The induction period is the bridge between initial teacher training and a career in teaching. It is equivalent to the first two years of an ECTs career. This induction period is overseen by an Appropriate Body, who makes sure the ECT is receiving all their statutory entitlements and also decides if the ECT has satisfactorily met the Teachers’ Standards, based on the headteachers recommendation.

All assessment documents will be completing using ECT Manager.

Year 1: Autumn – progress review, Spring – progress review, Summer – formal assessment

Year 2: Autumn – progress review, Spring – progress review, Summer – formal assessment

There are different expectations for the different types of assessment:

Progress reviews

These are a check-in point during the ECT’s induction year. We would expect to see specific, evidence-based examples for a minimum of three of the Teachers’ Standards discussed, along with areas for development and an ECT comment.

End of Year assessment

These are statutory assessments to summarise an ECTs induction journey. We would expect to see specific, evidence-based examples of how the ECT is/is not meeting the Teachers’ Standards, along with areas for development and an ECT comment.

Interim assessment

This is completed if an ECT is leaving the school, and is much like an end of year assessment. This is the only type of report that can be completed in an ECT’s absence.

Areas for development

These should be 2-3 specific points of action that will move on the ECT’s teaching practice, linked to the Teachers’ Standards

ECT comments

This is the opportunity for the ECT to discuss how their teaching practice has developed and what they are looking to work on in the next assessment period.

Usually reports are rejected when more information is required by the AB. For example:

-Teachers’ Standards have been paraphrased without concrete examples of ECT practice

-Not enough examples have been cited

-Evidence used for judgements is unclear

-Areas for development will not move ECT practice on

Sometimes reports are rejected if they have multiple spelling and grammar mistakes.

A rejected assessment does not mean that an ECT has failed. When re-submitting a rejected assessment, new digital signatures will be required.

The term ‘early career teacher entitlement (ECTE)’ replaces ‘ECF-based training and induction’ from September 2025.

Early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) is a 2-year programme that supports early career teachers (ECTs) when they start their teaching career. It’s designed to: 

• develop their professional skills 
• provide them with the knowledge and skills to meet the  teachers’ standards 

 It includes: 

• a training programme for ECTs (ECTP)
• mentor support for ECTs 
• a training programme for new mentors (if the school uses a Department for Education (DfE) funded lead provider) 
• time off timetable for ECTs and mentors 
• regular progress reviews and 2 formal assessments for ECTs against the teachers’ standards 

A two year induction period with access to the Early Career Teacher Entitlement is available to ECTs who have been awarded QTS and start their induction period after 1st September 2021.

The roles and responsibilities of all key stakeholders can be found in Section 5 of the statutory guidance.

The full statutory guidance can be found here.

Guidance on the suitability of the ECTs post can be found in Section 2.18 of the statutory guidance.

All ECTs are entitled to PPA time in addition to ECF timetable reductions.

Year 1

In the first year (terms 1-3) of induction an ECT must not teach more than 90% of the timetable of the school’s existing teachers on the main pay range.

Year 2

In the second year (terms 4-6) of induction must not teach more than 95% of the timetable of the school’s existing teachers on the main pay range.

This time off timetable should be used to specifically enable ECTs to undertake activities in their induction programme.

ECTs should not be subject to the school’s performance management process as the statutory induction process has been deemed the ‘appropriate mechanism’ for reviewing the ECTs progress.

ECTs are not negatively affected by the induction period, or its extension from one to two years. A school may award pay progression to ECTs at the end of the first year.

The induction period is automatically extended prior to completion when an ECT’s absences per year of induction (or equivalent for part-time teachers) total 30 days
or more (with the exception of statutory maternity leave, statutory paternity leave, shared parental leave, statutory adoption leave, or parental bereavement leave).

The induction period must be extended by the aggregate total of days absent, as recorded by the head/principal. If the ECT is unable to serve the extension in the same school/institution, the minimum period of employment of one term or equivalent must be served in a new school/institution.

ECTs who take statutory maternity leave, statutory paternity leave, statutory adoption leave, shared parental leave, or parental bereavement leave while serving their induction period or an extension to their induction period may decide whether their induction should be extended (or further extended) to reflect the number of days absent for this purpose.

Any outstanding assessments should not be made until the ECT returns to work and has had the opportunity to decide whether to extend (or further extend) induction, and any such request must be granted. If an ECT chooses not to extend (or further extend) the induction period, their performance will still be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards. It is, therefore, recommended that an individual in this situation seeks advice before making such a decision.

