Change Speak out Support Develop
2012/13 Annual Review
Believe
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No child’s educational success should be limited by where they grow up... Arlen, Saffron, Jaden, Peter and Viktoria go to St Mary’s C of E Primary School, which is in Hackney, one of London’s poorest boroughs. Forty two per cent of its pupils are eligible for free school meals – twice the national average. Only 16 per cent of young people on free school meals progress to university, compared with 96 per cent of those who attend independent schools. Over the year we have been working to build a community of passionate individuals and organisations dedicated to making a difference for every one of these pupils, and countless more in the UK now, and in the future…
Arlen He has lots of ideas about what he would like to do when he grows up, including being an author, a musician (as he is learning to play the french horn), a lawyer, a chef, a dad (to one son, no girls), or an off-road rider (because he loves motorbikes).
Saffron Saffron has lots of ideas about what she’d like to be when she grows up, including being a lawyer or a speech therapist.
Jaden Jaden would either like to be a footballer or a cartoonist when he grows up.
Peter Peter’s favourite thing about school is art and drawing, so he would like to be an artist when he grows up.
Viktoria Viktoria loves to draw and likes adventure. What she most wants to do is to be a vet.
We believe they can achieve their dreams and more teachfirst.org.uk
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“Changing young people’s lives lies at the heart of everything we do”
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Annual Review 2012/13 Believe
Welcome One thing that unites us at Teach First is that we believe in the power of people to change society. Experience has taught us that one amazing teacher can kick start this process and, by joining forces with others working in education at all levels, can have a huge impact on the lives of young people. We are working with some incredible people who believe without question that a child from a poorer background can and should be able to achieve just as much as a child from a wealthier background; they just face different challenges. What is really powerful, as we look back over the last year, is just how many people share this belief and our passion for the power of education. There is no greater example of this than at Challenge 2012, the pinnacle of our tenth anniversary year, where we launched five Fair Education Impact Goals for 2022 (pg 25). The event saw over 2,100 people stand up for educational equality. The scale of committed individuals and organisations coming together in one place gave us even more confidence that together we can make these ambitious goals a reality over the next ten years. When we launched Teach First in 2002 many people thought we would fail and that the issue we are tackling was too complex to change. But, with others, we are changing it, and every year that goes by we are making a greater impact. Take London for example, for GCSE results it went from the the second worst region in 2007 to the second highest in 2012. We have placed more than 2,000 teachers in the most disadvantaged areas of London over the last ten years and are proud to be part of this success, which we are looking to replicate as widely as possible in the UK. The past year alone saw our largest-ever group of trainee teachers go through Summer Institute, bringing the size of our participant and ambassador community up to 4,700, the
vast majority of whom continue to work in low-income schools or with children from disadvantaged communities. By 2022 we will have around 17,000 ambassadors, not to mention the number of like-minded organisations and supporters who are working closely with us to help pupils in lowincome communities get a better education, no matter what challenges they face. It was a very proud moment when we launched our Innovation Unit, which facilitates social enterprises to help the young people we are here to support in many aspects of their lives. We are currently working with a range of organisations designed to improve areas like social work, mentoring and literacy. The unit also facilitates innovative ideas to improve education through its Innovation Award and very popular Innovation Weekends. Find out more on page 29. We are also very excited to have expanded into Wales, with the help of our Patron HRH The Prince of Wales and in partnership with the Welsh Government. Changing young people’s lives lies at the heart of everything we do and this is the perfect opportunity to recognise all the incredible people we work with who help make this happen; from our dedicated teachers, school and university partners to our amazing supporters, trustees and ambassadors, whether they are inside or outside the classroom. Thanks to every one of you for your work over the last year. Here’s to looking forward and making real progress in ending educational inequality in the future. We couldn’t do it without you. Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE, Chair Brett Wigdortz OBE, Founder & CEO
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Contents Welcome from Brett and Dame Julia................................................. Foreword by Alex................................................................................... Our 2013 cohort.................................................................................... Dan’s story............................................................................................. The STEM challenge.............................................................................. Deega’s story........................................................................................ Early intervention................................................................................. Making a greater impact...................................................................... Our expansion..................................................................................... Where we work ...................................................................................... Improving university access............................................................... Francesca’s story................................................................................. Working together to change lives...................................................... Every Child Can...................................................................................... Increasing our voice............................................................................. What’s next ........................................................................................... Organisational goals............................................................................ Highlights for 2013/14......................................................................... Our finances........................................................................................... Thanks ................................................................................................... Governance and acknowledgements.................................................
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A teacher’s belief in a student and a student’s belief in their own abilities are things that need to be at the centre of learning.
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Alex, HEAPS mentee (second from left)
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Foreword by Alex Hello, my name is Alex and I am a pupil in the West Midlands, which is a place that can be challenging education-wise. School can be tough in many ways for kids growing up in my area. I have been taught by Teach First teachers and, for the past year or so, I’ve been part of the Higher Education Access Programme for Schools (HEAPS) run by Teach First, which has been a great help to me. To me, one of the most important parts of education for any student is belief. A teacher’s belief in a student and a student’s belief in their own abilities are things that need to be at the centre of learning. Without them, how can we expect students to progress or pass exams? My experience with school has always been a bit rocky. Education and I have always had a love-hate relationship; I love learning about different things but I hate assessments. This is the reason I was so scared about starting high school. In Year 7, I hated school. I barely turned up because I didn’t feel like I was any good. But then, in Year 8, things changed. My school took a new approach to education using modern technology. Not only was I learning more, but I felt my teachers really believed in me - so I started to believe in me too. I was finally enjoying education because I felt like I fitted in. Thinking about it, one of the most difficult challenges I faced at school was exams. I hated exams with a passion and, to some extent, I still do. I think one of the main reasons for this was that although I was confident going into the exam, I panicked every time I had to write about anything. But with amazing reassurance and support from my teachers, I got on with my exams with no problems. Miraculously, I managed to get through them. It made me realise that all a student needs is a little belief from their teacher, and themselves, to tackle any problem.
