The Early Career Framework (ECF) forms a vital part of the DfE’s Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (2019) which sets out to ensure that careers in teaching are attractive, rewarding and sustainable.
The Early Career Framework sets out an entitlement of support for all Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and underpins a new entitlement for 2 years of professional development designed to support new teachers in developing their practice at the start of their careers. It sets out what early career teachers are entitled “to learn about” and “learn how to do” when in their first years of teaching. Following the early roll out across regions of the UK in 2020-21, this is a statutory entitlement for all ECTs from September 2021.
Teaching School Hub ECF Lead
ECF Co-ordinator
The content of the ECF has been designed to build upon, and complement, early career teachers’ initial teacher education. It is intended to support them to develop in five core areas:
Behaviour Management
Pedagogy
Curriculum
Assessment
Professional Behaviours
Behaviour Management
Pedagogy
Curriculum
Assessment
Professional Behaviours
We are delivering a fully funded Full Induction Programme developed by Educational Development Trust, in partnership with Sheffield Institute of Education part of Sheffield Hallam University.
Educational Development Trust are an international not-for-profit organisation that transforms lives around the world by improving education. Sheffield Institute of Education are a national centre for education, recognised for excellence and innovation in teaching and learning through research and practice.
Both have worked with teachers, school leaders & teacher educators to design a programme which is:
An evidence-led programme of training for your staff, designed around what really works, and how people really learn.
Exceptional professional development designed for ECTs, where they will learn skills they can use straight away.
A focused development programme for mentors, with local and regional training run by expert facilitators, and peer coaching sessions with a 'buddy' mentor.
Engaging and accessible online learning, alongside face-to-face and virtual training delivered by school-based experts.
Peace of mind; our Delivery Partner team manage all aspects of the training, freeing up in-school staff to focus elsewhere.
A training schedule carefully constructed to be compatible with school life – with the realities of a teaching timetable and school commitments in mind.
From September 2021, all Early Career Teachers will be entitled to:
2 years of new, funded, high-quality training available either as a Full Induction Programme, Core Induction Programme or school-based programme
Funding for 5% time away from the classroom for teachers in their second year
A dedicated mentor and support for these mentors including access to funded high-quality training
Funding to cover mentors’ time with the mentee in the second year of teaching
Further funding for schools opting for the Full Induction Programme for mentors to access training from the lead provider (backfilled up to 36 hours)
The Programme curriculum is constructed to take ECTs from foundational understanding of concepts and techniques through to mastery.
Year 1 is an introduction to the key themes and statements in the ECF. The focus is on helping ECTs to establish themselves in the classroom, drawing on the best international evidence for what works in education. The structure of the Blocks in Year 2 replicates that of Year 1, many of the same themes from Year 1 will be revisited in greater depth and breadth to strengthen the ECTs’ practice.
Block One
Establishing a positive climate for learning
Block Seven
Embedding a positive climate for learning
Block Two
How pupils learn: memory & cognition
Block Eight
How pupils learn: making it stick
Block Three
Developing effective classroom practice: teaching & adapting
Block Nine
Enhancing classroom practice: grouping & tailoring
Block Four
The importance of subject & curriculum knowledge
Block Ten
Revisiting the importance of subject & curriculum knowledge
Block Five
Assessment, feedback & questioning
Block Eleven
Deepening assessment, feedback & questioning
Block Six
A people profession
Block Twelve
Continuing your professional development
Block One
Establishing a positive climate for learning
Block Two
How pupils learn: memory & cognition
Block Three
Developing effective classroom practice: teaching & adapting
Block Four
The importance of subject & curriculum knowledge
Block Five
Assessment, feedback & questioning
Block Six
A people profession
Block Seven
Embedding a positive climate for learning
Block Eight
How pupils learn: making it stick
Block Nine
Enhancing classroom practice: grouping & tailoring
Block Ten
Revisiting the importance of subject & curriculum knowledge
Block Eleven
Deepening assessment, feedback & questioning
Block Twelve
Continuing your professional development
Each Block has been designed based on international best practice of effective professional development, and includes:
Self-Directed Study Materials
Mentor Sessions
Training Sessions
Webinars
The mentor-mentee partnership will be supported – if ECTs and their mentors wish to use it – by free access to IRIS Connect’s video-enabled professional learning platform. This allows ECTs and mentors to record aspects of their classroom practice and transfer them securely via the teachers’ personal, password-protected accounts. The flexibility this affords is highly valuable for busy mentors, who can observe their ECTs’ lessons at a time that suits them, and who equally can open up to ECTs their own practice and that of other experienced colleagues with minimal effort.
Consider including a QR code to allow email recipients quick access (Parents, Local Community and Sixth Form students)
An example of an email footnote could look like this:
Do you know someone who is interested in training to teach? Send them this [insert QR code]
Include ‘Train to Teach’ signposting to local providers or DfE materials as an email footnote or signature strip.
Other practical and innovative approaches to recruitment
Use CEIAG lessons, events and articles to educate students and promote teaching as a career choice.
Put a banner on your school gates/perimeter fencing to show your community that they can access teacher training locally.
Develop a strong post-ITE training offer for staff considering career progression, ECF, NPQs, Curriculum Hubs, CPD for M3-M6 teachers, other CPD.
Share these myths and misconceptions-busters about teacher training and teaching to inform potential applicants about the profession.
Talent Spotting – Promote routes into teaching for suitably qualified staff (e.g. TAs, Technicians, Librarians, non-teaching pastoral or DSLs) via Salaried routes, Apprenticeships, Undergraduate or Post-graduate pathways.
Facilitate sessions for ITE providers on specialist areas and fundamental concepts in education (typically 1.5 – 6 hours).
Offer whole-year placements (e.g. to trainee A in Autumn & Summer Terms and Trainee B in the Spring term) with mentoring.
Offer longer ITE programme placements (typically 12-20 weeks) with mentoring of trainees.
Offer shorter ITE programme placements (typically 8-12 weeks) with mentoring of trainees.
Offer Intensive Training & Practice (ITAP) placements to ITE providers (typically 1-2 days) to allow trainees to observe practices and apply learning.
Offer enhanced placements (1-5 days) as part of an ITE programme, focussing on a phase, type, or specialist area of education (e.g. PRU, Special School, EYFS, Post-16).
Offer ‘School Experience’ tasters (typically 0.5 or 1 day) to potential applicants.
Register as a school on ‘DfE Apply’ as a ‘location’ for potential applicants to find/search train to teach providers in close proximity to their postcode.
Share positive stories, case studies and testimonials of colleagues and ex-trainees (associated with your school), showcasing career progression, opportunities and CPD.
Follow and share content on your school accounts from these below to reach your community:
ITE providers in the West Midlands
Connect with ITE providers in the West Midlands – click here to access a map of local and national Accredited providers.
Connect with ITE providers on social media from the districts covered by the John Taylor Teaching School Hub region or in the immediate surrounding districts:
Pre-populated posts:
Other:
Promote the Department for Education’s train to teach recruitment events
Follow and share content on your school accounts from these below to reach your community:
ITE providers in the West Midlands
Connect with ITE providers in the West Midlands – click here to access a map of local and national Accredited providers.
Connect with ITE providers on social media from the districts covered by the John Taylor Teaching School Hub region or in the immediate surrounding districts:
