I am delighted you have expressed interest in Teach First at this pivotal moment in our development.
We exist to help ensure every child – wherever they live, whatever their background and family wealth – can fulfil their potential.
If we don’t get this right as a country, we will fail at a basic moral level. We will fail economically and we will fail to create a place that everybody feels part of. If we do get it right, then we have a country where talent and dedication can get you to where you want to in life, and where everyone has a stake in the future.
There are many forces at work on this issue, but we choose to view them through the lens of education. A great school in particular not only achieves academic outcomes for young people but focuses the resources of a national charity like ours onto the unique needs of each local community.
We support the potential of our young people in four ways. We find great people and train them to teach in our partner schools. We help them and their colleagues grow into leadership roles (and so look after the next generation of teachers). We connect schools and the ambassadors from our programmes into powerful networks of support inside and outside education. And we work constructively with government to shape policy.
We are a large, ambitious and complex charity. We conduct ourselves with professionalism and rigour, and with a passion to solve the problems that stand in the way of a fairer country. And we are trying to build a brilliant, progressive place to work – one that will attract and retain the talent we need to crack these intractable problems.
We therefore expect leadership without ego: confident and tolerant of ambiguity, but also humane, supportive and unfailingly honest.
You will read more about the principles of our culture, but you should focus in particular on transparency, trust and ownership. These will be at the heart of our selection choices.
The executive we are looking for will be pivotal in delivering our mission and building our culture. You will connect us with and excite the talent, advocacy and funds we need. You will lead us to be audience- and customer-centric. You will create the foundations for teams of talented people to take ownership and do their best work. You will have a genuine commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in the way you lead and the teams you build.
We all have a part to play in ensuring that the next generation of children can reach their full potential. Will you stand with us to change the future?
Thank you for your interest.
Russell Hobby
Chief Executive Officer