--- title: "Teach First — charity rating & review | CharityCompare" description: "Is Teach First a legitimate UK charity? Clarity Score 71/100. Accounts 2025: income £58m · 96% on charitable activities. Reg 1098294." source: https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/teach-first retrieved: 2026-08-18T02:50:16.822Z license: "Charity data © Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0" --- Quick answer ## Is Teach First a good charity? Teach First scores 71/100 (3 stars, Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, calculated from its UK regulator filings. Its latest accounts year is 2025 (£58m total income, 96% of spending on charitable activities). This reflects financial transparency and stewardship on paper — not the real-world impact of its programmes. See the full breakdown. London · UK-wide · SE10 0ER | Reg [1098294](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/teach-first) | Registered charity | [Official website](https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/) | [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1098294) Donate ## How can you give to TEACH FIRST? You leave CharityCompare to complete a donation on the official TEACH FIRST form. We do not process payments or take commission. Opens their official online donation form. [Donate](https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/?utm_source=charitycompare&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=donate&utm_content=1098294) ## What does Teach First do? Teach First is a registered charity (no. 1098294) working in human rights across the United Kingdom. Its latest Charity Commission filing directs 96% of spending to charitable activities, holding roughly 1 month of reserves, and files its annual accounts on time. Reported income has been broadly stable over recent years. CharityCompare's Clarity Score rates the organisation only from public Charity Commission accounts — accountability, financial health, efficiency and community support — not the quality or impact of its programmes. Summarised from public filings — Teach First hasn't added its own description yet. [Work here? Add it free →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/claim?charity=teach-first) **In short:** TEACH FIRST scores 71 out of 100 (3 stars). 96% average program spend (3-year average). Review the pillar breakdown below. ## What is Teach First? Teach First has a Clarity Score of 71 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars, Needs improvement). Charity Commission registration number 1098294. Status: Registered. Primary cause area: Human rights. Latest accounts year 2025: total income £58m, with 96% of expenditure on charitable activities. Accounts filing: up to date. Reserves: approximately 1 month of operating costs. No major red flags from our filing review. Scores are independent and based on official filings — not a donation recommendation. Data from [Charity Commission register](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), last updated 17 July 2026. Overall score 71/100 3★ · Needs improvement Cause spend 96% 3-yr avg · charitable activities Accountability 100/100 Finance beacon Income £58m Latest year 2025 Reserves 1 mo 1 month of running costs Accounts filing On time Charity Commission £22.7 raised per £1 fundraising (3-yr avg) · 5% overhead · Website on register · Confidence: high ## How does TEACH FIRST compare? Clarity Score percentile against similar UK charities — the share of peers TEACH FIRST scores higher than. Income band (£10m+)27thpercentile **Scores higher than 27% of 943 charities in its income band** · 71/100 vs 77 peer average (marker). Human rights charities30thpercentile **Scores higher than 30% of 146 charities in this cause** · 71/100 vs 77 peer average (marker). ## How reliable is Teach First's data? Source Charity Commission (England & Wales) Accounts year 2025 Filing date 24 June 2026 Profile reviewed 17 July 2026 High confidence — complete filing data Scores reflect the latest annual accounts on the register. Clarity Score measures how clearly the charity accounts for money in those filings — not programme impact. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Sources: [Charity Commission for England and Wales](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/), [Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator](https://www.oscr.org.uk/) and [Charity Commission for Northern Ireland](https://www.charitycommissionni.org.uk/). [Open Government Licence v3.0](https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/). ## What is Teach First's Beacon report? Detailed accountability and finance metrics from UK regulator filings — structured for transparency in our four-beacon report. ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Filing history (5 years) 100% on-time over five years = 15 pts · one late filing = 5 pts · two or more = 0 pts. | 100% | 15/15 pts | | Trustee oversight Three or more trustees on the register = 15 pts, scaled down for fewer (governance red flag below three). | 100% | 11 trustees · 15/15 pts | | Declared policies Safeguarding (4) · conflict of interest (3) · volunteer management (3) — from Charity Commission annual return. | 100% | 10/10 pts | ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 27/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Reserves (months of cash) 3–24 months = full marks, tapering on both sides · 0 months or 4+ years (hoarding) = 0 pts. | 33% | 1 month · 5/15 pts | | Income stability / growth +20% or more over the window = 10 pts · flat = 5 pts · −20% or worse = 0 pts, scaled between. | 30% | 3/10 pts · 3-year average | | Liabilities to assets 0% liabilities-to-assets = 5 pts, scaling down to 0 pts at 60%+ debt. | 0% | 75% · 0/5 pts | ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Program expense ratio 90%+ on charitable activities = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 50% or below. | 100% | 96% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | | Fundraising efficiency ≤10p to raise £1 = full marks, scaling down to 0 pts at 40p or above (fundraising cost ÷ income). | 100% | 4p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) | ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 30/100 | Metric | Score | Value | | --- | --- | --- | | Volunteer-to-staff ratio Volunteers at 2x staff or more = full marks · no volunteers = 0 pts, scaled between. | 30% | 540 volunteers / 928 staff · 3/10 pts | [How we calculate beacon scores →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ## What is Teach First's Clarity Score? 71/100 total · Needs improvement · 3 of 5 stars Four pillars (40 + 30 + 20 + 10 points) from Charity Commission filings — see methodology for full weightings. 100/100 Accountability & Transparency 27/100 Financial Health 100/100 Financial Efficiency 30/100 Community Support ### Accountability & Transparency Baseline trust from filing discipline, board oversight, and declared governance policies. 100/100 Filing history (5 years)15/15 pts Trustee oversight11 trustees · 15/15 pts Declared policies10/10 pts ### Financial Health Stability and solvency — reserves, revenue trend, and debt from Charity Commission accounts. 27/100 Reserves (months of cash)1 month · 5/15 pts Income stability / growth3/10 pts · 3-year average Liabilities to assets75% · 0/5 pts ### Financial Efficiency How efficiently funds reach the cause — program spend and fundraising cost ratios. 100/100 Program expense ratio96% · 10/10 pts (3-year average) Fundraising efficiency4p per £1 income · 10/10 pts (3-year average) ### Community Support Grassroots backing from Charity Commission workforce data — volunteers vs paid staff. 30/100 Volunteer-to-staff ratio540 volunteers / 928 staff · 3/10 pts ## How much does Teach First raise and spend? Latest filed year 2025 · Source: Charity Commission filings | Category | Amount | % of spend | | --- | --- | --- | | Total income | £58m | — | | Total expenditure | £59m | — | | Charitable activities | £57m | 97% | | Fundraising | £1.8m | 3% | | Governance & admin | £452k | 1% | 97%On charitable activities ## Where does the money go? Latest accounts (2025) · £59m spent - Charitable activities97% · £57m - Fundraising3% · £1.8m - Governance1% · £452k ## What trust indicators does Teach First have? Pulled from the Charity Commission register — filing behaviour, board size, and workforce where reported. - ✓ Accounts filed on time up to date · last filing 24 June 2026 - ✓ Trustee board size (3–12) 11 trustees on the Charity Commission register - ✓ Workforce on register 928 employees · 540 volunteers (1:1 volunteer-to-staff) Fundraising Regulator Not listed as member Separate from our financial scores — shows whether the charity follows the Code of Fundraising Practice. [Check Fundraising Regulator →](https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/members/) Official register Reg 1098294 Full trustee list, accounts, and regulatory history on the Charity Commission. [View on Charity Commission →](https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1098294) ### Trustees & officers - Dame Vivian Hunt DBE Chair · since 2019 - Nicholas Robson Owen since 2020 - Tom Harbour since 2021 - Djamila Leila Andrea Boothman since 2022 - Paul Robert Geddes since 2022 - Lord Jonathan Andrew Kestenbaum since 2022 - Prof Carole Samantha Twiselton since 2022 - Humphrey William Battcock CBE since 2022 - Nabila Jiwa since 2023 - Helen Weir since 2023 - Luke Dunstan Sparkes since 2025 100 How we score charities +The Clarity Score is a 100-point rating from UK regulator filings (Charity Commission for England and Wales, OSCR and CCNI). Four pillars — Accountability & Transparency (40), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10) — each scored on a continuous scale, not pass/fail cutoffs. A statutory inquiry sets the score to 0 automatically. [Full methodology →](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) Accountability & Transparency Scored from filings 40 points — filing history (15), trustee oversight (15, scaling up to a board of three or more), declared policies (10). Financial Health Scored from filings 30 points — reserves (15, full marks 3–24 months, tapering on both sides), income stability (10), liabilities to assets (5, scaling down as debt rises). Financial Efficiency Scored from filings 20 points — program expense ratio and fundraising cost, each on a graduated scale (not a single cutoff). Kept at 20% of the total: financial-ratio scoring alone is not a reliable effectiveness signal (see "why not just an overhead ratio?" below). Community Support Scored from filings 10 points — volunteer-to-staff ratio from Charity Commission workforce data, scaling continuously up to a 2:1 ratio. Overall score Sum of all pillar points. Display stars use the same bands as the labels: 90–100 → 5★ Exceptional; 75–89 → 4★ Good; 60–74 → 3★ Needs improvement; 1–59 → 2★ Poor; 0 → not rated. ## How have Teach First's finances changed over five years? - Income - Spending - Cause spend Values in £ thousands · Cause spend plotted only when the filing discloses a split · Source: Charity Commission accounts ## What are the key facts about Teach First? Overall score 71/100 (3★) Income £58m Cause spend 96% of expenditure Reg number 1098294 Scope UK-wide Reserves 1 month Trustees 11 Accounts year 2025 Filing up to date ## How does TEACH FIRST compare, and where else can you look? [Compare TEACH FIRST with others](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/compare-charities?ids=teach-first) [More human rights charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/human-rights) [How