About halfway through Year 12, I made the decision to apply to Oxford. This was a massive step for me; I come from a working class background and none of my family has ever been to university. So this made me panic a little because I couldn’t really turn to them for any advice. In addition, no one in my school’s history had applied to Oxford before so I would be the first. That was a scary thought. Nevertheless, I decided to apply to university to study English Literature.
I made the decision to apply to Oxford. This was a massive step for me; I come from a working class background and none of my family has ever been to university.
At the moment, I’m waiting to hear back about an interview (fingers crossed I get through). If it wasn’t for my teachers’ faith in my abilities and the HEAPS programme for providing an insight into university life, I don’t think I would have ever thought of applying. As I said before, I’ve had moments where I had no confidence in my abilities and that had a massive impact on my education. Although it is important that a student develops this, it really needs to be instilled within them by their teachers and their parents. For any student, it is essential that they have faith in their own abilities as it will allow them to tackle any problems that they encounter in education with confidence. However cliché it may seem, a little belief can go a long way. teachfirst.org.uk
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Our 2013 cohort Only 1 in 10 teachers would consider teaching in a challenging school. All Teach First teachers choose to work in schools in low-income communities. Why? Because, like us, they believe these young people deserve better and they know that with others, they can make a difference. Our selection process ensures we pick the very best people to complete our Leadership Development Programme (LDP). We choose people who are passionate about making a lasting difference to the lives of the pupils they teach and are committed to help lead our movement to tackle educational inequality in the long term.
Candidates are assessed on competencies that include planning and organising; humility, respect and empathy; problem solving and leadership. We continually develop our programme to meet the needs of our teachers, and ensure they have the greatest possible impact working in schools in some of the poorest areas of England and Wales. This year we recruited our biggest cohort ever, which includes graduates from all walks of life as well as career changers from a range of backgrounds, from a police inspector to a ballerina.
1,261 Number of participants who started Summer Institute 2013
251 Primary 1,010 Secondary 50% of secondary participants teaching STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)
Thanks: to our 2012-13 Graduate Recruitment Platinum Partners: Accenture, Goldman Sachs, P&G, PwC, Civil Service Fast Stream. Our Platinum Partners support our work on campus and offer valuable career opportunities to ambassadors who choose to move into other sectors.
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Only 1 in 10 teachers would consider teaching in a challenging school. All Teach First teachers choose to work in schools in low-income communities.
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Develop
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Dan’s story Dan Flanagan is a member of our 2013 cohort. He has gone from the armed forces to teaching a Year 3 class in a primary school in the North of England. Some of the issues that these children may face outside the classroom include poverty, drugs, suicide, neglect and abuse. Dan says, “I came into Teach First after serving in the Army. I saw abroad just what an impact lack of education can have upon a country. Within the Army I served with a wide range of individuals. “I was privileged to meet some absolutely inspirational and amazing soldiers, but many of them had come from schools and backgrounds similar to where I teach now.
I saw abroad just what an impact lack of education can have upon a country.
“Many of the soldiers I served with had very negative memories of school, yet in the Army many developed a thirst for education and self-improvement. I decided on Teach First because I myself had hated school. I never felt inspired or had any real belief in myself when I was there.
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“Yet my service in the Army has shown me the value and importance of a good education.
My pupils believe and trust in me so it is only right that I work as hard as I can for them.
When I received poor A-level results at 18, a teacher told me it was my fault and that it would cost me my future. But my old Spanish teacher then said words to me that have inspired me to this day. I went on to go to university, then Sandhurst, became an Army officer and now a teacher. And it’s all really due to the kind words of that one teacher who believed in me. “My pupils believe and trust in me so it is only right that I work as hard as I can for them. I hope that my pupils can at least leave my class feeling that they are good at something, and have confidence and self belief. Every child should feel the taste of success, no matter where they come from, what is happening at home or any other problems they may have.”
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Every child should feel the taste of success, no matter where they come from, what is happening at home or any other problems they may have
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The STEM challenge – building our economy The UK faces a significant challenge created by the lack of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) graduates entering key professions in a society that is becoming increasingly focused on science and innovation. Fifty two per cent of employers are concerned that they will not fill the posts in their organisations that require graduate or higher level STEM qualifications within the next three years. university and will miss out on crucial STEM-specific employment opportunities.
Without inspiring, effective and specialist STEM teachers, pupils studying these subjects are far less likely to fulfil their potential.
What’s more, young people from lower-income communities are underachieving in STEM subjects. Almost two-thirds of pupils eligible for free school meals fail to achieve a science GCSE at grade A*-C and 58 per cent fail to achieve this in maths.
We are working to recruit more specialist STEM teachers year on year, to inspire pupils to study STEM subjects and open their eyes to a career in science, engineering and related fields. This year we have recruited a record 503 STEM teachers to train and teach in low-income communities, whilst supporting the 798 existing participants and ambassadors who continue to teach in this area.
We believe that a shortage of STEM teachers is a key contributing factor. Without inspiring, effective and specialist STEM teachers, pupils studying these subjects are far less likely to fulfil their potential, will not study the subjects at
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I’m really proud to be part of the next generation of science teachers
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Deega’s story Deega Sufi is a former pupil of one of our partner schools in Enfield, where she was taught science for a number of years by a Teach First teacher. She was also mentored as part of our Higher Education Access Programme for Schools (HEAPS). Now Deega is studying Biomedical Science at Brunel University and has been offered a place as a science teacher on our Leadership Development Programme for 2014.
I was in the top set achieving 13 GCSEs.
“I was six years old when I first moved to the UK from Holland and at that time I didn’t speak any English. It was a scary experience moving to another country with my mum and five siblings. I had to get used to a whole new way of living. “When I started school, I had a desire to do well, but the language barrier made it a real struggle at first. “I had some truly amazing teachers who supported me. By the time I was in Year 11, I was in the top set
achieving 13 GCSEs. When I was in sixth form, I was nominated by my teacher to work with a mentor from HEAPS.
