A Bromley-by-Bow teacher is one of the stars of a national TV advert encouraging people to take up the profession.

East London Advertiser: A still from the advert featurinig Bromley-by-Bow teacher Jack Finnerty on TV this Friday (October 5). Pic: GET INTO TEACHINGA still from the advert featurinig Bromley-by-Bow teacher Jack Finnerty on TV this Friday (October 5). Pic: GET INTO TEACHING (Image: Archant)

Jack Finnerty – an English teacher at East London Arts and Music School in Maltings Close, Bromley-by-Bow – makes his television debut in ad breaks during shows including shows Gogglebox and Coronation Street on Friday.

The 24-year-old, who has notched up three years in the classroom, said: “The filming was a unique experience and I feel proud to be part of the recruitment campaign.

“This film truly captures the impact we as teachers can have in shaping the lives of young people and setting them on the right path for adult life.” The ad follows schoolgirl Abi from her first day at school as a wide-eyed four-year-old through to leaving as a confident 18-year-old.

Jack appears among a cast of practising teachers with the aim of highlighting that teaching isn’t only about what youngsters become but who they develop into.

“Like many careers, teaching comes with its challenges, but the reward of being a positive influence and seeing young people succeed inside and outside the classroom is what motivates us every day,” Jack said.

The ad’s launch coincides with World Teachers’ Day celebrating the differnce teachers make in young people’s lives.

Roger Pope from recruitment campaign group Get Into Teaching said: “We hope our advert will convey the many rewards a career in teaching can bring.

“As well as emotional rewards, teaching is a profession that has fantastic prospects.”

The latest government numbers show that in 2015 within the inner London boroughs, which includes Tower Hamlets, 14 per cent of primaries reported teacher shortages with 22pc of secondaries facing the same issue.

Schools in the capital and nationwide have struggled to fill vacancies in recent years with more than half of London’s headteachers reporting shortages, according to London mayor Sadiq Khan’s annual ‘Education Report’.

Higher living costs and a thriving jobs market make it harder for the capital’s schools to find teachers, the report adds.

In a national recruitment drive, a £26,000 tax-free bursary to train in subjects including science, computing and languages is on offer.