We realise that our staff are our greatest resource and fundamental to our success as an organisation. Recruitment at Test Teach is exacting: we only accept dynamic individuals, with masses of energy and experience, and we never settle for less.
We don’t just make sure they know their subject; we look out for a lively manner and a spirited delivery. Why? Because we know that captivating people make for compelling lessons. And once staff are established with us, we work hard to keep them happy. Too often schools lose great people because of unnecessary bureaucracy and limited freedoms.
We retain our talented teachers by offering them the autonomy to teach in their own way, treating them well and paying them a salary commensurate with the importance of their role.
No great success story begins with low expectations. Here at Test Teach we set the bar high and keep it there – not because we only accept academic trailblazers, but because we believe that every child has the potential to reach that goal, given the right assistance.
In schools, set criteria outline expected levels of achievement for year groups and, while this approach offers a useful means of measuring progress, we believe it places artificial limitations on students. Such a system creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, whereby if work is considered too difficult for learners, they are never given the opportunity to encounter it, making them less likely to believe themselves capable of it.
We instil learners with the courage to try new and challenging tasks – tasks that are, at first, daunting, because they go beyond those tackled in schools. Why do we do this? Because being unafraid to make mistakes is part and parcel of achieving great things. If students are willing to attempt something tricky, they’re getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, and that’s not just an essential skill for sitting tests, it’s also an essential skill for navigating the twists and turns of life.
