Success Against the Odds

Five Lessons in How To Achieve the Impossible: The Story of Teach First

Ten years ago, when American management consultant Brett Wigdortz told his employers at McKinsey that he was leaving to "found an organisation designed to address educational disadvantage in Britain", they laughed. He was 28 years, with no experience of either public policy or teaching; he'd never led anything before, never managed anyone. And he thought he could put right the class-ridden injustices of the British education system. This is the story of how a tiny independent charity has succeeded against all odds. Having met nothing but resistance in its early years, Teach First is today Britain's largest employer of graduates. It receives over 7000 applications for 1000 teaching positions annually in the most challenging schools in the country. In this searingly honest account Brett shows how, through a combination of his McKinsey training and personal passion, he has turned a simple idea into a cultural revolution. He offers tips and advice based on everything he has learned along the way - How to write a business plan, How to hire the right team through to How to become a CEO with zero qualifications. This is a book about turning no into yes - inspiration for anyone else out there with a vision for change to go out and make it happen.