ECTE Checklists
Early Career Teacher Entitlement
Since September 2021, induction for new teachers has been extended to two years, during which time ECTs receive a structured programme of professional development and support, underpinned by the Initial Teacher Training Early Career Framework (ITTECF).
As an ECT, it is expected that you receive the following:
- a dedicated mentor (this may be subject or class-based, depending on phase and setting);
- a dedicated Induction Tutor (this may be the Headteacher) who will oversee the Induction period and ensure fair and consistent assessment of practice;
- a reduced teaching timetable – 10% reduction (based on a Main Pay Scale teacher’s teaching load within your setting) in Year 1 and 5% in Year 2;
- access to a structured programme of professional development, support, and professional dialogue (in line with the provisions of the Early Career Framework);
- regular observation of your teaching practice with written feedback;
- regular one-to-one mentoring sessions (this is expected to be within teaching hours, however may be outside of teaching hours, but within contracted hours, where timetabling constraints exist);
- termly professional reviews of practice conducted by the Induction Tutor which clearly indicates strengths and areas for development;
- the opportunity to observe experienced teachers either in the ECT’s own setting or in another setting where effective practice has been identified;
- a named contact at the Appropriate Body with which you have been registered.
The Induction Checklist
It is really important that all new teachers receive appropriate support and guidance throughout the induction period. As well as accessing mentoring support and professional development, it is also important that you receive fair and consistent assessment of your teaching practice. It is the responsibility of your Headteacher, Induction Tutor and Appropriate Body to ensure that a fair and consistent process is in place to monitor your progress.
The table below provides a summary of the activities that should be planned and enacted at each stage of your induction. If you have any questions relating to any of the information provided below, please contact us on tsh@princehenrys.worcs.sch.uk
Within the first few weeks…
- Discuss the Career Entry Profile document or alternative transition document provided by your ITT provider with your Induction Tutor.
- Agree your induction objectives based on the strengths and areas for development identified through your training and/or early observations.
- Ensure you are familiar with the Teachers’ Standards and your entitlement as set out by the statutory induction guidance.
- Schedule your initial observation with your Induction Tutor within the first four weeks of being in post.
- Formal observations by your Induction Tutor (or another designated member of staff) should take place every 6-8 weeks (approximately every half term).
- Review meetings (interim reviews) should be scheduled and held shortly after every formal observation.
- A written record of review meetings should be kept and shared with you.
- A Progress Review meeting should be scheduled at the end of the first term (Y1).
- Strengths, areas for development and any planned support should be clearly identified on the Progress Review proforma (available on ECT manager).
- You should use this form to indicate any concerns about your induction programme and to indicate any support/help provided to you by the school.
- You, your Induction Tutor, and your Headteacher should complete and sign the Progress Review proforma.
- Your Headteacher or Induction Tutor will return the completed Progress Review proforma to your Appropriate Body (via ECT manager) by the stated deadline
- You should retain a copy of the Progress Review form for future reference.
- The Appropriate Body will make contact with the Induction Tutor if the Progress Review indicates that you may not be on track to meet the Teachers’ Standards.
Observations:
- You should arrange to be observed by your Induction Tutor (or other designated member of staff) within the first six weeks of the second term.
- Thereafter, observations should be scheduled every six to eight weeks (approximately every half term)
- A review meeting (interim review) should be held following observation – induction objectives, strengths and areas for development should be reviewed.
- A written record of the review meeting should be provided to you and kept for future reference.
- A Progress Review meeting should be scheduled at the end of the second term.
- Strengths, areas for development and any planned support should be clearly identified on the Progress Review proforma (available on ECT manager)
- You should use the form to indicate any concerns about your induction programme and to indicate any support/help provided by the school.
- You, your Induction Tutor, and your Headteacher should complete and sign the Progress Review proforma.
- You should retain a copy of the Progress Review form for future reference.
- The Appropriate Body will make contact with the Induction Tutor if the Progress Review indicates that you may not be on track to meet the Teachers’ Standards..
- A progress meeting should be scheduled towards the end of the third term (Year 1).
- The meeting should be used to review strengths, areas for development and any planned support for the coming term.
- The ECT Induction Assessment proforma (available via ECT manager) should be completed and signed by you, your Headteacher, and your Induction Tutor.
- The AB will be in contact with the Induction Tutor if the form indicates that the ECT is not on track to meet the Teachers’ Standards
Observations:
- You should arrange with your Induction Tutor to be observed within the first six weeks of the term.
- Thereafter, observations should be scheduled every six to eight weeks (approximately every half term)
- A review meeting should be held following observation – induction objectives, strengths and areas for development should be reviewed.
- A written record of the review meeting should be provided to you and kept for future reference.
- A Progress Review meeting should be scheduled at the end of the fourth and fifth term (Year 2, terms 1 and 2).
- Strengths, areas for development and any planned support should be clearly identified on the Progress Review proforma (available on ECT manager)
- You should use the form to indicate any concerns about your induction programme and to indicate any support/help provided by the school.
- You. your Induction Tutor, and your Headteacher should complete and sign the Progress Review proforma.
- You should retain a copy of the Progress Review form for future reference.
- The Appropriate Body will make contact with the Induction Tutor if the Progress Review indicates that you may not be on track to meet the Teachers’ Standards.
- A progress meeting should be scheduled towards the end of the sixth term (Year 2, term 3).
- The meeting should be used to review your progress towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards.
- If appropriate, you, your Headteacher, and your Induction Tutor should complete the ECT Induction Summary proforma (available via ECT manager) to recommend that you have met the Teachers’ Standards.
