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EF (Education First)

Engaged employer

Cons more than pros - Teacher EF (Education First) Employee Review

2.0
26 Sept 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Diversity. Students and staff are from all around the world, lots of things to learn from them.

Cons

- Amount of work doesn't doesn't match the low pay - Marking, lesson prep, breaks are unpaid. You literally only get paid the minutes you're in the classroom - Course book is quite poorly designed, and you have to teach with that everyday - You have to create authentic teaching materials for Special interest classes (about 30% of your total teaching hours), and are unpaid. There's almost no materials for you to teach those classes - Facilities are old and broken. 20 adults hoping to practise on their listening skills while there's no speaker in the classrooms but just the projector's "speakers". 13+ teachers are sharing one old printer, which always is down and disconnected from the PCs. - Management is chaotic, there isn't an HR department/person. Communication can be more transparent - Zero career progression, or chance for development - Zero benefit

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EF (Education First) Response
8mo
Thanks for taking the time to share your experience working as a Teacher in our Manchester school. We’re sorry to hear it wasn’t all positive, but we really appreciate your feedback — it helps us keep improving. Our pay, marking, and lesson prep policies follow EF Language Abroad’s global framework to ensure consistency across all schools. The 5th edition of our main course book is also nearly complete, and we’ve not had any specific concerns raised by students about the current version. We know SPIN (Special Interest) classes have had mixed feedback in the past, and our academic team has been working to build a strong resource bank to make planning easier. Many SPINs now use EF-published materials, and at Manchester they make up no more than 20% of a teacher’s timetable. The school is currently undergoing a facelift, with classroom equipment and resources being reviewed and upgraded as part of that. Staff also have access to EF Language Abroad’s People & Culture function for any HR needs, and our academic team meets weekly to support communication and planning. We’ve rolled out our career ladder to make progression opportunities clearer, and regularly share details of both EF-wide and Manchester-specific benefits with our team. We appreciate your feedback and wish you all the best in your next steps.

Explore other reviews about EF (Education First)

5.0
20 May 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Fun place to work at. Lots of opportunities especially early on in a career.

Cons

Sometimes salary is not as competitive as other places in Boston area.

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EF (Education First) Response
1mo
Well this is what it's all about! Early career opportunities while having fun along the way is a big part of what we hope people experience working at EF, and we are happy to hear this in your reflection. Thank you for sharing your note on compensation as well. We review our compensation packages regularly to make sure they align with our industry standards, and we appreciate your perspective on that.
4.0
2 June 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You get to choose your tour and recruit the students you want to bring. The paid chaperone ratio is 6:1, so it is very manageable. The tours are great and the local experts are wonderful.

Cons

Company support is variable. There is high turnover and new consultants are very sales motivated and don't always get the nuances of your school or community group. I have had some WONDERFUL concusltants, but they have always been promoted before I get to work with them again.

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