Early Career Framework (ECF)
Help your Early Career Teachers (ECTs) thrive with our Early Career Framework (ECF) programme, which is delivered in partnership with Teach First and has recently been designated as outstanding by Ofsted. ECTs will benefit from two years of DfE-funded training, which will give them extended support at a critical time in their career, and is designed to fit in with the day-to-day realities of teaching. It is structured to help ECTs to integrate theory, practice and feedback.
DfE Portal registrations for ECTs who are joining your school in Autumn term 2024 will open on 24th June. Please email [email protected] for further information and guidance.
The DfE's digital portal for registration of ECTs can be accessed HERE (please see note above before accessing). They have made a number of improvements to the system, following the previous issues experienced by schools, so hopefully the system is now easier to navigate.
The DfE have produced a step-by-step guide to setting up your school's early career training programme. Schools who do not have, or do not expect to recruit, any ECTS only need to complete step 1 of this process.
Further information around DfE funding and eligibility for ECF-based training can be found here - Funding and eligibility for ECF-based training - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you have any questions, or require any support, please email [email protected] or call 0116 2689727.
Benefits
Early career teachers benefit from:
- a structured two-year package of support, training and resources
- flexible online and face-to-face training modules
- access to expert resources
- a mentor, identified by their school, trained by us
The school benefits from:
- face-to-face and online training for their ECTs, and for a colleague to become a great mentor, designed in partnership with Deans for Impact
- a network of mentors to share best practice
Everyone benefits from our:
- Experience - Teach First have over 17 years’ experience of helping new teachers get better faster and LeLTSH have over 12 years’ experience of providing excellent CPD for all staff, including NQTs and mentors
- Expertise - Evidence and research led training
- Flexibility - Online learning resources that fit around teachers’ timetables
- Tailored approach - Subject- and phase-specific support from specialists
- Connections - get connected to a network of thousands of teachers, leaders and schools.
Programme
Delivered through a mix of face-to-face and online modules, the programme is structured to help early career teachers integrate theory, practice and feedback.
Year 1
Rooted in research and expertise, and backed-up by a range of tailored resources, Year 1 of the programme consists of six modules:
- Creating powerful learning environments.
- How pupils learn.
- How to plan and teach lessons.
- Supporting every pupil to succeed.
- Assessment and feedback.
- Planning a coherent curriculum.
Each module includes self-directed study materials containing expert guidance, research and examples of best practice.
Programme members will join online training sessions to discuss theory and their own experiences with small groups of peers and experts. They’ll also get access to coaching sessions to support them to put the theory into practice with the support of their mentor.
Year 2
In Year 2, teachers will:
- engage in subject/phase-specific learning and development
- develop their autonomy of learning
- choose from a range of career development modules; (including implementing research in the classroom, understanding the role of a career leader, understanding the role of a mentor and understanding the role of a middle leader).
- continue to benefit from instructional coaching sessions with their mentor
For mentors and schools
Mentors will get face-to-face and online training to develop skills in:
- assessing teacher progress
- providing effective feedback
- using deliberate practice to accelerate progress
- how to provide further challenge to high performing ECTs
They’ll attend webinars to complement the modules being undertaken by their ECTs so they can tailor and align their support accordingly.
Mentors will also have the opportunity to learn from experts. Through online webinars they will discover the best ways to reflect on their practice and develop their instructional coaching skills.
Testimonials
Please click on the links below, to read articles by our ECTs and Mentors:
It’s helping me become a better teacher | Teach First
For anyone thinking of becoming a mentor, I would say do it | Teach First
