[Leggy Lucy]

Hey everyone,

Congrats to those who have been accepted onto the scheme. I have a question for you!

I study Spanish at the University of Bristol and I'm really interested in applying for Teach First when the applications open next month. I think I'd enjoy teaching English more than Spanish though. I loved the subject at school and A Level and had some fantastic teachers who have really inspired me. Obviously, I love Spanish or else I wouldn't be studying it at uni! Is there any way I can apply to teach both? I know the website says 50% in your chosen subject.

Also, are many people moving back in with their parents when they do this? I'm considering putting the West Midlands as my first choice region because that'd mean I could save some money by living at home. That said, 4 years of living at uni/abroad, not sure I could cope!

Any thoughts/advice would be massively appreciated

[NatashaV]

Hi everyone,

Not sure anyone is checking this thread anymore but just wondered if anyone in London on where/how to organise the observation for SOE. I got my offer last week and am finding it so hard to find a school that's in line with the Teach First mission that is willing to take me at such short notice so any help would be much appreciated.

Lucy in reply to your questions:
You have to apply for one subject and then Teach First give you an offer in whatever subject they feel you are most suitable to teach. However, if you do get an offer you fill out a personal information form so they can match you to the right school so you might get matched to a school where they would need you to teach in both. On the subject of moving home, Teach First warn all applicants that although they take preferences into account it is not the main criteria they use to decide your region. You go where you are needed basically. This can also mean you end up anywhere in the region so living at home might not work out for you. However, having not started the programme yet I don't know how many participants manage to live at home.

Hope this helps and thanks to anyone who replies to my query.

[Becca]

(Original post by NatashaV)
Hi everyone,

Not sure anyone is checking this thread anymore but just wondered if anyone in London on where/how to organise the observation for SOE. I got my offer last week and am finding it so hard to find a school that's in line with the Teach First mission that is willing to take me at such short notice so any help would be much appreciated.

Lucy in reply to your questions:
You have to apply for one subject and then Teach First give you an offer in whatever subject they feel you are most suitable to teach. However, if you do get an offer you fill out a personal information form so they can match you to the right school so you might get matched to a school where they would need you to teach in both. On the subject of moving home, Teach First warn all applicants that although they take preferences into account it is not the main criteria they use to decide your region. You go where you are needed basically. This can also mean you end up anywhere in the region so living at home might not work out for you. However, having not started the programme yet I don't know how many participants manage to live at home.

Hope this helps and thanks to anyone who replies to my query.

Have TF specifically asked you to do your SOE in a school in line with the mission? When I did it, I just went to my old school (comp, but not TF category).

[NatashaV]

They say its "strongly recommended" to arrange SOE in a school that faces the same challenges as TF schools. I might have to widen the search soon though.

Hoping perseverance is the key

[Raducan]

Anyone here done an Internship with Teach First? Just been offered one during the Summer Institute and I am wondering what to expect... very excited though!

[Jadey-xo]

I'm looking to apply to Teach First for a History PGCE

I wanted to create a platform for discussion of 2013 entry, applications etc.

Any advice on what the application will be like? How many references do we need?
How quickly does History fill up (any actual time scale in days?)

[starshine123]

I'm also looking into applying to Teach First. Just need a quick clarification, has the deadline for 2013 passed or are applications for 2013 opening next June? I thought they were opening this month but on the Teach First website it says applications will re-open in June 2013.

[myrtille]

Hi,

I think History will fill up pretty quickly - I remember when I was applying last October, it already said there were quite limited vacancies. So it's worth applying early.

The application form is a bit weird compared to applying for a PGCE or GTP - lots of 'competency based' questions to assess your leadership skills and stuff.

If you get through the application stage, you have to go down to London for an assessment centre (they do reimburse travel expenses up to a certain point). The assessment centre is pretty tough but the overall atmosphere was quite friendly - they invite lots of people from all subjects on the same day, and there's plenty of sitting around chatting and they provide lunch. The assessment centre day involves you teaching a very short lesson (to 2 adults pretending to be teenagers...), an individual interview, and a group role-playing task.

The main advice I would give is to do your research and think about how you can link what you say in your interview specifically to Teach First (not just to being a teacher). My biggest problem was that at the time I got my interview I was doing 2 jobs (1 full-time in a school, 1 part-time in a shop) and didn't have time to prepare for the interview as well as planning my lesson. So whenever they asked me anything specific about their 'Leadership Development Programme', I sounded like I hadn't bothered to look into Teach First at all, when in reality I had, but it was a couple of months earlier and I'd forgotten it all because I was so busy!

[laura.a.c265]

Hi,

I just submitted my application for the 2013 cohort, the application window opened at 1000 this morning. Always best to apply asap Jadey as they fill the spaces on a rolling basis. I am a re-applicant from last year, I did really well on the interview and group task but fell down on the 7 minute lesson. It's lots harder than it sounds as it's such a short space of time to impress.

Fingers crossed I will get to the assesment centre again this year...it's a 10 day wait from submitting your application.

