Teach First Reviews 

I signed up as soon as applications opened- almost a year in advance. What they fail to tell you is they do not promise a placement. I completed all tasks, was told I was the most experienced out of my cohort, and then into June they told me there was no sign of a placement for me. I was extremely disheartened, as I had even been on an awful week placement with the rest of the cohort to Luton- a city centre budget hotel with no air con or opening windows- to visit a school.
They told me they could get me into a school in September but it would be volunteer status- no pay.
The mentors were not nice or helpful, I disclosed a neurodiversity, to which no support was given or recognition when I was struggling.
Very, very disappointing as it has left me without a job for this year.
The only way you will be guaranteed a placement is if you are willing to relocate, or, as they offered to me, drive 2.5 hours each way to a school. A lot of my close cohort did not receive a school after all their hard work either.
Avoid! Avoid!

A right shower of shit if you ask me.
Avoid at all costs, empty promises and no empathy at all when it all falls through.
Be warned

I echo a lot of what others have said about Teach First. My experience was extremely poorly organised, particularly when it came to the placement process.

I was actually contacted by Teach First and encouraged to join their teacher training programme after I had initially completed around half of the application and decided not to continue. I was told there was a shortage in my area for the subject I wanted to teach and was encouraged to reconsider. Based on this, I completed the interview process, was accepted onto the programme and was repeatedly reassured that they would work to find me a placement.

What followed was months of uncertainty and being strung along.

Eventually, it got to August, despite the programme beginning at the end of August/start of September, and I was still without a placement. By this point, I had spent months planning around starting teacher training and had turned my attention away from other career opportunities because I had been accepted onto the programme and had been given every reason to believe a placement would be found.

One of the schools I was put forward to in Derby interviewed me, but I later discovered there were circumstances at the school which made me question how realistic the opportunity had been in the first place. Despite receiving positive feedback personally, nothing came of it.

Then, very late in the process, Teach First contacted me about another potential opportunity and specifically encouraged me to pursue it because they believed I would be a good fit. I hadn’t even completed an application for that particular route originally, as it didn’t properly align with the subject area I wanted to teach. Nevertheless, I engaged with the process because Teach First had approached me and presented it as a genuine opportunity.

A meeting with the school was arranged. Less than 24 hours later, I was informed that the school suddenly had “budget constraints” and the opportunity disappeared.

That was effectively the end result after months of waiting.

I completely understand that Teach First cannot force schools to employ trainees and that circumstances within schools can change. However, that does not excuse poor communication, unrealistic assurances or encouraging candidates to organise their lives around a programme when there is significant uncertainty over whether they will actually have somewhere to train.

My biggest frustration is that I didn’t approach Teach First desperately looking for a place. They approached me, told me there was a shortage in my area and subject, convinced me to restart an application I had chosen not to complete, put me through the selection process, accepted me and then left me in limbo until immediately before the programme was due to begin.

Had I been told from the beginning, “You have passed our selection process, but there is a genuine possibility we will not be able to place you,” I could have made informed decisions and pursued other opportunities alongside it.

Instead, I lost months.

I am writing this mainly so that prospective applicants understand that being accepted onto the Teach First programme does not necessarily mean you will actually receive a placement. If you are considering applying, particularly if you are giving up employment or turning down other opportunities to do so, I would strongly recommend keeping alternative options open until you have a confirmed school placement.

I would hate for somebody else to put their career plans on hold based on the same assurances and find themselves in the same position weeks before they are supposed to start.

Teachfirst is one of the worst run organisations I have ever come across. They operate exactly like a forex MLM, and if you are looking to become a teacher i seriously recommend using other routes and not them:

1. Their school placement system is really bad. I started interviewing with them in March 2026. Like everyone I expected to be teaching in September this year - not once did they mention the placement system might not produce a September match so you will have to wait until March the next year to get placed. If I had know there wasnt going to be a job I wouldnt have bothered. And they put me through 4 months of total headache with all the hoop-jumping they require to then tell me theres no job available in September

2. They told us that teacher vacancies have fallen 50% in the last 5 years but yet Teach First is still giving out the same number of trainee offers as 5 years ago, leading to a situation this year where 10% of trainees this year still dont have a job. A lot of people quit their previous jobs and are now completely screwed. Teach First waited a whole month to tell us theres no jobs, and they always say "dont worry were placing people every day" which is a LIE because vacancies really only crop up at the end of a school term

3. Teachfirst use a plot of predatory tactics, they often send out emails using very fear mongering language and they OFTEN do this scary tactic where they will tell you "this is your last chance to satisfy this compliance we need you to do", when this is the very first email they have ever sent on it 😳

if you value your sanity avoid Teach First completely!

My daughter applied for this, having a passion for helping deprived children. She was invited to an assessment centre, but then had to chase repeatedly over a number of weeks for details. Once they arrived she booked her travel, then asked for details of what to expect. None were forthcoming. Then at 21:00 on the Friday before she was informed she would need to attend an interview on the following Monday and Tuesday. These coincided with her 21st Birthday dinner, for which family members were travelling from 3 continents, and a lecture. On asking to rearrange and offering alternatives, she received an extremely condescending reply that suggested if she was unwilling to change her plans she should reconsider her fit fir the program.

If this serious lack of organisation is reflected in their approach to training avoid like the plague.

Incompetent and heartless, these people should have no part to play in the education of vulnerable children.

They do not reply to e mails juat suggest phone numbers (uncontactable).They are handling the NTP - how on earth were they awarded the contract. I am a retired teacher trying to apply as a tutor. Please do not waste my time Teach First

Before applying, I questioned why their drop out rate was so high. Well, I guess now I know. They value brown-nosing above and beyond all other traits.