FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How does the statutory induction period work?

QTS is awarded at the end of ITT using the Teacher Standards.

After 2 years, early career teachers will be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards to determine whether they continue to meet the standards and have passed the two-year statutory induction. This is separate from the ECF.

How will you be assessed?​

  • The Early Career Framework is not, and should not be used as, an assessment framework:​ it is a professional development offer.
  • Early career teachers will continue to be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards only​.
  • The ECF does not require any reports, it is not part of assessment for the newly qualified teachers.

What about the role of the appropriate body?​

ECTs will have ‘an appropriate body’ that is responsible for ensuring that schools provide adequate support to teachers at the start of their teaching career and throughout the two-year induction period.  It is the Appropriate Body that makes the final decision as to whether a newly qualified teacher has met the Teachers’ Standards on the recommendation of the Headteacher/Principal in the school where they work. This is separate to the ECF professional offer from NETSP.

What are the considerations for workload and staff wellbeing?​ 

  • We have worked hard to ensure that the materials take account of this: our materials can be covered in the allotted time and are all based on the practical daily routines of a classroom practitioner. ​We train all mentors and facilitators to understand and align their practice with the UCL Wellbeing Charter.  
  • The DfE expects mentors and mentees to have a timetabled session each week for an hour. There is no requirement about the time of day or stage of the week when this will happen. The time is funded, and schools need to have signed up with a provider to access the funding. ​ 
  • In most cases training sessions will take place after school. Training sessions are carefully planned to provide a balance between face-to-face and remote sessions. ​We will work with each group to address any scheduling issues. 

What funding is available for schools with an Early Career Teacher? 

Early career teachers and mentors in participating schools will have free access to a full package of support and training. The DfE will also be funding 5% away from the classroom in the second year of teaching for early career teachers and funded time for mentors to support them in their second year of teaching. This is in addition to the 10% off timetable already enjoyed by early career teachers in their first year of teaching. 

Click here for full guidance on what schools with an ECT will receive. 

What happens if a Newly Qualified Teacher moves school during their two-year ECF programme?

If an Early Career Teacher who has already been enrolled in the ECF moves to a new school then they can continue to participate in the programme if the new school agrees to support them in this. The new school will be eligible for the funding offered for early career teachers in their second year of teaching.

One of the mentors enrolled in the programme can no longer act as mentor, can we change an ECT's mentor?

If a mentor is leaving the school, or for another reason can not continue to mentor the ECT they were assigned to originally then, we can change this and enrol a new mentor in the programme to take their place. Contact us at ecfne@newcastle.ac.uk and we will send through details on how to change mentors and get the new mentor access to the online platform and other resources. 

What should a participant do if they can't make it to one of their facilitated sessions?

Please contact us at ecfne@newcastle.ac.uk and we will try to accommodate them in a different session.