I hope to be a positive role model for young girls considering a career in science.
I was really happy to get this opportunity – I saw it as something which could give me the final push I needed. My mentor helped me map out exactly where I wanted to be in the future, what I was best at and what I had a real passion for. “When I start the Leadership Development Programme, it will definitely be full circle for me. Science teaching has always been something I took great interest in, and to find out years later that some of my best teachers were Teach First teachers was very inspiring. I’m really proud to be part of the next generation of science teachers, and I hope to be a positive role model for young girls considering a career in science.”
Thanks: to Bloomberg, BP Foundation, the Credit Suisse EMEA Foundation, Gatsby Charitable Foundation, Google, HSBC, the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the Primary Science Teaching Trust. Our STEM partners provide vital support of our work in addressing the STEM skills shortage through the recruitment of increasing numbers of STEM teachers.
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Early intervention Research shows that high-quality early years education is closely related to children’s achievements and life success. Thanks to Government funding, we have extended our programme to include early years education, and 16 of our participants began their training in this specific area at Summer Institute 2013. There are a number of unique aspects to the programme including an extensive period working with pupils aged between 0-3.
Children from the poorest fifth of homes were, on average, 19 months behind their wealthier classmates in their use of vocabulary by the age of five
Prudence Mercer, a 2013 reception teacher, tells her story “Working in partnership with parents and carers is so important to the success of a child's education, and as a practitioner in the early years I have an opportunity to form these relationships due to the frequent contact that I have with my children's parents. “However, the majority of the children in my class are significantly delayed in their development - their listening, understanding, speech and language, even physical development, is far behind that of the average four-year-old. Sadly this is largely due to a lack of interaction and stimulation in their pre-school years, so as you might expect, many of these parents are very difficult to engage with. “Involving parents and carers in their child's education has been shown to increase the child's rate of learning and development exponentially. I hope that, as an early years teacher, I can lay the foundations of strong relationships with the families of my pupils - so the benefits can be reaped throughout the rest of their school years.”
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“Parents want and deserve high-quality early education for their young children. The extension of the Teach First Leadership Development Programme into the early years will mean talented individuals will be even more attracted to this important profession which makes all the difference to young lives.� Elizabeth Truss, MP, Education and Childcare Minister teachfirst.org.uk
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Making a greater impact Our Leadership Development Programme is uniquely designed to help us train and support incredible teachers to help pupils from lower socio-economic backgrounds thrive and achieve at school. Our impact relies heavily on the dedication of our Leadership Development Officers (LDOs) who work closely with participants to work through classroom challenges and set ambitious targets for pupils. In early 2013 we were awarded the contract to lead all elements of initial teacher training for our teachers. This forms the Initial Teacher Development (ITD) aspect within the Leadership Development Programme. We deliver this element of our programme in partnership with schools and universities.
This means: We have close relationships with the schools and universities that we work with to deliver our bespoke programme, each of them sharing our passion and commitment to ending educational inequality. We work with universities to develop and deliver our training through their understanding of local contexts, subject knowledge and expertise in pupil progression. We are now leading decisions around our teachers’ training, which will allow us to focus all resources on developing people with a lifelong ambition to end educational inequality, ensuring that the training is centred around having the greatest possible impact on their pupils.
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The partnership with Teach First brings many benefits to Birmingham City University and its local communities. We all share the vision of improving the lives of young people. Professor Fiona Church, Executive Dean, Faculty of Education, Law and Social Sciences, Birmingham City University
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Thanks: to Bank of America Merrill Lynch who joined us as a supporter this year, funding LDOs in East London.
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“Our university has witnessed at first-hand the positive impact of this innovative programme shaped by a clear vision which is underpinned by a strong moral purpose and commitment to raising the aspirations and attainment of some of the most disadvantaged pupils in the UK. It has been a privilege to be part of this programme and see it reach to an increasing number of children whose life chances have benefitted from the expertise, enthusiasm and care offered by its inspirational participants.” Paul Dickinson, Head of Strategic Developments in Education at Sheffield Hallam University
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We’ve grown Educational inequality is a complex problem and can look different in every classroom, school and area that we work in. For example, the West Midlands has suffered in the recession and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country; historically Yorkshire and the Humber has had the lowest levels in reading, writing and literacy at Key Stage 1 (age 5 - 7) than any other region; while in the South West 21.5 per cent of people rated the overall satisfaction of their lives as low or very low.
New areas for 2012/13 We were excited to put plans into action and expand our work to the South West region in May 2013, operating from Bristol. In the South West there are currently 5,341 children eligible for free school meals at Key Stage 4 (age 14 - 16), the critical GCSE years for children.
We also launched our South Coast region in July, operating from Bournemouth. This region mainly supports coastal towns experiencing a cycle of poverty where many communities consist of generations of unemployment and lack of aspiration. This has been a critical move for us to reach out to schools in poorer areas.
Introducing...Teach First Cymru Our Patron, HRH The Prince of Wales, marked the launch of Teach First Cymru in July. We will place 40 teachers and will work with around 6,000 pupils in our first year.
Thanks to The Queen’s Trust and the Welsh Government, who made our expansion into Wales possible.
