Coaching for Teach First trainees and ambassadors
Get matched with a corporate coach who will help you reach your personal and professional goals. For current Teach First programme members and ambassadors still in teaching only.
Applications are now open.
- One-to-one reflection with an experienced coach.
- Support for your personal and professional development.
- Fresh perspective from someone outside of teaching.
- Fully funded (no cost to you).
- Tailored to you and fits around your schedule.
Our next cohort will start in May 2024. Apply by 28 April.
Our free Coaching Programme connects Teach First programme members and ambassadors with trained corporate coaches.
Coaching relationships last for one year. The frequency and length of the sessions is to be agreed between you and your coach, but you will have at least six one-to-one sessions together.
This year’s coaches come from a variety of organisations supporting Teach First, including:
- BNP Paribas
- Deloitte
- DHL
- Goldman Sachs
- IG Group
- Ørsted
- Zurich
All coaches get bespoke training from our partners Goodfoot and conscious coaching training from diversity and inclusion specialists Simms Coaching and Consulting.
To apply, you must be a current Teach First programme member or a Teach First ambassador still in teaching.
How it works
We match successful applicants with a coach from one of our corporate partners. You will then work with your coach over the school year, with regular one-to-one online sessions.
How a coach can help you
Your coach will offer their skills, time and commitment to help you achieve professional and personal goals set by you.
You'll work together to decide what to cover in your sessions, to make sure they're relevant to your needs.
Why work with a corporate coach?
Previous participants have benefitted from working with a coach who is not connected to their school or the Teach First programme they’re on. Being coached by someone from outside of the sector:
- allows you time and space away from school to consider challenges and solutions
- provides a confidential safe space to work through any areas of concern
- helps empower and hold you to account as you work towards your goals.
What do previous participants say?
Amanda Debrah (English Teacher at Oasis Academy Shirley Park) said:
“I was matched with a coach who is extremely personable, professional and kind which means I always felt comfortable expressing my future goals and ambitions. He helped me to create a career map and plan how I would implement a debating club in my school. He was really patient with me to help me to map out my forward plan and actions to turn my ambition into a reality! I appreciate having such a lovely coach as he goes above and beyond to listen to me. Thank you for matching us!”
Penny Nutall, Teach First teacher, said:
“It's the best thing I've done for my teaching career. I've had such a positive experience on the Coaching Programme. When I signed up to be coached, I didn’t feel like I was able to reach my full potential as a middle leader. But coaching gave me the confidence to pursue leadership roles and has made me realise that I’m truly making an impact. My coach, Sally, is one of the most empowering women I’ve ever met. She’s absolutely amazing at her job. Our sessions were always productive and purposeful, and I would always leave feeling invigorated and empowered.
“Now, I'm aspiring to take on further leadership responsibilities with new teachers or in teacher training – something I had never even considered until working with Sally.”
As a coaching programme participant, you’ll get:
- bespoke one-to-one sessions with a corporate coach
- year-round support and regular email bulletins from us
- materials to help you get the most out of your coaching sessions.
To get a coach you'll need:
- to be a current Teach First programme member or Teach First ambassador
- to commit to preparing for and attending regular coaching sessions (date and time to be agreed with your coach)
- to complete a mandatory module on our online learning platform, Brightspace, after submitting your application.
Applications close on 28 April.
If you have any questions, contact our team.
No matter who you are matched with they are going to help you, offer interesting insights, and challenge you.
My coach has been fantastic in helping me to progress my thinking or to look at problems in new and unexpected ways. She doesn’t tell me what to do. Instead, she helps me to figure out my own solutions to any challenges I'm facing.
By talking to somebody with vast experience, I was able to get a different viewpoint on my own strengths and areas for development.
Corporate partnerships
Before they set foot in the classroom, our country’s poorest schoolchildren are already on uneven ground. Doors are closed to them before they even know they exist. As a corporate partner, you have the power to open them.
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