STEM Insight Programme Review

The insight programme was incredibly enjoyable and varied. The first week was spent attending training sessions in London, followed by a week's placement in a school elsewhere in the country, which included teaching our own lessons. There were lots of opportunities to learn more about Teach First and meet former participants.

During the two weeks of the programme, the staff constantly made us feel valued and aimed to make the experience as enjoyable for us as possible. They gave us many opportunities to ask questions and invested a lot of time into our own personal development. They also really valued our feedback on all aspects of the programme.

There was constant guidance and support from as soon as I received an offer for the insight programme. The university recruiter rang several times before starting the programme, and during the placement in the second week to check that everything was going well and that we were fully prepared for teaching our lessons.

The skills developed during the programme will definitely help in a future career in teaching, such as classroom management and assessment. However, we also developed important skills such as leadership, planning, communication, resiliance and self evaluation that will not only help with future jobs but also with studying at university.

The programme was very well structured, with a clear timetable available a couple of weeks before the programme started.

The atmosphere was very friendly, with social activities planned with both the staff and participants at the start and end of the programme. The atmosphere was also good because all the participants were staying in student halls with other participants meaning that everyone had opportunities to socialise outside of the programme.

Teach First really invested a lot of time and resources to our personal training and development, particularly as each day involved personal development sessions which involved looking at our own competencies and how we could develop them further. There was also a focus on reflecting on everything we were taught to help with our personal development.

Although our own personal experience in the school was very short, the time gave a variety of different experiences of what would be involved in the Leadership Development Programme, such as teaching, lesson planning and classroom management. On top of the experience at the school, networking with the Teach First ambassadors gave a lot of insight into working with Teach First.

There was a strong focus on understanding the Teach First movement and their aim to reduce educational inequality in the UK. This involved taking part in debates about teaching, education or the STEM challenge. We also had talks and Q&As from Teach First ambassadors and directors, who helped us understand the Teach First culture and movement.

The programme really gave us the opportunity to decide whether or not teaching is right for us.

I was paid for completing the programme and they also paid for all accomodation, both in London and on placement.

The sessions in the first week were mostly run by Teach First ambassadors who had previously completed the Leadership Development Programme, and they were very happy to talk to us about their own personal experiences. There were also sessions run by corporate partners of Teach First who we could network with.

I would definitely recommend this programme to anyone who is considering doing Teach First or teaching STEM subjects, as it is a great opportunity to experience the career before committing to it. It was an intense two weeks, and not all of it was easy, but it was very enjoyable.