Parachuting high-flyers into struggling schools

The Tories today announced plans to encourage high-flying bankers, lawyers and others to retrain as teachers as part of a scheme they would call Teach Now. It is modelled on a flourishing programme called Teach First which fast-tracks top graduates from prestigious universities into England's most challenging secondary schools. Teach First's graduates must have at least a 2:1 degree and 300 Ucas points – the equivalent of three B grades at A-level. The scheme says it tries to attract "exceptional" people who would not otherwise have considered teaching and pair them with schools that struggle to recruit. The schools have either more than 30% of pupils eligible for free meals – a key indicator of poverty – or fewer than a quarter of children achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and maths. Almost half of teenagers in England achieve this target. Teach First's graduates stay for a minimum of two years in these schools but, on average, half stick with teaching for longer. This year, 650 graduates are on the scheme. Since it started, in 2003, some 2,000 graduates have joined the programme. In June 2008, the prime minister vowed to expand Teach First to 850 by 2014. As part of the programme, the graduates are sent on a six-week training course, during which they spend half their time studying and half shadowing teachers in the area where they will go on to work. By the end of the first year of the programme, the graduates are expected to achieve Qualified Teacher Status, the first step to becoming a fully-fledged teacher. They must then undergo a year's probation before they are considered to be teachers. Teacher trainers from universities and experienced teachers mentor the graduates. Teach First is funded by private sector employers and the Department for Children, Schools and Families and has cross-party support. James Westhead, Teach First's director of external relations, said while a strong academic record was important, a great teacher needed to be a "highly motivated person with high expectations for their pupils, who is highly trained to be expert in teaching practice and in their subjects". Teach First says it looks for graduates with humility, respect, empathy, resilience and knowledge of their subjects, as well as leadership, organisational and problem-solving skills.