Early Career Teacher Induction Cambridgeshire
From September 2021, all Early Career Teachers (ECTs), will access a statutory 2 year Early Career Framework (ECF), based induction.
Additional release time
As well as the 10% planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time that all teachers are entitled to, as an ECT you are entitled to 10% additional release time in year 1 and 5% additional release time in year 2. The additional release time is provided to enable you to complete professional development activities (such as observing colleagues, self-study/reading, attending training courses) and to meet with your Mentor and Induction Tutor.
In-school support
As an ECT, you can expect to be allocated a Mentor and an Induction Tutor to support you throughout your induction period.
You will meet with your Mentor regularly to discuss activities related to the Early Career Framework professional development programme you are completing. Your mentor will provide coaching, formative feedback on your teaching and signpost you to relevant research/resources.
You will meet with your Induction Tutor on a less regular basis to agree relevant development targets and to discuss your progress against the Teachers’ Standards. In some schools, the Mentor and Induction Tutor role may be carried out by the same individual.
Your school should provide a general induction when you start so that you understand the school’s ethos, policies and procedures. You are likely to attend regular whole-school/cluster/multi-academy trust training events and you should also have the opportunity to attend CPD relevant to your specific needs. In addition, as an ECT you are entitled to be enrolled on an Early Career Framework professional development programme.
The Early Career Framework programme
Early Career Framework (ECF) programmes are evidence-based professional development programmes developed for ECTs and mentors. The ECF programme will build upon your initial teacher training year and help support your developing practice in 5 core areas:
• Behaviour management
• Pedagogy
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Professional behaviours
As an ECT you can expect a structured programme of professional development which will include attending training sessions with other ECTs, webinars, self-study/reading and follow-up activities to complete in school with the support of your mentor.
Progress reviews and formal assessments
A formal assessment report reviewing your progress against the Teachers’ Standards will be completed by your Induction Tutor at the end of year 1 and year 2. In terms 1,2,4 and 5 your Induction Tutor will submit a progress review which is a briefer summary of progress made against the Teacher’ Standards that term. These assessments/reviews will be informed by a wide range of evidence. You are not expected to collate additional evidence for these as you should naturally collate evidence as you progress through induction. However, it is a good idea to keep an electronic copy of anything that might be relevant, particularly if related to your development targets, so that you can easily locate and discuss with your Induction Tutor when you meet with them.
Completing induction on a part-time basis
If you work part-time, your induction is completed on a pro-rata basis. For example, if you work 2.5 days a week, it will take you 4 years to complete induction. Your school will still be asked to complete a progress review each term, however, the end of year formal assessments are not completed until you have completed the equivalent of each year of induction (i.e. after 195 and 390 working days). It is possible for ECTs working part-time to request to complete induction in less than the equivalent pro-rata time (but needs to be at least two academic years) if they are meeting all of the Teachers’ Standards consistently. This is a decision that is made by the Appropriate Body (see below) in conjunction with the school and ECT.
Moving schools during induction
It is possible to complete induction in more than one school. If you leave a school midway through induction, each full term is ‘banked’ so you can pick up induction where you left off. If you move to a new school, your progress reviews and assessments will be forwarded to the school once you are registered as an ECT there.
Suitable posts for induction
To complete statutory induction, the post must be suitable for induction. This means that you should be contracted to work at the school for at least one term, be regularly teaching the same class(es) and be provided with the necessary employment tasks, experience and support to enable you to meet the Teachers’ Standards. Short term supply work of less than one term, PPA cover and cover teacher roles are not suitable posts for induction.
External support
All schools providing statutory induction have to register ECTs with an Appropriate Body which has the main quality assurance role for induction. In Cambridgeshire, the ECT (formerly NQT) Induction Service acts as an Appropriate Body and provides guidance and advice for schools on the induction process. All progress reviews and formal assessments are sent to the Appropriate Body via an online system. Your school may also be visited by an Appropriate Body representative during your induction as part of our quality assurance procedures.
Please click the document below to find out more about applying for your first teaching job in Cambridgeshire.