TOP local teachers will become social media “ambassadors” for Bradford as part of a new push to attract more talent to the district’s schools.

Today sees the start of a major new online recruitment campaign to encourage more people to come and teach in the district.

As part of the campaign, called Bradford for Teaching, ten “inspirational” teachers from a variety of local schools will be using Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to share their stories about teaching in Bradford and the impact of their work.

The campaign’s aim is to make Bradford the first choice career destination for aspiring teachers.

It is the latest in a number of schemes to shine a new light on teaching in the district, including giving trainee teachers bus tours of the different areas of Bradford and the types of schools they could work in.

A new website, Bradfordteaching.com, has also been created to allow people to find out more about the opportunities to train and work in Bradford’s schools.

The campaign, which starts with an event at Beckfoot School in Bingley, will involve a partnership of schools across the Bradford district. It is being funded by Bradford Council and co-ordinated by the Northern Lights Teaching School Alliance.

In recent years many school in the district have reported difficulties in recruiting teachers, and there were concerns historic poor performance in school league tables had put many teachers off choosing Bradford.

This led to Bradford Council ringfencing £660,000 over three years on work to help recruit teachers.

Efforts have led to a “talent bank” of teachers, used by school leaders to fill their vacancies with the best-suited candidates. It has helped to recruit around 200 new teachers to Bradford schools over the past two years.

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Jenn Plews, the co-head of the Northern Lights Teaching School Alliance said: “We want to put Bradford schools on the digital map, reaching potential recruits nationwide.

“That’s why our ambassadors will be taking to social media throughout the year to talk about teaching in Bradford. We have a great story to tell and we plan to reach the widest possible audience.”

Councillor Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education, Employment and Skills, said: “Bradford for Teaching is a vitally important campaign for the district. We are determined to provide the best possible education for all our young people. We know that the quality of our teachers is vital in turning this ambition into a reality.”