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Where we work
East Midlands London North East North West South Coast South East South West Wales West Midlands Yorkshire & the Humber
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We were voted 3rd in The Times newspaper’s list of the Top 100 graduate employers in March… In July we were highlighted as the largest and fastest-growing graduate recruiter by High Fliers’ research…
...and celebrated in style at 10 Downing Street with headteachers, pupils, our participants, ambassadors and the Prime Minister himself. David Cameron said, “Teach First was born from a real passion for education - a belief in its power to change lives. The charity takes some of our best graduates and supports them in the classroom to teach and inspire the next generation.” 20
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Improving university access Many young people from low-income communities have no idea what options are available to them, or how to get to where they want to be in life. They may have a lot to offer, but not always the right role models or sources of guidance in their lives to help them make ambitious plans for their own futures. At Teach First, we believe that equal access to higher education and meaningful careers is at the heart of a fair society. But it is still the case that young people from the wealthiest homes are seven times more likely to attend the most selective universities than those from the poorest. Our Higher Education Access Programme for Schools (HEAPS), works to ensure that young people are able to access universities and careers that maximise their potential. Using a variety of initiatives, from one-toone mentoring to university day trips and holiday residential events, our programme inspires and equips the most able young people from low-income backgrounds to make confident steps towards career progression after school, or successfully apply to and graduate from some the of UK’s leading universities.
At Teach First, we believe that equal access to higher education and meaningful careers is at the heart of a fair society.
This mentoring has a powerful impact on the young people involved. A recent analysis of UCAS data indicates that HEAPS pupils apply to and are accepted by top universities at a significantly greater rate than their peers.
Initially piloted in London in 2009 with a cohort of 250, we have now expanded the HEAPS programme to Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands, making an impact on the lives of over 1,300 young people.
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Our evaluation compared the HEAPS progression data with a benchmark group of similar pupils:
45% 67% of HEAPS pupils have their applications accepted to Russell Group universities at a greater rate, compared to 47% of the comparison group
of HEAPS pupils are progressing to Russell Group universities at a greater rate than the benchmark group (45% vs. 39%)
80% of pupils completing the programme in 2011 now hold places at university
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Francesca’s story Going to a Russell Group university was something Francesca never even dreamed of, but after becoming a HEAPS mentee, it has become a reality. The 19-year-old from Gillingham, Kent was in her AS level year when she was assigned Warwick Sharp as her HEAPS mentor. Warwick is a 2007 ambassador, now working for the Department for Education.
Warwick was brilliant. He was always available if I needed advice and was happy to meet more often if I needed to.
At the time Francesca thought the best she could get grade-wise was Cs and Ds and she was looking at universities near to her home. Warwick set about helping to raise Francesca’s confidence in her abilities and raising her aspirations so that she could reach her full potential. “Warwick was brilliant. He was always available if I needed advice and was happy to meet more often if I needed to. He has a very busy job so I really appreciated how dedicated he was to making sure I was on the right track.”
Originally from Romania, Francesca only moved to the UK with her family five years ago. Her parents were very supportive and wanted her to do well at school and go onto university but, as they hadn’t been themselves and had not been in the country that long, they weren’t able to understand the UCAS system or guide Francesca through the process. The help Francesca received from Warwick was well beyond what her college could provide her. The careers department had the task of providing guidance to 1,000 students which meant Francesca saw different people every time she went there. Consequently she felt happier seeing Warwick who knew her, was someone she could relate to and who knew what she needed to do to reach her goals. Francesca got the grades she needed, is now studying Law at Sheffield University and is considering a future career in journalism. “I never thought I would be able to come somewhere like Sheffield. I didn’t want to let Warwick down as he is someone who has not only done well in his own life but had also put a lot of time and effort into helping me. This gave me the extra push to do well in exams and get into a good university. And speaking to some of the other HEAPS students when we were on the residential trip to Cambridge University also helped me see that it was easier to realise my potential.”
Thanks: to our lead HEAPS supporter BlackRock, and also to Accenture, the Citi Foundation and the City of London Corporation, whose financial commitments and employee volunteering make HEAPS possible. teachfirst.org.uk
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Working together to change lives Challenge 2012 Picture this: 2,100 people in a room, each and every one of them committed to making a difference to pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. From pupils and teachers to policy makers, educationalists and business leaders, each individual made a personal commitment to ensuring every young person gets a great education and the support they need in life, regardless of how much their parents earn or where they grew up. We wanted to bring people together over a weekend to reflect on the progress we have made over the last ten years but, more importantly, to identify how they can do more to challenge and change the status quo - child by child, classroom by classroom, school by school, community by community - until educational inequality becomes fiction, not fact.
We know we can’t achieve lasting change on our own; it can only be done by working together in partnership with like-minded individuals and organisations. So through debate, discussion, seminars, workshops, and conversations with different members of the community, our delegates expanded their networks and established tangible ways in which we can all contribute to achieving educational equality. We also launched our very first fundraising 10k run on the Sunday.
Thanks: to our Lead Supporter for Challenge 2012, the Credit Suisse EMEA Foundation. Building on eight years of invaluable support, they helped us to deliver our largest ever event and bring the whole community together.
This is how we started our year on 22 September 2012. It was a powerful way to celebrate our ten year anniversary but more importantly, launch our Fair Education Impact Goals and commitment to making an even greater impact over the next ten years.
“When you leave today I want you to think about a pupil who deserves better. We cannot let them down.” Brett Wigdortz, Founder and CEO of Teach First
“I would urge more people to get involved in Teach First over the coming years because I strongly believe that every individual has an inalienable and equal right to change their community and environment in a positive way; and education is the key to moving forward in any society.” Alex Simpson, Youth Co-Chair of Challenge 2012
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Annual Review 2012/13
Narrow the gap in literacy and numeracy at primary school
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Narrow the gap in GCSE attainment at secondary school Ensure pupils develop key strengths, including resilience and wellbeing, to support high aspirations Narrow the gap in the proportion of young people taking part in further education or employment-based training after finishing their GCSEs Narrow the gap in university graduation, including from the 25 per cent most selective universities
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Support
Fair Education Impact Goals:
Supporting our community to make a lasting impact Our ambassadors go on to a variety of roles both inside and outside the classroom. But no matter where they are, they are united by a passion to improve young people's lives.
Where are they now?