- Alternatively, if appropriate, you, your Headteacher, and your Induction Tutor should complete the ECT Induction Summary proforma (available via ECT manager) to recommend that you have failed to meet the Teachers’ Standards and therefore failed to complete induction satisfactorily.
- If you are judged to have failed induction, your Headteacher should ensure that they specify the reasons for failure in one or more of three areas (1) planning, teaching and class management, (2) monitoring, assessment, recording, reporting and accountability, (3) other professional issues.
- In the event that you are judged to have failed induction, your Headteacher must supply evidence in support of their judgement, plus any evidence of support the school have provided.
- The ECT Induction Assessment proforma should be signed and returned to the AB (via ECT manager) in line with the stated deadline.
- The AB will be in contact with the Induction Tutor if the form indicates that the ECT is not on track to meet the Teachers’ Standards
Induction FAQs
Ideally, the role of mentor and Induction Tutor is held by different people in order to separate the support and assessment elements of your ECT Induction. However, if you work in a very small school, with a small number of staff, these two roles may be held by the same person.
Your 10% reduction in teaching during Y1 is a statutory entitlement. It means that you should teach 10% less than a typical main pay scale teacher in your school/setting. If you are unsure about whether or not you are receiving your 10% (5% in Year 2) entitlement then you should speak to your Induction Tutor and/or Headteacher first.
As an ECT you are entitled to access a structured programme of professional development, support and dialogue for the duration of your ECT induction period. Your school may choose between Provider-Led or School-Led options. This may look like one of three scenarios:
- You may be enrolled on a programme provided by a Lead ECTE Provider via your local Teaching School Hub. This will typically give you access to an online learning platform, an instructional coaching or mentoring programme, and online or in-person events, such as conferences or clinics.
- Alternatively, your school may use published, accredited resources to deliver their own programme, or
- Your school/setting/trust may choose to design and deliver their own resources based on the ITTECF.
Whichever option a school chooses, programmes should be planned, published and checked by the Appropriate Body for fidelity to the ITT ECF.
If you are employed on a part-time basis, your ECT Induction period should still be the equivalent of two full years (or six terms). So, for example, if you are employed on a 0.5 contract, your Induction period would span 4 years (12 terms).
It is possible to reduce the induction period for ECTs working part-time. For example, where an ECT has served induction covering, but not equivalent to two full years, and they can demonstrate that they meet the Teachers’ Standards then they may be able to have their induction period reduced.
It is for the Headteacher and Appropriate Body to determine the length of the induction period that an ECT is required to serve. Any decision must take full and and fair account of the ECT’s working pattern.
All teachers, even those with significant prior experience, must complete a period of statutory induction. In such cases, Appropriate Bodies have discretion to reduce the length of the induction period to a minimum of one term (based on a standard school year of three terms). In making this decision the Appropriate Body may consider evidence of previous experience, including any performance management documentation relating to previous practice. Reductions will only be considered where ECTs have experience of whole-class teaching in line with the Teachers’ Standards and will be considered alongside assessment of any remaining progress that is to be made.
The length of the induction period that ECTs are required to serve is for the Headteacher and Appropriate Body to determine.
Short-term supply placements of less than a term cannot count towards induction, as these posts will not provide ECTs with the breadth of experience, support and consistent assessment necessary to demonstrate that their performance against the Teachers’ Standards is satisfactory.
If a supply contract is likely to extend beyond a term then an ECT should be enrolled on an induction programme and registered with an Appropriate Body at the start of the placement. This will ensure that any time equal to or exceeding a term will count towards induction.
It is not possible to backdate the start of an induction period.
Firstly, it’s important to remember that ECTs should be receiving fair, consistent and ongoing assessment of teaching practice throughout the induction period. Every formal observation should be followed by a review meeting where strengths, areas for development and planned support are identified, documented and agreed. ECTs should also receive a copy of all written feedback, interim reviews, progress reviews and formal assessments. If ECTs are judged to not be making satisfactory progress against one or more of the Teachers’ Standards then this should not be unexpected or come as a surprise.
Schools will notify the Appropriate Body if an ECT is judged not to be making satisfactory progress. The Appropriate Body may then ask to see the evidence supporting this judgement and a copy of the planned support that will be provided in order to help the ECT get back on track. In some instances, the Appropriate Body may provide further guidance or support to the school and/or ECT.
In the event that an ECT fails to make satisfactory progress by the end of the two-year induction period, the Appropriate Body, in discussion with the school, may decide to extend the induction period by a term in order to allow the ECT time to meet the standards in full.
If an Appropriate Body determines that an ECT has failed statutory induction, or that the induction period should be extended, they should notify the ECT of their right to appeal this decision.
An ECT may move schools during induction for lots of reasons and this is not uncommon.
An ECT must serve a minimum period of one school term (or equivalent) for that time to count as time served on induction. Thereafter, any further time spent in a continuous period of employment will count towards the two-year induction.
For example, if an ECT is employed in the Autumn Term, but transfers to a new school before the first term ends, that time will not count towards induction and they will need to restart induction in their new school. However, if they complete the first term and then half of the Spring Term, they will start their new position with 1.5 terms having already been served, so they will restart their induction from that point onwards.
Where an ECT is leaving a school before a full term is completed, it is expected that the school will complete an interim review so that the ECT leaves with an up-to-date record of current progress and areas for development. Schools employing ECTs mid-term are not expected to complete a progress review until that ECT has served the equivalent of one whole term.
If an ECT is concerned that they are not receiving their statutory entitlement in school, their first action should be to raise this with the Induction Tutor and/or Headteacher.
If this issue is not resolved through conversation with the school, the ECT should contact the named person at the Appropriate Body to discuss their concerns.