What It Does: Teach First is a teacher-training program. Its employees are posted to primary and secondary schools to provide quality education for kids from low-income families who can't pay for their tuition. This company aims to rectify the educational gap between the rich and poor in society.
Mission: Teach First’s mission is to make the country’s educational system work for every child.
Size and Presence: Teach First has a workforce comprising more than 3,000 employees, but this organisation has trained and placed more than 10,000 teachers across schools in the UK. Teach First has offices across 5 locations in the UK.
Best Known For: This non-profit organisation is best known for bridging the educational gap in the UK and ensuring that every kid from the indigent background can have access to high-quality education. Teach First is best known for churning out great teachers.
The Good Bits: The work is meaningful and exciting. The work culture is very healthy for fresh graduates and interns. There are ample learning opportunities.
The Not-So-Good Bits: The work-life balance is not great. The pay can be better.
This organisation came into existence in 2002. It was founded in Canary Wharf by Brett Wigdortz, who led a team of 11 employees. The organisation’s first support came from Citi and Canary Wharf Group. The first crop of Teach First trainees participated in 45 secondary schools across London. Haling Manor High school, an educational institution in Croydon, was the first secondary school to register with Teach First. The organisation’s scope of operations was limited to the city of London till 2006, when it expanded to schools in Greater Manchester.
The following year, this organisation struck a collaboration with Teach with America to create Teach for All, a global educational network of private social enterprises that can create educational opportunities for disadvantaged kids in their respective countries. Its headquarters are in London.
The work culture of Teach First is built on Trust and Fairness. The organisation can be likened to a big family made up of individuals with different profiles and backgrounds. Every employee is a champion for educationally disadvantaged kids across the UK; the work means a lot to them. The purpose of the organisation has strongly united its employees regardless of the differences in their marital status, socioeconomic background, political affiliation, gender, race, religion, sexuality, etc.
Teach First aims to create an inclusive environment where every employee can thrive and feel a sense of belonging. Freshers and interns are well-received and given the necessary support to thrive in the organisation. Teach First also believes in transparency and open communication. Employees are encouraged to air their thoughts and opinions.
Every fresher and intern at Teach First is assured of a promising career. The organisation’s training program allows interns and new graduates to enrol in a completely funded and globally recognised leadership qualification and professional mentoring program. This program ensures that these participants don't just learn and pick up valuable teaching skills but also earn a salary while building experience. It's a 24-month program with an optional one-year for the Master's Degree.
Teach First also offers Taster Programs that allow trainees or participants to develop highly sought-after skills and enhance their chances of getting accepted to a graduate training program. As an employee of Teach First, you get to join a network of over 15,000 teachers, leaders, and businesses.
A new graduate working at Teach First earns an average annual salary of £28,000.
Teach First provides educational opportunities to disadvantaged children in the UK.
There were criticisms from the public that the Teach First training program is like a bypass for "qualified teachers" that weren't trained in the university.