94%
of ambassadors feel they have a role to play in tackling educational inequality
69%
are working in education
52% 13% 4%
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are teaching in the UK
are in education outside the classroom, including charities
of ambassadors are school governors
22 0 2 00 0 , 7 By 1 e ill hav
rs. o d a s ambas
we w
That’s a great force to ach ieve la sting chang e.
Launching our Innovation Unit We strive to support our ambassadors in any way we can to work towards ending educational inequality. In October 2012 we set up a new Innovation Unit, funded by the Credit Suisse EMEA Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, which supports new social enterprises to make a difference to the lives of children from low-income communities. We currently work with 19 potentially game-changing social enterprises set up by our ambassadors and award winners. Using their experience teaching and leading in the classroom, they are now working on ground-breaking ventures which include training graduates as social workers, mentoring girls from our partner schools, improving higher education access and running after school clubs.
Thanks: to the Credit Suisse EMEA Foundation and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, who fund our Innovation Unit. teachfirst.org.uk
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Working aboard the Ship of Adventures
The Hackney Pirates is an enterprising charity that aims to develop the literacy, creativity and real-world skills of young people in Hackney. It is one of the many innovation partners that we support. Catriona Maclay is a 2006 Teach First Ambassador and taught Citizenship at Turin Grove School, Edmonton for two years. As Founding Director and Captain at the Hackney Pirates, she tells us about this exciting social enterprise…
“The Hackney Pirates is an enterprising charity working to support children who are underachieving at school in the transition years between primary and secondary school. We do that by providing them with one-to-one attention in our after-school sessions, the chance to work in an exciting and unconventional learning environment and the chance to work on our real-world publishing projects. By helping children develop their literacy we're helping them achieve at school and in the world beyond. “We've had a whole range of support from Teach First, like connecting us with contacts to help set up our trading activities, to helping us work out how we evaluate our impact. It's also great to have a network of brilliant people all tackling a connected set of problems, so we constantly come across interesting ideas and approaches that are relevant to what we're doing. We also try and give back by supporting other social entrepreneurs and the Teach First mission in general. “Education simply continues to be one of the most important tools we have to change society for the better, and the earlier we can support young people
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in overcoming any barriers or inequalities, the better for them and for society in general. “The fact that three of our staff have been through the Teach First Leadership Development Programme is a critical factor in what we are doing - if we didn't have first-hand experience in the classroom, we wouldn't be doing this work. Plus, all the connections and support from Teach First help us to be more effective in our work on all levels, helping us to improve our programme and to scale up our organisation more quickly so that we reach more young people. “Some of our favourite moments are when young people see their work in print and feel proud of it, after they've gone through the work of writing and correcting it. One of my favourite moments was when a Young Pirate was interviewing a visitor, and found out that the guest was a published author. They replied with, ‘Oh, I'm a published author too’. It's that sense of possibility and pride in their work which we want to encourage.”
The Innovation Award Our Innovation Award was designed to inspire new and exciting ways of tackling educational inequality and we had an incredible 68 applications in the first year of the award. After a gruelling process expert judges awarded the prize jointly to Tutors United and The Girls’ Network. Each has received one salaried position and £10,000 funding, on top of expert support, Teach First endorsement and desk space in our Innovation Hub. We also ran three Innovation Weekends with over 125 individuals and 58 key organisations coming together to generate new ideas for tackling the problems young people from low-income backgrounds face, and to get expert advice and support for an idea or project to transform their ideas into action.
Achieve Together We are working together with two other charities, Teaching Leaders and Future Leaders, on a new initiative called Achieve Together. We are collaborating on all levels to try and raise the attainment of children living in disadvantaged communities. The initiative is kindly funded by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and J.P. Morgan and is being piloted in various areas including Bournemouth, Merseyside, Lancashire and Tyneside.
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Every Child Can In April 2013 we launched our first national awareness campaign, Every Child Can, which was designed to shine a light on the inequality in education that exists throughout the UK, and the role that a great teacher can play in supporting every young person to develop a brighter future. Throughout one week of focused activity, more than 60 influential figures from the worlds of business, politics, entertainment and sport backed our campaign by taking time out from their day jobs to teach a lesson in one of our partner schools, bringing the problem of educational inequality and the role played by our community to a whole new audience.
“What is so fantastic about Teach First is that it is sowing… legions of inspiring teachers, across the country, who are taking on a new generation and giving them that sudden spark of interest in the subject that they’re studying. It’s a wonderful, wonderful project. It’s a wonderful organisation.” Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, who taught a guest lesson at Tidemill Academy in Deptford
“I visit many schools in my day job, but to be the teacher for an hour was an incredible insight into the power and influence teachers can have over the aspirations of young people. “Overcoming educational disadvantage is a huge challenge. However, we know the cost of doing nothing. It’s bad for social mobility and ultimately bad for Britain’s economy. [Every Child Can] shone the spotlight on this challenge as we all sign up for the long journey ahead.” Stephen Twigg, Shadow Education Secretary (2011-13), who taught a guest lesson at Holly Lodge Girls College in Liverpool 30
Annual Review 2012/13 Speak out
“I believe every child can achieve what they set out to, regardless of their background. They can fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.” Natalie Benitez-Castellano, a Partner at BlueBay Asset Management LLP, who taught a guest lesson at Kelvin Grove Primary School in Sydenham. Natalie has since become a governor at the school.
“After nearly 37 years, I look forward to stepping back into the classroom and together with Teach First, helping to build a brighter future for students and their families, and changing the perception of the issues facing young people and their access to a prosperous education.” Graham Lindsay, Group Director for Responsible Business at Lloyds Banking Group, who taught a guest lesson at the Basildon Upper Academy in Essex.
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Speak out
We
New website We relaunched our website in August to put our students at the heart of everything we do and to show more people the impact of our work.
Education Matters We continued our Education Matters programme with two events at universities to spark debate on why education matters to society. Topics included what needs to happen to close the gap in achievement, access and aspiration between Britain’s poorest and wealthiest children, as well as the importance of diversity in education.
What Would You Change?
