Specialist subject
Essential knowledge
Why teach computing?
Boost your career and help fight educational inequality
In partnership with Amazon Future Engineer, we’re offering you the opportunity to earn a salary while you train to be a computing teacher on our Training Programme. You’ll also gain valuable experience that will serve you well in the tech and education sectors.
Most importantly, you’ll help ensure that children who face the biggest life challenges can learn crucial computer science skills.
The UK needs more computing teachers
In 2017, a Royal Society report found that 54% of secondary schools in England didn’t offer GCSE computer science and that this was largely due to a lack of skilled teachers.
Be part of the solution and help us change that.
Our Training Programme
Unlock your talents and help secure the future of the next generation by joining our Training Programme. You’ll get:
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a fully-funded Postgraduate Diploma in Education and Leadership (PGDE), worth double the credits of a PGCE
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a salary while you train
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the chance to help the children who need you most
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your own Amazon Echo to help you in your classroom teaching
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one-to-one support from an Amazon Techspert
Rachel on teaching computing
Students that say they’re going off now to study computer science because they’ve enjoyed my lessons so much is something that’s massively inspirational.
Teach First x Amazon
Amazon Future Engineer is Amazon’s global programme designed to inspire children and young people, from lower-income communities, to try computer science. Over the next two years, the programme aims to reach over a million children in the UK.
The Amazon Future Engineer programme will also provide additional support during and after your teacher training. This includes linking you up with an Amazon employee who is passionate about STEM education, as part of the Amazon Techspert programme. You’ll meet with your Techspert one-to-one multiple times throughout your training, giving you time to talk about your interests in technology and get advice on careers related to computing for your pupils.
Teach First’s partnership with Amazon Future Engineer supports students at secondary school level, where we are already seeing increased interest in computer science teaching. The programme will also deliver free robotics workshops for 10,000 primary school pupils and offer apprenticeships and bursaries in the computer science field. Initial feedback from teachers has been incredibly positive, meaning Amazon will continue to welcome thousands of children to its sites across 2021.
Amazon is also supporting Teach First’s Careers Leader programme.
Our visit was incredible. It ignited our pupils' interest in STEM and the innovative, hands-on, coding tasks enabled the children to solve problems and develop their logical thinking.
Rachel found her calling teaching computer science
Rachel was working in cybersecurity, where she had, “what seemed like a really glamorous lifestyle.” But despite her apparent success, she was looking for a change of direction.
“At first I was wowed, but I missed working with young people and it felt like there was something missing.”
“Lots of my friends saw me as someone who was doing really well and jet setting, and obviously the salary [in cybersecurity] was a big draw… but actually the joy I get from being in a classroom is ten times better than that.”
Rachel on teaching computing
Training Programme
Our country needs teachers, now more than ever. Join our most important cohort for a generation.
STEM Online Experience
Try out teaching on our online experience for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) students in their penultimate year of university.
Training with us
Learn to teach and lead with our salaried, on-the-job training. Gain highly-rated teaching and leadership qualifications with expert support – and no fees.
