TEALS
Recruiting IT experts into secondary school classrooms to support teachers and disadvantaged pupils
The Hg Foundation has partnered with Microsoft and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT to help bring the Microsoft TEALS Program to the UK.
The TEALS Program has been running in the United States since 2009 and has helped over 100,000 students receive computer science learning pathways. It is also available to pupils in Canada, Mexico, Israel, Colombia, Kenya and India.
As part of the TEALS Program, volunteers must have a degree in computer science, or equivalent industry experience. They will be brought into schools to support teachers, particularly non-specialists, who teach Computing at Key Stage 3 (ages 11 to 14) and Computer Science GCSE at Key Stage 4. Volunteers can also help boost pupils’ employability skills by linking learning to the world of work and providing enrichment sessions such as connections with employers.
The programme has a great track record in the US and in other countries, and the pilot in England will focus on schools serving disadvantaged communities - where we know there are particular challenges in recruiting and retaining specialist teachers.
