Tanaka Business School fundamental element of Teach First programme, Guardian, 5 November 2005

As part of Teach First, you get the chance to do a Foundation of Leadership course at Tanaka Business School.

Saturday November 5, 2005
The Guardian - Rise

Is Teach First a good way to test the water for a teaching career? I'm thinking of going into teaching, but with all the horror stories am worried about it as a career choice. I've heard the Teach First scheme would only commit me for a couple of years, but would they consider someone who wasn't sure what they wanted to do?

It would be a mistake to think of Teach First as an option for anyone uncertain about their long-term aims. Although it targets people who may not have thought of teaching, it's after people who were thinking of careers such as law and accountancy, rather than those who don't know what to do next.

You'll be expected to show a commitment to and interest in secondary school teaching. To appear faint-hearted would disqualify you.

This scheme is as much about developing future leaders as it is about training teachers. They're after high-calibre recruits who, by learning to manage challenging situations in school, will acquire skills that can be transferred to demanding settings outside education.

Before considering it any further, spend some time in a secondary school. An applying graduate who had not done so would lack credibility and the insight will help you decide whether spending two years of your life in a disadvantaged inner-city secondary school is what you really want to do.

There is a lot of competition for places on Teach First, and candidates are assessed on leadership potential, empathy, respect and resilience. If you are accepted, you'll get six weeks of intensive training before starting the real work. There's a two-year commitment to teaching, during which time you would be working towards achieving full qualified teacher status. You would also get the chance to do a Foundations of Leadership course at Imperial College's Tanaka Business School and offered an internship with one of the 70 high-profile businesses supporting Teach First. The closing date for general applications is 2 December. For graduates of shortage subjects such as maths and science, it's the end of March. Further details are available at www.teachfirst.org.uk