Teach First: From McKinsey to the classroom

Abstract

In June 2003 one hundred and eighty-six graduates from the United Kingdom (UK) Russell Group universities joined the Teach First (TF) programme which was to have a significant impact on Initial Teacher Education (ITE) in England, Europe and across the globe. This article describes the origins of the programme, provides a summary of evaluations and inspection reports, and concludes with a brief commentary on the next steps for TF.
Two key questions are addressed:
• Can teachers become effective practitioners without the theoretical underpinning provided by more conventional full-time programmes?
• Can partnerships with global businesses and management consultants enhance ITE?