Last year we had:
16% increase in unique visitors
93% increase in Twitter followers
77% increase in Facebook page likes
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Annual Review 2012/13 Speak out
We ran this campaign in partnership with Pearson, encouraging young people to share their views on what they would like to change about education in the UK. Some of the ideas included placing greater emphasis on the historical context of the subject; introducing new curriculum on developing life skills; creating a universal website that provides a range of information on education; and expanding a work experience scheme to years 7 to 13. The overall winners of the competition were Lewis O'Sullivan for the Schools category, Ateka Tarajia for the Further Education category and Alexandra Thomas for the Higher Education category. Finalists were judged at the House of Lords on 18 July, and then had the opportunity to meet individuals from a range of social enterprises, who are already making a difference to education in the UK.
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Since 2002... taught in e v a h s r e h c a e t 0 0 0 , hools More than 5 t partner sc irs 80 Teach F 9 n a h t e r o m
Supported by
s r e n t r a p y t i s r 2 2 u n iv e
t ambassadors rs Fi h ac e T 9 4 2,0
615 in leadership positions Including
70
Assistant Headteachers
7 Headteachers And
98
School Governors
36 Ambassador-led social enterpri
ses
Almost
a million young peop
le
reached by Tea ch First teache rs
And more than sixth form pupils me ntored th rough HE APS
1,300
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Annual Review 2012/13 Change
What’s next? We are looking to change the face of education, not just for today but forever. We are getting closer every year to tackling educational inequality but we couldn’t do it without the incredible support and help we receive from others. Our organisational goals bridge the gap between long-term aspirations and our day-to-day activities. They are annual goals that sit under the Fair Education Impact Goals which are focused on what we need to do to achieve our vision by 2022. The organisational goals are grouped into four focus areas which are aligned to the impact we need to transform the lives of the pupils we serve.
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Change
We
: 1 a e r A s u c Fo Increasing the number and impact of Teach First participants and ambassadors
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Annual Review 2012/13 Change
Organisational Goal 1: More participants and ambassadors each having a greater impact towards the vision in eligible primary schools
How we did last year Successfully recruited over 250 primary participants to start the Summer Institute in 2013.
395 teaching ambassadors are now in middle and senior leadership positions in eligible secondary schools.
Our aims for 2013/14 Grow the programme so that there will be 1,150 secondary participants starting Summer Institute in 2014.
68 per cent of participants achieved ambitious targets for their pupils.
New online pupil impact tools for participants will be launched, which will allow greater insight into successful teaching and allow us to improve our programme for future participants.
Almost half of primary teaching ambassadors engaged with a leadership programme to continue their professional journey or held a middle or senior leadership position in a Teach First-eligible school.
75% of second year participants’ secondary pupils are making greater progress than would be expected nationally.
Our aims for 2013/14
Organisational Goal 3:
Recruit 400 new primary participants for the 2014 cohort. Work with Durham University to gain a greater understanding of pupil progress in primary schools and enhance our programme accordingly. 75 per cent of second year participants’ primary pupils are making greater progress than would be expected nationally.
More ambassadors will be making a demonstrable contribution towards achieving the vision
How we did last year 72 per cent of ambassadors engaged in activities that contribute to the 2022 Fair Education Impact Goals. 507 non-teaching ambassadors were in roles we identified as positions of influence.
Organisational Goal 2:
Our aims for 2013/14
More participants and ambassadors each having a greater impact towards the vision in eligible secondary schools
Ensure we are providing the best possible support to ambassadors who continue to work towards our vision by improving our monitoring and relationship management.
How we did last year Successfully recruited 1,010 secondary participants for the 2013 Summer Institute.
Provide tailored career support to those ambassadors that are most aligned to our 2022 Fair Education Impact Goals.
Over 75 per cent of participants achieved ambitious targets for their pupils. teachfirst.org.uk
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: 2 a e r A s u c Fo Building collective impact towards the vision
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Annual Review 2012/13 Change
Organisational Goal 4: Increase awareness and understanding of the need to end inequality in education
Guidance booklets, tools, resources, intranet section and case studies have been developed to support partnership working at a local and national level.
Our aims for 2013/14 How we did last year We have increased the awareness and understanding of educational inequality amongst target audiences. This was based on media coverage, media mentions, Facebook fans, Twitter followers and website visitors.
Test new ways of partnering with schools to achieve our joint aims. Roll out and embed good practice throughout our network.
We more than doubled the amount of press coverage we had generated in the previous year.
Our aims for 2013/14 Continue to raise public awareness of the urgent need to tackle educational inequality through traditional and digital media and the launch of our book ‘We need to talk about education’. Launch the Fair Education Alliance which brings together key national organisations to collectively tackle educational inequality.
Organisational Goal 5: More people and organisations will be taking action towards the vision at a national and local level
How we did last year All schools have been informed about the Fair Education Impact Goals and many have used these conversations as a springboard to new ways of working with our organisation.
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: 3 a e r A s u c Fo
Testing innovative approaches to addressing educational inequality
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Annual Review 2012/13 Change
Organisational Goal 6: We will have worked with others to develop innovative approaches that have an impact towards achieving the vision
How we did last year Supported 21 vision-aligned social enterprises with a further ten in the pipeline. Launched the Innovation Partnership and Innovation Award processes which have deepened our understanding of a broad array of social enterprises and helped them understand our impact goals. 98 school governors within our ambassador network. Launched the Higher Education Graduation strategy to narrow the access gap to the top 25 per cent of selective universities. We set up the Achieve Together Initiative the aim of which is to test how we can work in deep partnership with other like-minded organisations in partner schools to focus on accelerating our impact towards achieving the Fair Education Impact Goals. l and local level
Our aims for 2013/14 Continue to grow the impact of the School Governor Impact programme. Review the impact of the Early Years pilot throughout the year. Recruit more schools to the Achieve Together Initiative so we can continue to test new models of working in partnership.
