This review was submitted over 4 years ago, so some of the information it contains may no longer be relevant.
Rating
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The Role
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The Company
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The Culture
- 1. To what extent did you enjoy your work placement or internship?
- 2. To what extent did you feel valued by your colleagues?
- 3. To what extent were you given support and guidance by management/your supervisor(s)?
- 4. How busy were you on a daily basis?
- 5. How much responsibility were you given during your placement?
- 6. To what extent did/will the skills you developed, and training you received, assist you in your degree studies and beyond?
- 7. What was the general atmosphere in your office?
- 8. How well organised was the overall work placement or internship set up?
- 9. In terms of personal training and development, to what extent did the company or firm invest in you?
- 10. What were the perks on your work placement?
- 11. How appealing are future employment prospects within the organisation?
- 12. Was there a good social scene amongst any fellow placement students/colleagues?
- 13. What was the cost of living and socialising in the area you worked in?
- 14. What was the Nightlife like in the area you worked?
- 15. Were there many opportunities to get involved in activities outside of work?
The Role
I found the teaching element enjoying, however I found the scheme itself extremely tiring and excessive. It entails a lot of work and support is often limited in the schools. Teach first as a company do try to make it as enjoyable as they can for you. It depends on what school you are placed in.
It depends on what school you are placed in. There was a culture of bullying in my school and I often found it difficult to be valued as a useful member. I know this wasnt a unique experience and a lot of my colleagues felt this way too. Teach first attempted to amend the situation.
Support from school itself was limited. However, support from teach first was fantastic. They were very encouraging and if you found the placement too hard or affecting your mental health, they tried their best to help you. However, this was not always possible and took a lot of time to communicate this to them.
Far far far too busy. It's hard to balance work and life. I found the days extremely busy and weekends were consumed by work as well. I wouldn't recommend this if you have a budding social life. It was easy to get consumed in everything regarding teach first to be honest.
You are put in a classroom from the get go after 6 weeks of training (2 weeks in Leeds), a lot of responsibility was placed on yourself. You are given your own class which is a lot of responsibility in itself. You also have to plan and arrange all your lessons and make time for uni work.
The skills I made have been transferrable in so many scenarios and different work places including academics. I have been able to transfer these skills when working in the uk and when I have been working abroad. I was able to develop a lot of people skills and communication skills.
The Company
In my particular school, it was a very toxic environment. However, many schools teach first place graduates in are not toxic. It is all very dependent on what school you are placed in.
The organisation of the placement was fantastic. They have been running for 10 years and it is clear that they have great experience in running and setting up a consistent work placement. However, one thing I would say that requires improvement is letting graduates know where their placement will be only 2 months beforehand.
Unsure really
Above 25 days holiday
There was a lot of room for future employment prospects within the organisation after doing the leadership Development Programme and becoming an ambassador. However, this was dependent on the school and their need for a higher position. Also you can work for companies like pwc if you feel like teaching isn't for you.
The Culture
No
The cost was relatively fair near the work vicinity. There were alot of coffee shops, dessert shops and bars as it was located near the train station. I would say it was standard price. The salary that you get paid on placement is fairly decent so price isn't too much a matter.
Unsure,
So much extra curricular activities including going to conferences and conferences with people that work for the department of education. There were also lots of teach first weekends that were organised. However, the work is mentally tiring and taxing in your first two years sometimes you don't feel like going out.
Details
Placement (10 Months+)
Education/Teaching
East Midlands
August 2019