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Young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in this country are being let down by one of the most unfair education systems in the developed world, and the knock-on effect of this injustice lasts a lifetime. It’s a cycle we’re determined to break, but we need your help.
Not every kid gets a fair start in life:
1. So what?
2. So let’s fix it.
With a fair education, everything’s possible. Too often though, a child’s path through life is set by their background, not their potential to succeed. That can’t be fair. We’re determined to break this cycle of injustice, and we need your help.
On our two-year Training Programme, we’ll pay you a salary as you qualify to teach through a fully-funded Postgraduate Diploma in Education and Leadership (PGDE). We trust you with real responsibility from day one.
We also offer a number of undergraduate opportunities – including internships and taster experiences – so you can find out what the Training Programme is really all about.
With your talents and ambition, you have many career options ahead of you. But few are more meaningful than teaching. You’ll develop skills all employers are looking for, make lifelong friends and connections and help build a fair education for all.
Find out more https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/training-with-us
On our two-year Training Programme, we’ll support you to become a qualified teacher through a fully-funded Postgraduate Diploma in Education and Leadership. By training on the job, you’ll have an immediate impact on the lives of the young people who need you the most.
And, whether you choose to remain in the classroom or pursue another career after the programme, you’ll benefit from Teach First’s influential network of organisations and businesses who share our commitment to ending educational inequality and value the skills and experience our participants gain.
After the two years, more than half of our trainees continue teaching in schools, many progressing into leadership positions. Others move into positions in government, industry and their own social enterprises, remaining connected to our goal of ending educational inequality.
Since 2002 Teach First has been finding and developing talented people to teach and lead in schools facing the greatest challenges, helping to change the lives of more than one million disadvantaged children so far.
Could you help us reach the day when no child’s educational success is limited by their background?
https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/
Some 17% of the participants in the 2018 cohort of our Leadership Development Programme (LDP) told us they had a disability.
We value diversity. Some 17% of the participants in the 2018 cohort of our Leadership Development Programme (LDP) told us they had a disability. The 2018 cohort also graduated from 137 different universities, and 49% of them were first-generation university students. We welcome this diversity and are committed to ensuring our selection process is an inclusive experience for all candidates.
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Our Training Programme will help you become an inspirational classroom leader with the ability to give every child and young person you teach the chance of a better future.
You will:
Being part of the programme will also give you access to some of the most influential organisations and experts in the professional world – a diverse range of connections who share our commitment to ending educational inequality and value the skills and experiences gained through the programme.
Participants on our programme come from a wide range of backgrounds: some come fresh from university; others have established careers. However, they all share the desire to end educational inequality.
This career-defining opportunity will enable you to make a difference to thousands of lives, including your own.
We recommend you speak to one of our experienced recruitment team before you submit your application: they’re here to provide support and advice. Taking it on board may make all the difference.
Be open
We strongly encourage you to share information about your disability on your application form to ensure we are able to support you throughout the application and selection process and enable you to demonstrate your full potential. The information you provide will be confidential and will only be shared with our assessors, who need to be aware of necessary adjustments. It will not form part of our selection process.
Use your best examples
The application is your opportunity to demonstrate some of the competencies which we think are essential for success on the programme. We recommend that you take time to consider what your best example for each question is. Feel free to draw on professional, voluntary, personal or academic experiences. As our questions are competency based, we are more interested in the skills and behaviours you have demonstrated than the opportunities you have had. Be explicit, we cannot infer or assume.
Try using the CAR approach for your answer
We’re looking for plenty of detail in your answers. To help you cover all the necessary points, try using the following structure in the competency choice question:
Teach First is a values-driven organisation. Our values shape our culture and how we operate and we expect you to model them throughout the application process and during your time on the programme.
Our values translate into our selection competencies, which we use to assess your potential to become an impactful leader. To find a full list of our values, visit our application and selection webpage.
As a Teach First participant, you will be working with a variety of stakeholders from pupils to parents, teachers to peers. We look for those that can build relationships quickly, giving value and respect to others to get the best out of them.
Communicating clearly whilst listening and responding appropriately is very important. As a participant you will need to adapt your style in different situations and contribute as a great team player.
You will need to show passion for Teach First, our vision and mission, as well as understanding and enthusiasm for the Leadership Development Programme.
You will need to be proactive and make decisions on a daily basis as you strive to achieve above and beyond expectations. Taking the lead will be crucial for success.
As a Teach First participant you will need to manage daily responsibilities and juggle your priorities. You will need to work efficiently and effectively to meet deadlines and deliver successfully.
Every day you will face new challenges and will have to come up with considered, effective and appropriate solutions in response. Whilst drawing on resources and logic you will also need to use creativity and innovation to be successful.
You will need to be hungry for a challenge, using patience and endless energy to persevere through the difficult times. When faced with obstacles you will need to be tenacious and versatile and maintain a positive mindset.
Personal development is vital for long-term success. You will need to be aware of your performance, your strengths and our weaknesses and will need to be realistic in what and how you can do better.
We offer a personalised recruitment process to ensure that whatever your situation, you are able to transition onto the Training Programme as easily as possible. Adjustments are offered on a case-by-case basis at our Training Programme assessment centre, tailored to the needs of individual candidates. Just some of the examples of adjustments that we offer include:
Additional time to complete written exercises
Enlarged text for visually impaired candidates
Access for wheelchair users
Provision of a reader or a scribe
Provision of a laptop to complete written exercises
Adjustments to the scheduled timings
If you have any further enquiries or would like to discuss your individual circumstances please email recruitment@teachfirst.org.uk. We are always keen to discuss candidates’ requirements individually, to ensure that our process is inclusive for all candidates.
At every stage of your Training Programme, we have dedicated teams and individuals who will be on hand to help you build on your experiences and make the most of the opportunities our programme offers.
In addition to this support, you will be connected to a local Teach First team who will provide additional support throughout your two years and by our wider community of participants, ambassadors and vision-aligned organisations.
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