Early Career Teacher Entitlement
The early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) is a 2-year program of training and support for early career teachers (ECTs) starting their teacher career.
The ECTE includes:
- a training programme for ECTs
- mentor support for ECTs
- a training programme for new mentors (if the school uses a DfE funded lead provider)
- time off timetable for ECTs and mentors
- regular progress reviews and 2 formal assessments for ECTs against the teachers’ standards (statutory induction)
Department for Education's Early Career Teacher Entitlement guidance
The term ‘early career teacher entitlement’ replaces ‘ECF-based training and induction’ from September 2025.
Early career training programme (ECTP)
From September 2025, the Early Career Framework (ECF) will be superseded by the updated Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) and schools are expected to deliver a programme of training and support based on the ITTECF.
Department for Education's Initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF)
Schools have two delivery approaches to choose from:
- delivered by an approved training provider (we call this ‘provider-led’)
- developed and delivered by your own school (we call this ‘school-led’)
Inspiration Teaching School Hub deliver a provider-led programme. This means that we handle the delivery of ITTECF-based training to your ECTs and their mentors using DfE accredited learning materials. For eligible schools, our ECT programme is fully funded by the DfE.
The training programme will help ECTs to:
- set high expectations
- promote good progress
- show good subject and curriculum knowledge
- plan and teach well-structured lessons
- adapt their teaching to support the needs of all pupils
- make accurate and productive use of assessment
- manage behaviour
- fulfil wider professional responsibilities
Register for Inspiration TSH early career training programme here!
The training programme is separate from statutory induction.
ECTs’ assessments are only made against the teachers’ standards. They must not be assessed against the knowledge, skills and working habits described in the ITTECF.
ECTs can use documentation from their training programme to help prove they’ve met the teachers’ standards. They cannot fail any part of the training programme.
Statutory Induction
Statutory induction is the bridge between initial teacher training and a career in teaching. It combines a structured programme of development, support and professional dialogue, underpinned by the ITTECF, with monitoring and an assessment of performance against the teachers’ standards.
Department for Education's ECT Statutory Induction Guidance
Independent quality assurance of statutory induction, through the role of the appropriate body, is important both for ensuring that schools provide adequate support for their ECTs, and that their assessment is fair and consistent across all institutions.
An ECT cannot start their induction until their appropriate body has been agreed. In the absence of another body acting as appropriate body for a school, the teaching school hub for the area in which the school is situated should be asked to be the appropriate body for that school.
Register for Inspiration TSH Appropriate Body services here!