as though the outcomes for disadvantaged children have already been written, this can be changed – and we’ve seen it happen across the country through the work of our ambassador community. When talented people choose to enter the classroom because they are determined to tackle educational inequality, a Change Maker is born.

Throughout their careers, whether in the classroom, leading schools, charities, policy and businesses, by staying committed to the mission and retaining that defiant belief, they have shown that not only can the futures of millions of children be shaped, they can also be rewritten.

Two decades of impact, but the mission isn’t over

Since Teach First was formed over 20 years ago, we’ve placed over 20,000 ambassadors into the country’s toughest classrooms – changing the destinies of countless lives.  But our mission is far from over. More than two million pupils in the England are still growing up in poverty³. The challenge has never been greater. The need has never been more urgent.

That’s why we’re launching our new campaign: Rewrite the future.

 

‘Rewrite the future’ is about building an education system where a child’s postcode does not determine their destiny, and about ensuring every child, no matter their background, has brilliant teachers to help them thrive. It means children from poorer backgrounds leaving school with the same opportunities and potential that their wealthier peers already take for granted.

Your role in rewriting the future

Our role is to identify ambitious individuals and inspire and equip them to lead change – in their classrooms, their schools and their communities. We see these exceptional people rewrite their own futures too: becoming leaders in education, driving policy change and building school communities that believe in every child’s potential to learn, succeed and thrive. Together, as a movement of Change Makers, we are working to rewrite the future to end educational disadvantage, so every child has the opportunity and support to flourish.

Join the movement for change

We know change is possible – because we’ve seen it in classrooms across the country. But to truly rewrite the future, we need more people to stand with us and join the movement for change. Teachers. Leaders. Policymakers. Communities. Funders. Over the coming months, we will be reaching out to all of our partners to build on this growing movement.

Together, we can end educational inequality and give every child the chance to write their own future story.