Beyond two years

Ambassador offering

While Teach First requires you to commit yourself for a minimum of two years, we hope that you will choose to make your involvement more far-reaching. At the end of your second year, you will graduate to become a Teach First Ambassador, joining a growing movement of Teach First graduates working, with our support, to effect exciting, innovative and systemic change in education. This network is like no other. It will benefit you enormously, not only in terms of maintaining your involvement with our mission, but also in your further professional development and personal networks.

Our Ambassador Team will support you in your role as an ambassador. They will help you to strengthen your networks and maximise your ongoing contribution to the Teach First mission, while also helping you to access career-related events to help you explore your own future. Through the Ambassador Offer, you will access a unique network, defined communities and a range of specially tailored initiatives including:

Teach On

Sign-posting, support and leadership development for ambassadors continuing in urban education. Teach On is about equipping all our ambassadors still in teaching to continue their development as leaders of change. It provides mentoring, support on returning to teaching, exposure to examples of inspirational leadership and partnerships with training programmes. In addition, Teach First Colleges is just one of the new developments available through the Teach On network, supporting ambassadors further the Teach First mission by teaching and leading in some of London’s most diverse further education (FE) colleges.

Social Entrepreneurship

Training, networking and support for ambassadors interested in launching social ventures. If you are interested in social entrepreneurship, have an idea for a project, or are already working on a venture and want to connect with like-minded people as well as accessing training and advice – then this programme is for you.

Governance for Change

Develop leadership skills whilst maximising your long-term impact by serving on a school governing body. Research demonstrates that as the proportion of Free School Meals rises in a school, the quality of its governance declines – and yet schools with a good and consistent governing body consistently have higher standards of attainment. This is your chance to have a direct impact on the future success of a Teach First school from outside the classroom when you graduate to become an ambassador.

Policy First

A forum for you to share your insights on current education issues and help shape education policy for the future. The second Policy First paper is launched in November 2009! By offering your unique insight on the challenges and the possibilities that you have witnessed during your Teach First experience, you can help drive forward sustainable change in education in a very real and practical way.

The Higher Education Access Programme for Schools (HEAPS)

Opportunities to support gifted and talented pupils from Teach First schools and colleges to progress to leading universities. HEAPS aims to empower ambassadors inside and outside of the classroom to increase aspiration, impart advice and inspire attainment by harnessing their skills and experiences. Last year HEAPS were able to impact on the futures of 4,000 young people in all Teach First regions through our various initiatives.

Supporting Teach First

Share your experience with participants, help recruit a cohort, offer financial support or engage new sponsors as a Pathfinder. Here are just some of the ways you can support Teach First when you become an ambassador.

Career Development

Whatever you chose to do after your initial two-years on the Leadership Development programme – whether you stay in the classroom, move into other areas of education or take up opportunities in business or the third sector – the Ambassador Team is there to support you. Find out more.