Teach Lead Change Nomination
Help your support staff become qualified teachers while staying in school, earning a salary and growing into the role you need.
Join us for the launch of Teach Lead Change at our webinar on 24 November.
Develop great teachers from within your school
Nominate talented staff to become qualified teachers with Teach Lead Change, our new teaching and leadership programme. Our programme connects ambitious individuals with the potential to become brilliant teachers and future leaders to schools serving communities most in need. With outstanding training and support, they’ll make a lasting difference to your school.
They’ll stay in your school and earn a salary from day one – an Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’, cost-effective route to QTS and a PGCE (subject to validation).
The best teachers for your pupils could already be in your staffroom.
Work in a school and want to teach? Find out how to get nominated
At a glance
Duration
Two years, starting September 2027
Annual school fee
Primary: £1,000
Secondary: £2,150 – £3,350*
Trainee salary
Unqualified pay range in Year 1
Mainscale pay range 1 in Year 2
Eligibility
Schools serving pupils most in need
*Depending on subject and programme year.
How to nominate a member of staff
Four simple steps
Nominating is quick, and we'll guide you and your nominee through every stage.
- Tell us who you'd like to nominate: complete our short expression of interest form.
- We'll be in touch: your regional partnerships manager will talk through your school's needs.
- Your nominee applies: they complete an application and attend our development centre.
- They start training: Summer Institute in summer 2027, then teaching in their new role at your school from September.
Before you nominate, find out more about:
You’ve got someone who’s already engaged with your school.
Who can be nominated?
- Current school support staff: teaching assistants, cover supervisors, lab technicians, unqualified teachers.
- Other individuals known to the school: school governors, mentors, parents, former staff.
For support staff: take the next step
Our training programme is a salaried pathway for you to become a qualified teacher. You'll benefit from outstanding training while staying in your school. Ask your headteacher to nominate you.
Trainee eligibility criteria
Nominated staff will need to:
- meet our programme requirements – right to work, a minimum of a 2:2 bachelor's degree, and min. grade 4/C GCSE English and maths (and science for primary)
- show alignment with the Teach First mission and dedication to leading change and creating a positive impact in education
- demonstrate commitment to the two-year programme, beginning with Summer Institute
Unsure about eligibility? Contact us.
How the programme works
Your nominated staff member will follow a structured two-year development journey that combines teacher training, classroom practice and leadership development from day one. Starting with Summer Institute and continuing throughout, they will build the knowledge, skills, and experience to become an effective teacher and future leader in education.
Year one
- Start in school from day one, supported by expert mentoring and training.
- Secondary: teach Key Stage 3 and 4 (or Key Stage 4 and 5 in business studies), building up to an 80% timetable.
- Primary: teach Key Stage 1 or 2, starting on a 60% timetable and increasing to 80% by Christmas.
- Complete a contrasting school experience and begin developing leadership skills.
- Work towards QTS and a PGCE (subject to validation).
Year two
- Progress to a standard early career teacher (ECT) timetable.
- Consolidate and extend their classroom expertise while deepening their leadership development.
- Continue learning alongside a network of peers committed to tackling educational disadvantage.
Ready to grow your own teachers?
What it costs
| Subject | Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Maths, physics, biology, chemistry, computing | £2,850 | £3,350 |
| MFL, geography | £2,700 | £3,000 |
| English | £2,400 | £2,700 |
| All other secondary subjects | £2,150 | £2,450 |
| Primary | £1,000 | £1,000 |
Trainee salary
- Year 1: Paid on the unqualified teacher pay range.
- Year 2: Increases to a qualified teacher salary (M1).
School eligibility
We use criteria agreed with the Department for Education to identify schools that will benefit most from working with us; where the proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium is in the top 70% of secondary schools – or the top 60% of primary schools – and attainment is below average.
If your school would benefit from our support but doesn't match the criteria above, contact our team.
Quality you can trust
Teach First's initial teacher training is rated 'Outstanding' by Ofsted. We're partnered with the Department for Education and the National Institute of Teaching to create a teaching and leadership programme like no other.
Help your staff and pupils thrive
Tell us who you'd like to nominate and a member of our team will be in touch.
Have questions? Visit our Teach Lead Change Nomination FAQs for more information.
Looking to hire a trainee teacher instead? Find a teacher for your school