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Promoting Quality in Teacher Education

ECF evaluation (Feb 2024)

29 February 2024

As you may be aware, the evaluation of ECF induction programmes annual summary has been published today on GOV.UK, a link to this can be found below:

Early career framework induction evaluation - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Highlights of these findings include:

  • ECTs were mostly positive about their training. Mentors and induction tutors also rated the training for ECTs positively.
  • ECTs continued to feel very supported by their mentors and were confident in their mentors’ abilities.
  • ECT and mentor confidence increased over the course of the programme
  • Participants felt the ECF-based induction programme built on and extended topics covered in ECTs’ ITT.
  • Participants rated communications from providers positively.
  • Towards the end of the first complete induction period, most schools intended to continue with the provider-led approach and their current lead provider.
  • There are also some findings which are less positive, including workload pressures and a lack of tailoring to school contexts.

DfE has learned from the feedback through the evaluation process and has looked to address these issues both as part of continuous improvement of the current delivery of ECF-based training, and through the review of the ITT Core Content Framework and ECF and the ECF delivery model. From September 2023, more flexibilities have been introduced to the programmes to ensure they better meet the needs of ECTs, including introducing stretch materials, streamlining the mentor training programme, and lead providers have developed a wide range of exemplification materials.

From September 2025 all provider-led programmes will include diagnostic tools to enable more tailoring of learning for ECTs, supporting them to focus more on areas they most need to develop. The training for new mentors will be condensed down to one year and all mentors will be equipped with materials to use in their sessions with their ECTs.

Further changes from September 2025 are planned to reduce repetition including moving to a combined framework for ITT and ECF-based induction to create a three-year programme setting out how knowledge and skills should develop from ITT into induction. All provider-led programmes will include diagnostic tools to enable more tailoring of learning for ECTs, supporting them and their mentors to focus more on areas they most need to develop. Other changes planned include increased contextualisation to subject and phase with enhanced subject-specific materials and resources for mentors, and further support in supporting pupils with SEND. The training for new mentors will be condensed down to one year with greater flexibility in how mentor training is delivered and all mentors will be equipped with materials to use in their sessions with their ECTs.

You may want to share the report and its findings with your networks and social channels. If you or your communications lead would like further information or support with this, please contact Haley.Pearson@education.gov.uk