An ECT completes their induction period when they have served the full-time equivalent of two standard school years. In some cases an ECT can complete a reduced period of induction for part time teachers covering but not equivalent to two years (as agreed with the appropriate body).

Even though some teachers already have significant teaching experience when they enter the maintained sector for the first time, they are still required to serve statutory induction. In such cases, appropriate bodies have discretion to reduce the length of the induction period to a minimum of one term (based on a school year of three terms) to recognise this experience. In making such a decision they should take account of advice from the headteacher/principal and must gain the agreement of the teacher concerned. If a teacher wishes to serve the full induction period they must be permitted to do so. Reductions should only be considered where an ECT has extensive prior experience of teaching whole-classes to the Teachers’ Standards.

Short-term supply placements of less than one term, or equivalent, cannot count towards induction, as such posts will not provide an ECT with the breadth of experience, support, and assessment necessary to enable them to demonstrate that their performance against the Teachers’ Standards is satisfactory.

A qualified teacher who gained QTS on or after 1 September 2007 and who has not completed an induction period, can undertake short-term supply work of less than one term in a relevant school for a maximum period of 5 years from the point of award of QTS. This is a fixed time limit with no discretion to extend.

It is not possible to backdate the start of an induction period if a short-term supply contract is extended so that it lasts for one term or longer. However, an induction programme must be put in place immediately if it becomes clear that the extended contract will continue for at least a term.

An ECT can work part-time as a short-term supply teacher, while concurrently serving induction in another part-time post after the five-year limit has expired. However, the short-term supply post will not count towards induction.

Long-term supply teaching (continuous employment equivalent to more than one term) can count towards induction, but it is important that the ECT is in post long enough to be able to receive sufficient monitoring and feedback and prepare for a fair and reasonable assessment of their performance.

Any ECT not on track to meet the Teacher’s Standards should be placed on a support plan, and Tudor Grange AB should be notified. During a support period, ECTs should have access to a range of support from their mentor and induction tutor during their induction. High quality support measures can include (but are not restricted to):

• Focused observations of other teachers – with an expert colleague
• Collaborative planning, with modelling of expert thinking processes
• Modelling how to give effective feedback, followed by joint reflection between ECT and Mentor
• Co-constructing seating plans
• Additional mentoring
• Instructional coaching to address areas of concern
• Support with planning/marking
• Taking advanced ubmission of an ECT’s planning to provide additional guidance
• Team-teaching, so the experienced teacher can model effective strategies and provide support in the moment
• Observations of carefully selected colleagues to observe good practice/strategies
• Drop ins by the mentor/Induction Tutor to provide constructive feedback (both verbal and written)
• Temporary increase in additional observations to acknowledge progress and identify where further support is required
• Subject specific support from a Subject Lead/Phase Lead
• Maintaining a clear focus on managing and supporting the ECT’s workload

Inappropriate support strategies include:

• Frequent lesson observations with no feedback
• Frequent lesson observations with huge lists of feedback
• Long lists of tasks to complete
• Targets for every area of the Teachers’ Standards
• Targets not linked to the Teachers’ Standards
• Focusing on weaknesses without celebrating progress
• Vague feedback/targets without modelling or strategies to improve
• Not considering or checking on wellbeing/workload

The ECT should be kept up to date on their progress and should not find anything unexpected during the assessment points. If an ECT is not on track to meet the Teacher’s Standards, this should be indicated on the Progress Review or Formal Assessment and shared with the appropriate body, along with details of the support package that will be put in place for that ECT. It is expected that schools maintain regular contact with the appropriate body throughout induction, keeping them apprised of the ECT’s progress.

In the event an ECT fails to satisfactorily meet the Teachers’ Standards, the appropriate body will either grant an extension of the induction period or state that the ECT has failed to meet the standards.

Failure to complete the induction period satisfactorily means that the ECT is no longer eligible to be employed as a teacher and must be dismissed within ten working days, unless they wish to appeal the decision. ECTs the right to appeal the decision with the Teaching Regulation Agency within 20 working days of being informed by the appropriate body.

Yes. If your HR advice is to initiate capability proceedings, this can run alongside the ECTs induction. If you put an ECT on capability measures, please ensure Tudor Grange AB is informed.

Tudor Grange AB is unable to offer advice or comment on HR matters.