More than one in three Teach First recruits are now either career changers or school support staff nominated to join the scheme, as the charity shifts its focus away from targeting elite university graduates.
The teacher trainer’s new strategy, seen by Schools Week, also outlines a push into professional development to help its alumni into school leadership.
Set up in 2003, Teach First was tasked by the government with recruiting “exceptional graduates with high academic ability” who might not have considered a teaching career to work in schools serving the most disadvantaged communities.
Speaking to Schools Week, CEO Russell Hobby says that recruiting “the top talent in the country who maybe are not convinced of a career in teaching” is still Teach First’s unique selling point. Narrowing the attainment gap remains its core mission.
