Full Induction Programme (Appropriate Body with ECF)

The headteacher is, along with the Appropriate Body, jointly responsible for the monitoring, support and assessment of the ECT during induction.

Early Career Framework-based training is expected to be embedded as a central aspect of induction; it is not an additional training programme. The headteacher is expected to ensure that ECTs receive a programme of training that enables the ECT to understand and apply the knowledge and skills set out in each of the ECF evidence (‘learn that’) statements and practice (‘learn how to’) statements.

The headteacher must ensure the induction tutor and mentor has the ability and sufficient time to carry out their role effectively. They are responsible for ensuring the ECT’s progress is reviewed regularly, including through observations of and feedback on their teaching and that assessments are carried out, reports completed and sent to the Appropriate Body. We are very mindful of workload and this should be done in the most streamlined and least burdensome way.

The headteacher is responsible for making a recommendation to the Appropriate Body on whether the ECT’s performance against the Teachers’ Standards is satisfactory or requires an extension at the end of their induction. They should act early, alerting the Appropriate Body when necessary, in cases where an ECT may be at risk of not completing induction satisfactorily. 

The headteacher should identify a person to act as the ECT’s induction tutor, to provide regular monitoring, guidance and support, and coordination of professional development and assessment. The induction tutor is expected to hold QTS and have the necessary skills, knowledge and time to work successfully in this role and be able to assess the ECT’s progress against the Teachers’ Standards.

This is a very important element of the induction process and the induction tutor must be given sufficient time to carry out the role effectively and to meet the needs of the ECT. The induction tutor will need to be able to make rigorous and fair judgements about the ECT’s progress in relation to the Teachers’ Standards. They will need to be able to recognise when early action is needed in the case of an ECT who is experiencing difficulties.

It may, in some circumstances, be appropriate for the headteacher to be the induction tutor. The induction tutor is a separate role to that of mentor.

It may, in some circumstances due to size of school or capacity, be necessary for the induction tutor to also act as the mentor

An ECT’s teaching is expected to be observed at regular intervals throughout their induction period to facilitate a fair and effective assessment of the ECT’s teaching practice, conduct and efficiency against the Teachers’ Standards. Observations of the ECT may be undertaken by the induction tutor or another suitable person from inside or outside the institution.

The induction tutor and the ECT must meet to review any teaching that has been observed, with arrangements for post-observation review meetings made in advance. Feedback from the observation should be provided in a prompt manner; it should be constructive, with a brief written record made on each occasion indicating where any development needs have been identified.

The induction tutor is expected to review the ECT’s progress against the Teachers’ Standards throughout the induction period, with progress reviews taking place in each term where a formal assessment is not scheduled. ECTs should have formal assessments carried out by either the headteacher or the induction tutor with input from other colleagues as appropriate (normally one at the end of term three and one at the end of term six, or pro rata for part-time staff). The induction tutor should inform the ECT following progress review meetings of the determination of their progress against the Teachers’ Standards and share progress review records with the ECT, headteacher and Appropriate Body.

The induction tutor should ensure that all monitoring and record keeping is done in the most streamlined and least burdensome way, and that requests for evidence from ECTs do not require new documentation but draw on existing working documents.

The mentor and the induction tutor are two discrete roles with differing responsibilities and it is expected that these roles should be held by different individuals.

In exceptional circumstances it may be necessary for the headteacher to designate a single teacher to fulfil both roles, which may be the headteacher themselves. Where this is the case the headteacher should ensure that the induction tutor understands that they are fulfilling two discrete roles and that adequate safeguards are put in place to ensure that the mentoring support offered to the ECT is not conflated with assessment of the ECT against the Teachers’ Standards.

Mentors should not carry out formal assessments unless they are also acting as the induction tutor.

The SLT Induction Lead is essential to the success of the Early Career Framework (could be a role also undertaken by the Headteacher or a colleague with senior responsibilities). Having a supportive senior colleague in school is often the key to success for great teachers.

The SLT Induction lead has responsibility for ensuring the mentor and early career teacher have appropriate timetables to ensure that they can make the most of the programme. The ECT’s weekly self-directed study should be scheduled before the mentor interactions if possible, as these interactions follow on from this work. The ECT will need to attend two training sessions per half-term and you will need to consider this when creating the ECT’s timetable.

ECTs should continue to be registered with an Appropriate Body and will continue to adhere to the specific requirements of the Appropriate Body programme, including assessment requirements.

Whilst the mentor will monitor the progress of the ECT and their self-directed study in their weekly interactions, the SLT Induction lead role has overall responsibility for the success of the early career teacher’s CPD, including ensuring that the mentors and early career teachers engage with the ECF. It is recommended that the SLT Induction Lead carries out quality assurance activities across the year. These could include observation of the weekly interactions between the mentor and early career teacher and joint lesson observations of the early career teacher. 

The mentor has a key role in supporting the ECT during induction and is separate to the role of the induction tutor. They will work collaboratively with the ECT and other colleagues involved in the ECT’s induction within the same school to help ensure the ECT receives a high quality ECF-based induction programme.

Mentors are expected to engage with a series of group webinars and content familiarisation sessions which will be delivered virtually. Mentors are responsible for the delivery of a series of instructional coaching sessions with their Early Career Teachers. Full training will be provided by the Teaching School Hub.

The headteacher should identify a person to act as the ECT’s mentor, to provide regular mentoring. The mentor is expected to hold QTS and have the necessary skills and knowledge to work successfully in this role.

Mentoring is a very important element of the induction process and the mentor is expected to be given adequate time to carry out the role effectively and to meet the needs of the ECT. This includes meeting regularly with the ECT for structured mentor sessions to provide effective targeted feedback and attending mentor training where appropriate. Instructional coaching is a central and critical aspect of the mentoring role – one that can make a big difference to an ECT’s practice.

The ECT is expected to participate fully in their ECF-based induction programme. This will include, meeting with their induction tutor to discuss and agree priorities for their induction and how best to use their reduced timetable allowance to aid their professional development.

The ECT will keep track of and participate effectively in the scheduled classroom observations, progress reviews and formal assessment meetings and provide evidence of their progress against the Teachers’ Standards.