[rainbow drops]

(Original post by laura.a.c265)
Hi,

I just submitted my application for the 2013 cohort, the application window opened at 1000 this morning. Always best to apply asap Jadey as they fill the spaces on a rolling basis. I am a re-applicant from last year, I did really well on the interview and group task but fell down on the 7 minute lesson. It's lots harder than it sounds as it's such a short space of time to impress.

Fingers crossed I will get to the assesment centre again this year...it's a 10 day wait from submitting your application.

So if your application form passes their requirements, the assessment centre itself is ten days after you send your application?! Or is it just that you find out you've got a place at an assessment centre ten days later? Sorry if that sounds really stupid

I'm applying for English.

[r13]

I just applied for English/Primary. Now the wait begins! I think it's 10 days until you hear whether you're through to the assessment centre, not 10 days until the centre itself.. that'd be a speedy turnaround! Good luck everyone

[redwood_phoenix]

Hi,

I'm applying for English.

I'm currently working on the competency based questions - it's going to be a struggle fitting everything into 150 words! I really want to get it right though and at least get to assessment centre stage, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Definitely more nervous about this than about any others I've filled in!

[KezzaN]

Hi guys

I want to apply to Teach First next year for 2014 entry (only finished 2 years of a 4 year course atm) so I was just wondering if you could tell me what kind of questions they ask on the application form? Do you need any specific experience?

Thanks.

[Shelly_x]

Hi,
I'm applying for English. Does anyone know how likely it will be that you're placed in your first choice of region, and when you are told what region you're in?

[rainbow drops]

(Original post by redwood_phoenix)
Hi,

I'm applying for English.

I'm currently working on the competency based questions - it's going to be a struggle fitting everything into 150 words! I really want to get it right though and at least get to assessment centre stage, but I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Definitely more nervous about this than about any others I've filled in!

I've just got to these and when I saw '150 words' my heart sunk >.< I've filled in competency questions with that limit before, and it was so hard fitting it all in!

Am I correct in assuming (from the headings at the top of the application, and the fact that we can't look at the next page until everything on the page before is filled in, grrr) that there is no work experience section? So the competencies page is the place to talk about school experience?

[myrtille]

(Original post by Shelly_x)
Hi,
I'm applying for English. Does anyone know how likely it will be that you're placed in your first choice of region, and when you are told what region you're in?

Regarding regions, I remember them saying at the assessment centre that it depends on which region you put.

Apparently London is really popular, and a lot of people who get in end up sent to other regions because there are too many applicants for London (and the South more generally). So the chance of getting your first choice of region depends a lot on where you pick. If you choose London you're not that likely to get it, but if you want to be somewhere in the North/Midlands you have a good chance of getting your first choice.

[Shelly_x]

(Original post by Keziah)
Regarding regions, I remember them saying at the assessment centre that it depends on which region you put.

Apparently London is really popular, and a lot of people who get in end up sent to other regions because there are too many applicants for London (and the South more generally). So the chance of getting your first choice of region depends a lot on where you pick. If you choose London you're not that likely to get it, but if you want to be somewhere in the North/Midlands you have a good chance of getting your first choice.

I want Yorkshire or the North East... so heres hoping!

[Shelly_x]

(Original post by rainbow drops)
I've just got to these and when I saw '150 words' my heart sunk >.< I've filled in competency questions with that limit before, and it was so hard fitting it all in!

Am I correct in assuming (from the headings at the top of the application, and the fact that we can't look at the next page until everything on the page before is filled in, grrr) that there is no work experience section? So the competencies page is the place to talk about school experience?

Yep, there isn't a work experience section.

[myrtille]

(Original post by Shelly_x)
Yep, there isn't a work experience section.

They like you to draw on your whole life experience to answer the competency based questions, so link some to your experiences working/volunteering/observing in schools, some to your degree, some to other activities/personal life.

I definitely talked about teaching dancing (which I do in my spare time), working as a Technician in a secondary school (which was my job at the time I applied), my Year Abroad in France (more in terms of the experience of being independent and looking after myself a long way from home, rather than focusing on the Teaching Assistant aspect of it), managing my time during my MA (I commuted 50 miles to uni and had 2 jobs at the time I completed my dissertation), and catering for 2 weddings for friends (showing my organisation/planning skills).

In the interview they specifically say not to keep drawing on the same experience over and over for each question. Whereas in a PGCE interview I think they want you to be able to really reflect in depth on the school experience you have (even if it's just one week observing lessons in your subject), Teach First want to see how the whole breadth of experience you have fits into their Leadership Development Programme.

[redwood_phoenix]

Okay - I pretty much have answers to all the questions now I just need to work on this whole word limit thing! Had to think quite hard about that last question on resilience.

I find it a struggle to come up with different examples from different aspects of my life as there's definitely one or two areas where I've gained a lot of experience and skills and feel examples from there could perhaps be stronger than other examples, but I've been limiting myself. I do currently have two answers from the same aspect of my life but from different angles...as I'm not too sure what else would fit.