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: 4 a e r A s u Foc
Strengthening the Charity For 2013/14 we have reduced the number of Organisational Goals to six in order to ensure focus on those activities that have a positive impact on the lives of young people. So that we continue to focus on those activities that are critical to facilitate and enable us to achieve direct or indirect impact we have created a body of work under the banner of “Organisational Effectiveness.� The projects and initiatives that make up Organisational Effectiveness focus on our values, our resources and our operational excellence. Therefore, for 2013/14 we will not continue with Organisational Goals 7, 8 or 9.
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Annual Review 2012/13 Change
Organisational Goal 7:
Our aims for 2013/14
We will have a strong values driven organisation
Launch the finance business partners approach to broaden financial knowledge across the organisation.
How we did last year As part of the Organisational Health Index, our employees were excited about the vision and understood how the impact goals linked to our vision. We had the highest rating for vision alignment and motivation within the employees that the external survey team had recorded. We have significantly grown the number of employees and maintained our high standards through a continuing focus on our values. l and local level
Our aims for 2013/14 Introduce a new Strategic Planning Cycle that will ensure we approach our planning and budgeting in the most collaborative, transparent and resourceful way. Continue to improve our employees’ well-being and embed Agile Working.
Organisational Goal 8: We will have obtained sufficient resources and will be using these resources effectively to ensure our long term impact and stability
How we did last year
Develop existing and new fundraising methods in order to increase income. Embed a resourceful approach to systems, processes and practices by employees across the organisation.
Organisational Goal 9: We will be more effective in using evidence to increase our contribution towards the 2022 Impact Goals
How we did last year Research Evaluation and Impact department has been launched. Progress made against the Fair Education Impact Goals is under regular monitoring. Analysis of internal and external data to inform strategic decisions. Knowledge Development long term study into effective teaching.
Our aims for 2013/14 Theory of Change mapping to understand the steps that need to happen now to help us achieve the Fair Education Impact Goals.
Obtained sufficient resources to expand our programme, yet maintain tight controls to operate within budget.
Continue to build relationships across Teach First and ensure that robust evidence is used across the organisation for decision making (including pupil impact data).
Continued to find cost savings across the organisation. Total costs per participant for the year decreased by 8 per cent in real terms against the prior year.
Embed reporting metrics aligned to the Fair Education Impact Goals across Teach First activity.
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Annual Review 2012/13 Change
Highlights for 2013/14 As we move forward to meet our goals, some of our exciting highlights in the coming year include: A brand new programme – we are redesigning our Leadership Development Programme to ensure we are providing the best possible training, development and support to our participants and the pupils they teach. A stronger community – working with more participants, more schools, more ambassadors and more innovative partners to drive collective impact. Launching the Fair Education Alliance – a network of organisations committed to improving education and making the impact goals a reality. We are expanding – our reach and will, for the first time, be partnering with schools in the East of England. We need to talk about education – we are working with an independent author and photographer to uncover the realities of educational inequality across the country, hearing from young people about their hopes, dreams and the challenges they face in reaching them. Expanding HEAPS – to support even more young people to get into university. We will work with Deloitte – to launch a new skills and education programme working with a cohort of Teach First schools, which will support over 1,000 students to apply to university or enter the professions.
supported by business volunteers to develop their CV and interview skills. The Wellcome Trust – supporting us to design, pilot and evaluate a programme to train new school governors to overcome educational inequality in schools in low-income communities. Lloyds Banking Group – working with us to raise awareness of the Lloyds Scholars social mobility programme, and supporting and encouraging pupils to apply. RBS support – will mean we are able to grow the number of teachers we can recruit, train and place into three of the country’s most deprived areas: Tower Hamlets, Southwark and Manchester, and bring to bear RBS volunteers' expertise and knowledge to support these teachers and their pupils. We welcome ALDI – on board as a new Graduate Recruitment Platinum Partner for the Retail Sector. ALDI will be offering Summer Project and career opportunities to ambassadors interested in a career in the retail industry. Citi join us as lead supporter of Run 10k – helping us to deliver our biggest fundraising event in London, with more than 1,800 runners.
Launching the Career Insight Programme with KPMG – which will see hundreds of pupils visiting businesses to learn about the world of work and be
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Finance The following is an extract from our accounts for the year ending 31 August 2013. To read our full Trustees’ report and financial statements please go to www.teachfirst.org.uk
In 2013 we became a London Strategic Pro Bono Partner to Clifford Chance. Building on ten years of support, the law firm made us the focus for their London-based pro bono efforts, offering us access to a range of legal support and expertise, from commercial contracts, employment, procurement, data protection, governance and dispute resolution. Support of this kind is vital to our work towards tackling educational inequality by strengthening our infrastructure and future.
