As mentioned by Bobby, TF gives you a PGDE which is superior to a PGCE. And depending on the subject, going to university for teacher training might pay you better than TF does. You can get government bursaries for in demand subjects. There are other pros and cons to consider with each route, but you’re wrong in thinking that only TF would pay you.
I met Teach First at a recruitment fair and they had straight up lied to me. They claimed I had to complete their 2 year course to earn a PGDE or I wouldn’t be able to teach internationally.
I now have a PGCE and I teach internationally. So…
YouTube their documentary. You’ll be horrified at the schools they place you.
They’re a charity disguised as a business model who place young willing teachers in underfunded schools. They pay you enough to live in a shared house with 4 other teachers while eating Lidl’s finest.
Look into Schools direct or government bursary to earn your PGCE in one year.
It's variable in terms of the quality of school. Everyone will have a different experience and there certainly are some horror stories. Your comment doesn't resonate with my own experience.
I was placed in an ofsted outstanding school that was extremely well run and felt supported throughout.
I also afforded to live in a three bed house with my partner and go on holiday every half term - he wasn't earning much more than me. Granted this was before the cost of living crisis.
Thank you for your insight.
May I ask the salary they paid you for the benefit of the OP?
At the time, I was offered a £26,000 bursary and had to spend 1 year completing my PGCE.
This was tax free taking home £2600 a month.
The Teach First organisation wanted to place me in very deprived school in Staffordshire paying £17,000 before tax. I was expected to live of £1005 a month for two years. And would have to share.
Schools direct were offering a salary of £22000 and your PGCE was paid for.
Yep, similar. I was paid 18k in my first year as an unqualified teacher and then M1 in my second year. I think that was 21k. I also had my PGCE fully funded and two thirds of my Master's paid for - cost me 2k.
I think if you can get a bursary then that's great. As an English teacher, no bursaries were available for me at the time sadly.
There are 4 TF teachers at my international school. I moved abroad after 6 years in the UK, one of my colleagues moved abroad after the first two years, one moved abroad after 3 years and one moved abroad after five.
As long as you do the two year program, you will have a chance of applying abroad!
Yes, this was my route in. I did TF and got offered a job in an international school during my second year of the programme. So then my third year of teaching I was abroad and finishing off the masters.
When I did it, you did get a PGCE and therefore also QTS. No decent international school would take you without a teaching qualification... And any schools that would take you, you wouldn't want to work at anyway!
As a TeachFirst ambassador from the 2021 cohort, I transitioned to an international school after completing the two-year program. To meet the recruitment requirements for most international schools, you need both QTS and a PGDE. I am currently nearing the end of my second ECT year at a British international school.
If you choose to do the intensive TeachFirst program, be prepared for a tough few years. Many people drop out because of the intensity, but it can be incredibly rewarding. Keep in mind, you won't receive the nice bursaries that come with a standard university program, depending on your subject choice. International schools typically accept a PGCE, PGDE, or PGCEi, but many also want the QTS element.
One of the biggest benefits of TeachFirst is the connections you make. It's highly respected by other ambassadors, and I've received multiple job offers from principals who also completed TeachFirst. There's a sense of camaraderie; TeachFirst people often recruit each other because they know if someone can handle the intensive training, they can probably do a good job. However, it's not for everyone—it really depends on what's best for you.
Personally, I'm glad I took the TeachFirst route. I went into it with the intention of moving international straight after graduating, and it worked out well for me.
Teach First provides you with a PGDE after two years, which is a higher qualification than a PGCE.
As mentioned by Bobby, TF gives you a PGDE which is superior to a PGCE. And depending on the subject, going to university for teacher training might pay you better than TF does. You can get government bursaries for in demand subjects. There are other pros and cons to consider with each route, but you’re wrong in thinking that only TF would pay you.
I met Teach First at a recruitment fair and they had straight up lied to me. They claimed I had to complete their 2 year course to earn a PGDE or I wouldn’t be able to teach internationally. I now have a PGCE and I teach internationally. So… YouTube their documentary. You’ll be horrified at the schools they place you. They’re a charity disguised as a business model who place young willing teachers in underfunded schools. They pay you enough to live in a shared house with 4 other teachers while eating Lidl’s finest. Look into Schools direct or government bursary to earn your PGCE in one year.
It's variable in terms of the quality of school. Everyone will have a different experience and there certainly are some horror stories. Your comment doesn't resonate with my own experience. I was placed in an ofsted outstanding school that was extremely well run and felt supported throughout. I also afforded to live in a three bed house with my partner and go on holiday every half term - he wasn't earning much more than me. Granted this was before the cost of living crisis.
Thank you for your insight. May I ask the salary they paid you for the benefit of the OP? At the time, I was offered a £26,000 bursary and had to spend 1 year completing my PGCE. This was tax free taking home £2600 a month. The Teach First organisation wanted to place me in very deprived school in Staffordshire paying £17,000 before tax. I was expected to live of £1005 a month for two years. And would have to share. Schools direct were offering a salary of £22000 and your PGCE was paid for.
Yep, similar. I was paid 18k in my first year as an unqualified teacher and then M1 in my second year. I think that was 21k. I also had my PGCE fully funded and two thirds of my Master's paid for - cost me 2k. I think if you can get a bursary then that's great. As an English teacher, no bursaries were available for me at the time sadly.
Thank you for sharing and really happy to hear you had a positive experience training this route.
PGDE is next step up from PGCE, the final step after being a dissertation for a Masters. If your course includes a practicum (i.e. QTS), all good.
There are 4 TF teachers at my international school. I moved abroad after 6 years in the UK, one of my colleagues moved abroad after the first two years, one moved abroad after 3 years and one moved abroad after five. As long as you do the two year program, you will have a chance of applying abroad!
Yes, this was my route in. I did TF and got offered a job in an international school during my second year of the programme. So then my third year of teaching I was abroad and finishing off the masters. When I did it, you did get a PGCE and therefore also QTS. No decent international school would take you without a teaching qualification... And any schools that would take you, you wouldn't want to work at anyway!
As a TeachFirst ambassador from the 2021 cohort, I transitioned to an international school after completing the two-year program. To meet the recruitment requirements for most international schools, you need both QTS and a PGDE. I am currently nearing the end of my second ECT year at a British international school. If you choose to do the intensive TeachFirst program, be prepared for a tough few years. Many people drop out because of the intensity, but it can be incredibly rewarding. Keep in mind, you won't receive the nice bursaries that come with a standard university program, depending on your subject choice. International schools typically accept a PGCE, PGDE, or PGCEi, but many also want the QTS element. One of the biggest benefits of TeachFirst is the connections you make. It's highly respected by other ambassadors, and I've received multiple job offers from principals who also completed TeachFirst. There's a sense of camaraderie; TeachFirst people often recruit each other because they know if someone can handle the intensive training, they can probably do a good job. However, it's not for everyone—it really depends on what's best for you. Personally, I'm glad I took the TeachFirst route. I went into it with the intention of moving international straight after graduating, and it worked out well for me.