we score charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/methodology) ### Where TEACH FIRST sits The causes this charity is classified under, and other charities working nearby. - [human rights charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/human-rights) - [education charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/education) - [children charities](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/children) - [Charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/cities/london) - [human rights charities in London](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/browse/human-rights/london) ### Similar human rights charities Top-rated peers by CharityCompare score - [CENTRE FOR WOMEN'S JUSTICE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/centre-for-women-s-justice) 99/100 · £987k - [THE 93 PERCENT CLUB FOUNDATION](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-93-percent-club-foundation) 97/100 · £773k - [THE MOTHERHOOD PLAN](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/the-motherhood-plan) 97/100 · £764k - [LGB ALLIANCE](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/lgb-alliance) 97/100 · £551k ## How can you share Teach First's rating? 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BadgeScore widget [♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 71/100 ★★★★★](https://www.charitycompare.org.uk/charity/teach-first) Lightweight HTML badge (no iframe) — paste anywhere ♥ CharityCompare Clarity Score 71/100 ★★★★★ Copy code ## Frequently asked questions Common questions about Teach First's rating, finances, and Charity Commission status. Is Teach First a good charity? + Teach First scores 71 out of 100 (3 stars — Needs improvement) on CharityCompare's Clarity Score, our independent read of its UK regulator filings. Around 96% of its spending goes to charitable activities and its accounts are up to date. That reflects how transparent and financially healthy it looks on paper — it does not measure the real-world impact of its work, so treat it as one factor alongside the cause you care about. CharityCompare never tells you where to donate. Is Teach First a legitimate charity? + Yes — Teach First is a legitimate registered charity (charity number 1098294). Verify it on the official register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/en/charity-search/-/charity-details/1098294. Registration proves status; Clarity Score then summarises filing transparency on paper, not programme impact. What is Teach First's charity number? + Teach First's charity number is 1098294. Check that number on the official register (Charity Commission, OSCR or CCNI) or this CharityCompare profile before you donate — scammers sometimes reuse real numbers on fake appeals. What is Teach First's charity rating? + Teach First scores 71 out of 100 on CharityCompare (3 stars — Needs improvement). The Clarity Score V1 sums four pillars from UK regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 pts), Financial Health (30), Financial Efficiency (20), and Community Support (10). Stars use the same bands as those labels — 90+ is 5★ Exceptional. It is not an impact ranking. Does Teach First have reviews and complaints? + CharityCompare does not host public user reviews for Teach First. Instead you get a filing-based Clarity Score, cause spend, reserves and red flags such as late accounts. For formal complaints about a charity, contact the Charity Commission, OSCR, CCNI or the Fundraising Regulator as appropriate. How much of my donation reaches Teach First? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, 96% of Teach First's total spending went to charitable activities (3-yr avg across disclosed years). That is the closest official figure to "how much of your donation reaches the cause" — it is an average across all spending in the filing, not a pound-by-pound breakdown of an individual gift. What are Teach First's overheads? + According to its 2025 regulator filing, fundraising costs were about 4% of total expenditure and combined overheads (fundraising plus governance) were about 5% of total expenditure at Teach First. The filings CharityCompare uses do not publish CEO or senior-staff pay, so we cannot say what Teach First's chief executive is paid — where disclosure rules apply, senior pay appears in the trustees' annual report on the Charity Commission register. How much income does Teach First receive? + Teach First reported £58m total income in its 2025 accounts, based on UK regulator filings. Five-year trend: stable. Are Teach First's accounts up to date? + Filing status: up to date (last filing 2026-06-24). CharityCompare flags late or missing accounts separately from the financial score. Where is Teach First based? + Teach First is listed at London · UK-wide · SE10 0ER and operates UK-wide, focused on human rights. How does CharityCompare score Teach First? + We calculate a Clarity Score of 0–100 from four pillars in Teach First's regulator filings: Accountability & Transparency (40 points — filing history, trustees, policies), Financial Health (30 — reserves, income trend, debt), Financial Efficiency (20 — cause spend and fundraising cost, on a graduated scale) and Community Support (10 — volunteer-to-staff ratio). An open statutory inquiry scores 0. The score measures reporting on paper, not programme impact. CharityCompare is free for donors, takes no commission on donations, and scores cannot be bought. How often is this page updated? + This profile was last updated on 17 July 2026 from the latest UK regulator data available to CharityCompare, and Teach First's most recent accounts cover 2025. Scores and figures refresh whenever we re-ingest the register, so the page reflects our latest data pull rather than a one-off review.