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Annual Review 2012/13 Change
Total income for the year was £25.3m 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
TA expansion grant Other government grants Voluntary contributions ^ Fees paid by schools Other income
£8,043,889 £5,444,078 £5,405,025 £6,191,480 £207,922
5 4
1
3 2
Total expenditure for the year was £23.2m ^* 1. Graduate recruitment 2. Participant leadership and development costs+ 3. Ambassadors programme 4. Governance cost 5. Fundraising
£5,229,396 £14,223,365 £2,384,427 £332,798
4
5
3
1
£1,050,463
2 ^ Includes donations in kind * Programme costs include allocated central overheads + Includes funding to university partners to deliver Summer Institute
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Thanks to all our supporters Platinum supporters Accenture ALDI BlackRock Bloomberg BP Foundation Canary Wharf Group Citi Foundation Clifford Chance Credit Suisse EMEA Foundation Deloitte Education Endowment Foundation Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Garfield Weston Foundation Goldman Sachs Google HSBC KPMG Lloyds Banking Group Lone Pine Foundation Man Charitable Trust McKinsey & Company P&G PwC The Queen’s Trust Royal Bank of Scotland Social Action Fund UBS Gold supporters ARCO Limited Bank of America Merrill Lynch Experian Inspire: the Wolverhampton Education Partnership Institution of Engineering and Technology Mr and Mrs K McDonald Salesforce.com Foundation Wellcome Trust Silver supporters Asda BlueBay Asset Management City of London Corporation CGI The Haberdashers' Company The Mercers' Company Pace Pearson Primary Science Teaching Trust Tata Consultancy Services Bronze Supporters The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust Aircelle Alan Edward Higgs Charity 48
Annual Review 2012/13
Allen & Overy Booths Capital International Centerbridge Foundation Centrica City & Law EY Evans Property Group Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP Gatsby Charitable Foundation GTI Media The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation Meridian West National Science Learning Centres Neuberger Berman Newton Europe Rothschild Sainsbury's Sir James Knott Trust The Steel Charitable Trust Tesco William Shelton Educational Charity Unilever Yorkshire Young Achievers Foundation Special thanks to James Leigh-Pemberton CVO, Chair of the Teach First Business Leaders Council and Lou McCrimlisk, Chair of the Teach First National Development Board “The Garfield Weston Foundation has been a longterm supporter of Teach First because we believe all children should have access to a great education. Most recently, we have supported Teach First to scale up their primary programme and reach more children at an earlier age to help ensure their educational success. Teach First does a great job attracting and training the best graduates to teach in the schools where they are needed most and the Foundation is pleased to be able to support the charity to have a greater impact on educational disadvantage.” Philippa Charles, Director, Garfield Weston Foundation
“We are delighted that UBS supports Teach First to place participants in the borough of Hackney. More than 50 per cent of the borough’s students live in the poorest third of homes and, in some schools, as many as 90 per cent. Together we have grown the number of Teach First teachers in Hackney from five in 2010 to more than 35 in 2013 and we’re proud to see the impact this is having on the community.” Nick Wright, Head of Community. Affairs, EMEA, UBS.
Governance and acknowledgements Thank you to all of our Trustees for their continued dedication and support, driving us forward to have the greatest possible impact on the children we work with. Patron His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales KG KT PC GCB OM Board of Trustees Lord Andrew Adonis Sugra Alibhai-Watson ’05 (appointed 17 July 2013) Sir David Bell (appointed 11 December 2012) Stephen Brenninkmeijer (appointed 11 December 2012) Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE (Chair) Clare Darley ’03 (to 11 December 2012) Glenn Earle Lou McCrimlisk Mary Meaney Dr Vanessa Ogden Jo Owen Thomas Ravenscroft ’07 (to 11 December 2012) John Rink (Vice Chair) Sarah Shillingford Company Secretary Anesta Broad (to 7 November 2012) Pat Pattison (interim to 20 January 2013) Gillian Budd (appointed 21 January 2013) Finance and Audit Committee Sarah Shillingford (Committee Chair) Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE Glenn Earle (from 18 October 2012) Alison Grieve (co-opted) Jo Owen John Rink National Development Board Natalie Benitez-Castellano Malcolm Butler Neil Cosgrove Ed Cowen Paul Crean Patrick Flaherty
Margo Jensen Mark Mansell Lou McCrimlisk Nominations Committee John Rink (Vice Chair and Committee Chair) Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE (Chair) Lou McCrimlisk Mary Meaney Impact Committee Dr Vanessa Ogden (Committee Chair) Lord Andrew Adonis Stephen Brenninkmeijer (from September 2013) Dame Julia Cleverdon DCVO, CBE (from September 2013) Kevan Collins (co-opted, until January 2013) Clare Darley ’03 (until December 2012) Jen Hall ’03 (co-opted) Prof Chris Husbands (co-opted) Avril Newman (co-opted from June 2013) Jo Owen National Advisory Council The Board of Trustees (as above) Prof Mel Ainscow Jason Arthur ’09 John Bangs Ruth Carney ’05 Caroline Carr Michael Clark Paul Cohen Robert Crothers Beccy Earnshaw Lynn Fabes Dr Steve Garnett Jania Geoghegan Aimee Goldsmith Sir Geoff Hampton Kirstie Hawkes Carrie Heiss Hilary Hodgson Prof Steve Hodkinson Graham Holley Maggie Hughes Pam Jervis Neil Makin OBE Simon Martin
John May Charlotte McCormick ’07 Michelle Mendelsson Ruth Miskin Heath Monk Baroness Estelle Morris Stephen Nelson Jacquie Nunn Ndidi Okezie ’03 Rhys Parry ’06 Tony Perry Norman Pickavance David Rendel Jim Richardson Karen Robinson Peter Smitham Sonja Stockton Andrea Sullivan John Tate David Thomlinson James E Townsend ’09 James M Townsend ’03 Baroness Jo Valentine David Wasp Lord Nat Wei Graham Wessel Gary Wood Executive Committee Brett Wigdortz, OBE, Founder & Chief Executive Officer John Colenutt, Chief Operating Officer Ndidi Okezie ’03 Executive Director – Regions Amanda Timberg, Executive Director – Programme James Westhead, Executive Director – External Relations Participant President 2012/13 Sam Butterfield ’10
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3.5 million children live in poverty in the UK. This means they are likely to achieve lower GCSE grades, earn less and die younger than their wealthier peers.
But what can we do about it? The problem of educational inequality is complex. These young people face a lot of different challenges depending on where they are from, their school and their home life. At Teach First we believe that one great teacher can change a child’s life. We train dedicated people to become brilliant teachers, committed to working specifically with the children and schools who need them the most. In the past year we have taken big steps both inside and outside the classroom to help these young people achieve and be anything they want to be in life.
We believe in them. We’re working towards a day where no child’s educational success is limited by their socio-economic background, and joining forces with others to make this a reality as quickly as possible.
This review tells the story of our impact this year and what needs to be done in the future to make a lasting difference.
teachfirst.org.uk @TeachFirst
Registered charity number: 1098294
All images are of real teachers, pupils and people that we work with.