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- I am an ECT - what does the ECTE mean for me?
I am an ECT - what does the ECTE mean for me?
What is the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE)?
The ECTE is the statutory two-year induction period of structured support and training, underpinned by the ITTECF, with monitoring and assessment of performance against the Teachers' Standards that you must be provided with by your employing school as an ECT. Part-time ECTs may take longer to complete this induction period and some ECTs who have previous teaching experience prior to gaining QTS may be considered for a reduced induction period.
Induction can take place in almost any state school, academy, free school or independent school (excluding underperforming schools or schools with special measures imposed - unless Ofsted has judged a school to be suitable to host induction in these circumstances).
You can be a supply teacher, but periods of less than one term cannot be counted towards induction. There is no time limit for starting induction or completing induction, however, after 5 years you can no longer work as a short-term supply teacher without induction.
To commence induction, your employing school must register you with an Appropriate Body.
During induction, you’ll receive an ITTECF-based training programme. Your employing school may provide this training programme themselves or use an external provider to deliver the programme. You will be allocated an in-school mentor who will support you with your training programme during regular meetings. To allow you time for this training and mentoring, your teaching timetable will be reduced by 10% in Year 1 and 5% in Year 2 of your induction (in addition to PPA).
An induction tutor in your school (usually the Headteacher or a member of the senior leadership team), will be responsible for assessing you against the Teachers' Standards in order to make a judgement at the end of the induction period as to whether you have passed induction.
What are my statutory entitlements as an ECT?
In summary, your entitlements as an ECT are as follows:
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Employed by your school in a suitable post for induction as a classroom teacher
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10% reduced teaching timetable in Year 1 and 5% in Year 2 (in addition to PPA)
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Timetabled weekly 1:1 mentor meeting in Year 1 and fortnightly in Year 2
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ITTECF-based training programme as part of induction
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Opportunities to observe colleagues and access to relevant CPD
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Regular observations and feedback opportunities
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Progress review meetings with an induction tutor
How do I pass induction?
To pass induction, your induction tutor will complete termly progress reviews and two formal assessments (one at the end of Year 1 and the second at the end of Year 2) to assess whether you are satisfactorily meeting the Teachers' Standards. An ECT cannot fail induction until the end of the induction period, during induction an ECT is either 'on track' or 'not on track' to meeting the Teachers' Standards.
If your school recommends that you are satisfactorily meeting all the Teachers’ Standards in your final formal assessment at the end of your induction period, the Appropriate Body will moderate and sign off on your completion of induction, and update your teacher record with the Department for Education.
Further information from the DfE regarding the ECTE can be found here:
