Three Leeds venues, including Well Met, the conference office for Leeds Beckett University, are ready to welcome back the final week of the 2018 Teach First Summer institute, for its fifth consecutive year. This follows a successful bid submitted in 2016, led by Well Met to host the 2017 and 2018 events, in partnership with MEETinLEEDS and first direct arena.
Summer Institute is a five-week residential training programme that prepares incoming Teach First participants with the practical teaching skills and mind-set to be ready for the classroom from day one. It marks the start of the two-year Teach First programme, forming a foundation for ongoing school- and university-based training, culminating in a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE).
After four weeks of training in their local areas, the final week of the Summer Institute will see the whole of the 2018 cohort coming together in Leeds – hosted by Leeds Beckett University and the University of Leeds – where they will be joined by the 2017 cohort, Teach First alumni, university tutors and Teach First staff.
Close to 2,500 trainee and newly qualified teachers (NQT), will begin the week with a two-day conference (23-24 July) across three venues – Leeds Beckett University, University of Leeds and first direct arena. It features over 70 sessions of seminars, tutorials and lectures, specifically aimed at early career stage teachers, and practical CPD sessions designed to prepare teachers for their first day in the classroom.
For Well Met, some figures emerging from the conference programme include:
- 114, 870 bed nights’ accommodation
- £2.7m estimated total spend by participants in the city
LeedsBID, Conference Leeds, Leeds City Council, Town Centre Securities, Leeds Hotels and Venues Association and Capita were key stakeholders involved within the bid for the Teach First conference.
Thus far, the conference has contributed a total investment of £8m to the city after been held in Leeds for the past four years.
Clare Vidler conference manager at Well Met, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be celebrating our fifth anniversary of hosting the last week of the Summer Institute. It’s testament to the strength of our bid and the collaboration of our partner organisations, MEETinLEEDS and first direct arena.”