Early Career Framework FAQs

See below our FAQs.

What do I need to do if I have an ECT starting in school?

  • Decide which option you are going to take for delivering the ECF (see 3 options on ECF home page or here for more detailed information).
  • Nominate your induction tutor and mentor for the ECT – think about the people in your school who are to take on these roles.
  • Register on the DFE’s online portal system (FIP and CIP routes only).
  • Register with the TSHub (FIP only) by emailing tshub@lawrencesheriffschool.com.
  • Prepare in school – ensure your ECT has a timetable reduction and that your induction tutor and mentor have the ability and time to carry out their roles.

Where can I find out more about the Early Career Framework (ECF)?

An overview of the ECF reforms can be found here on GOV.UK

Do I also have to register with an Appropriate Body?

Yes, all Early Career Teachers (ECTs) must be registered with an Appropriate Body (AB) before they can begin induction. We will be offering this service, alongside Warwickshire and Coventry LA. Part of the role of the AB will be to assess the ECT’s induction and check that they have received their ECF entitlement.

What is the DfE online registration service?

Schools have to register their ECF intentions on the DfE online service. The DfE are collecting data online about how schools will be supporting their ECTs. The DfE need to know:

  • Which ECF route you are using – the full induction programme (FIP), the core induction materials (CIP) or whether you are creating your own programme.
  • Who your induction tutor is in school (this is whoever will be overseeing the ECT’s induction and completing the paperwork. All emails to the school about the ECF from the DfE will come to the address you provide here).
  • You will also need to enter the details of your ECTs and mentors.

What funding is available?

In year 1, there is no new funding (10% off timetable for ECT and mentor support time is already paid to schools, as calculated through the National Funding Formula).

In year 2, £2,100 is paid to schools to fund 5% off timetable for ECT and 20 hours mentor support time.

Additionally, schools signed up to a full induction programme will receive additional funding for mentor training of £1576.10 (equivalent to 36 hours of backfill time over two years per mentor).

What about ECTs that started induction before September 2021?

The ECF entitlement only applies to Early Career Teachers (ECTs) that start their induction in or after September 2021. However, the core induction materials are freely available and the mentor can use these to support their existing ECTs or others in school if they wish.

How do I sign up to a full induction programme (FIP) with you?

Once you have decided on the full induction programme schools need to:

See here for a full step by step guide.

Do I have to sign up to a full induction programme (FIP)?

No. Your ECT has an entitlement to two years of support and development based on the Early Career Framework, but you could opt to support them with your own training using the core induction materials, or even create your own programme based on the ECF. If you do not opt for the full induction programme you will still receive DfE funding towards off-timetable time for the ECT and mentor, but you will not get the extra funding for mentor training time and you will have to fund the development and facilitation of training sessions yourself.

The fee you pay the Appropriate Body is likely to be higher, too, because the AB will have to invest more time in checking your provision meets the requirements of the ECF.

Can I nominate more than one induction tutor?

Schools can only have one Induction Tutor named and registered on the DfE online system.

If you sign up with us for the UCL full induction programme this person will be our main contact and will receive our emails. You are of course free to use other people in school to assist as you see fit, but the named induction tutor will be responsible for fulfilling the statutory obligations of the role.

What’s the difference between an induction tutor and a mentor? Can they be the same person?

The induction tutor guides the ECT's professional development and completes the statutory requirements of the role. They carry out regular progress reviews and two formal assessments, the results of which are shared with the ECT, Headteacher and Appropriate Body. It is the Induction Tutor who leads the ECT and mentor in ECF provision, working in collaboration with the Delivery Partner.

Mentors meet regularly with the ECT for structured mentor sessions to provide effective targeted feedback and work collaboratively with the ECT and other colleagues involved in the ECT's induction. They provide or broker effective support, mentoring and coaching and take prompt action if an ECT appears to be having difficulties.

Ideally, the induction tutor and mentor roles should be carried out by two separate people, but in a small school this may not be possible and both roles can be carried out by the same person.

 

Do we need to allocate 1 mentor to 1 ECT or can there be a pair or trio approach?

Statutory guidance requires 1 to 1 mentoring.

What should I do to prepare once I’ve enrolled?

Think about how you will accommodate the mentor weekly meetings with the ECT and ensure all staff understand the expectations. Make sure the mentors and induction tutors have enough time to carry out their role and that the ECT has a timetable reduction.

Who are the providers for the full induction programme?

There are six national designated providers. More detail is available here.

Do schools have a choice of provider for the full induction programme (FIP)?

In theory yes, schools can choose a full induction programme (FIP) from any provider, but practically they will need to find a provider that is delivering locally so that their ECTs can attend face to face training. Providers are working with Delivery Partners (generally Teaching School Hubs) such as Coventry and Central Warwickshire Teaching School Hub, who will be the ones working directly with schools in facilitating the ECF delivery. We will be delivering the UCL full induction programme to schools in the Coventry, Rugby, Warwick and Kenilworth areas.