WCB’s Relationship with Teach First
Teach First exists as a Charity because education in the UK is not fair.
The poorest children in the country are being failed.
An already stretched system has been pushed to breaking point by the pandemic with schools in the most disadvantaged areas disproportionately affected. The ongoing cost of living crisis will only make the situation worse. Thousands more will be thrown into poverty. Schools in poorer areas are struggling to keep their doors open and classrooms warm in winter.
The Worshipful Company of Butchers can be truly proud of the work the Livery has done alongside Teach First over the last 9 years.
Not only has the Livery supported the Charity financially but in addition:
· Liverymen have opened their businesses for school visits and for work experience.
· WCB has introduced a Teach First school to Harper Adams facilitating an introduction to the many and varied careers in the food industry.
· Butchers’ Hall has been used for the Teach First sponsored Careers Expo with household names such as Goldman Sachs and DHL participating.
· Liverymen have coached teachers, provided guest teacher lessons and fielded the largest team at Teach First’s annual fund-raising event, Run the River.
But there is always a need to do more and anyone who would like to get involved please contact Gerald Shortland, gdshortland@gmail.com or click on the link to read the most recent Teach First report on our work together.
What does Teach First do?
Millions of British children today live in poverty. 57% of children eligible for free school meals are not at the expected level of English and Maths when they leave primary school. By the time these children take GCSEs they are 18 months behind their wealthier peers. In England and Wales, we spend £17 billion a year on problems that start in childhood.
Teach First recruits and trains teachers to work in schools that provide education for the poorest children in our society. Over the last 16 years it has trained 12,000 teachers and leaders, working with 1,000 schools and most importantly 65% of those teachers trained are still working in the classroom of schools providing education in the most disadvantaged areas of our society and 75 are ambassador headteachers.
The effect of their work is stunning: within two years of partnering with Teach First, underperforming school departments improve their GCSE results on average from 9% lower than others in the same school to 16% higher.
Teach First also carries out research in a wide area of education and recently produced a report that noted the National Curriculum for GCSE Science does not include the names of any women, even Marie Curie. Just 12% of engineers are women and 13% of STEM (Science Technology, Engineering Maths) workers in senior positions are female. This lack of STEM expertise costs businesses £1.5bn a year.
We are also incredibly grateful for the support form the Company. Your annual donations are a fantastic contribution, but it is everything else that the Company brings to our work - all the pupil engagement, volunteering and industry connections which also make a huge difference.
WCB’s support for Teach First’s School Leaders programmes
Over the next three years the WCB is specifically supporting Teach First’s Leadership Programmes. It is self-evident that no business and no school can prosper without good leadership. Schools with strong leadership are ten times more likely to improve by next inspection. Currently there are 850,000 pupils in schools lacking good leadership.
Teach First’s Accredited School Leader Programmes help teachers in challenging communities to become inspiring leaders at every level. They develop their skills and accelerate their career with a mix of peer learning, mentoring and networking. All whilst achieving a National Professional Qualification (NPQ).
Teach First teachers progress to Leadership positions seven times faster than their colleagues – a remarkable statistic.
Undertaking the NPQH through Teach First has supported me in honing the skills I need to take on a Headship in the near future.
An excellent webinar took place in May 2020 to cover the aims and strategies of Teach First's leadership programme. It provided Teach First’s most valued supporters with an update and to advise the charity’s response to Covid-19. You can read the notes taken by Liverymen, Gerald Shortland via the link below.
Over the next three years we want to expand and improve the work we do together and if there is any member of the Livery who is at all interested in making a contribution in any way shape or form please do get in touch using the details below.
If you would like more information about Teach First, contact Liveryman Gerald Shortland or visit the website below:
Email: gdshortland@gmail.comWebsite: www.teachfirst.org.uk