News
HRH meets young teachers taking part in Teach First at a school in East London
15th July 2008
The Prince of Wales met young teachers taking part in the Teach First programme today at secondary school in East London.
His Royal Highness, who has recently become Patron of Teach First, was shown how they have helped to transform the once-failing Bethnal Green Technology College.
The college has nine teachers taking part in the scheme which recruits exceptional graduates from top universities and trains them to teach in "challenging schools" where there may be significant deprivation or lack of achievement.
Among those The Prince met this afternoon was new maths teacher Emma Lark, 22.
She said: "We talked about getting to know the pupils as individuals and finding out what works for them.
"I told him that every child has a talent and that teaching is about finding that talent and drawing it out of them. They can then apply that to any subject."
English teacher Eleanor Cox, 24, who is also in her first year of the Teach First programme spoke to The Prince about Shakespeare.
She said: "The Prince asked if the children read whole books.
"We have done a lot of Shakespeare and I told him I was surprised how much the students enjoy it.
"We also talked about drama as I told him that acting is a really good way of teaching Shakespeare."
Rob Williams, 26, who stayed on at Bethnal Green Technology College after completing the two-year programme, told The Prince he has ambitions to become a head teacher in an inner-city school.
He said: "Anything we have achieved here is a result of all working together and the support we've had from our colleagues in the school. That's why we all like teaching."
The Prince also met business leaders involved in the programme and watched a showcase put together by pupils.
Addressing the audience afterwards, The Prince said: "I was staggered to find there are now some 1,300 Teach First teachers operating all around the country and that there are going to be even more in due course. They will be able to cover the whole country."
He added: "I want to congratulate all those who have put so much effort into and created something very special.
"I was particularly pleased to have the chance to meet some of the teachers and learn a little bit about their experiences. I did wonder what it was like having to stand up in front of a class for the very first time. It must have been somewhat alarming."
Schools Minister Lord Adonis was among those The Prince met at the school today.
He said that The Prince's new appointment as Patron of Teach First would help with the "emergence of Teach First as a true national institution".
Lord Adonis said that 370 Teach First teachers are due to take up their posts in September.
He said: "The Government agreed two weeks ago to double Teach First places up to 850 in the next five years.
"But the programme is four times over-subscribed with 2,000 applications every year.
"More and more schools want these teachers and in London alone there have been requests for nearly 1,000 and there are only 220 places to offer.
"The quality of the teachers is outstanding."
Lord Adonis said the programme was now also operating in Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool and he said the scheme is the most "positive development in the national education system in recent years".
Bethnal Green Technology College was designated a "failing school" in 2005 and put in special measures.
It has benefited from a new head teacher, Mark Keary, and by last year the school had developed a new ethos and had been taken out of special measures.
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