Supporting a Large ECT Cohort: Reflections from an Induction Tutor

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This year, we are delighted to be supporting ten Early Career Teachers (ECTs) at The Sandon School, with five in Year 1 and five in Year 2 of their induction. They teach a wide range of subjects, including Science, Maths, Technology, Art, Law, PE and History, which means every ECT's journey is unique.

My priority is always to ensure that the programme supports colleagues without becoming overwhelming. ECTs are balancing teaching, planning, independent study and mentor meetings, so it takes a team of colleagues to make that work effectively. With a large cohort, tools such as PRISM and ECT Manager help me maintain a clear picture of everyone's progress and ensure key milestones are met.

With ten ECTs across so many departments, support has to be targeted. Termly and half-termly reports and tracker updates also need carefully protected time alongside my other roles, and some of our ECTs work part-time, which can make arranging meetings difficult. To overcome this, I make a point of visiting departments regularly for informal conversations. These often give me a better understanding of how someone is progressing than a formal meeting alone.

Relationships and communication are at the heart of effective induction. I meet regularly with ECTs and their mentors to gain a rounded picture of everyone’s experience, and where face-to-face meetings are not possible, questionnaires provide another way to check in on progress and wellbeing. Having worked at Sandon for many years, I have built strong relationships with our mentors, who feel confident raising concerns early so that support can be put in place quickly when needed.

Maintaining quality and consistency across a large cohort requires good organisation. I use the half-termly checklists on ECT Manager to structure my work throughout the year, and shared documents allow mentors and me to contribute evidence and updates as we go. This means that by the time reporting deadlines arrive, much of the information is already in place, making the process more manageable and helping ensure reports remain personalised and meaningful. I would recommend that induction tutors plan as far ahead as you can. Map your observations onto the school calendar early, and invite mentors to join them, especially outside your own subject.

The wider school community also plays an important role. ECTs are often eager to please and can take on more than they can manage, so I sometimes act as an intermediary. I sit down with mentors or heads of department to agree priorities, so everyone understands the ECT's full workload. I also draw on colleagues to run in-house sessions on adaptive teaching and behaviour management, and to open their classrooms for observation. I want ECTs to see as much practice as possible so they can decide what kind of teacher they want to be.

As someone relatively new to the Induction Tutor role, the support provided by Saffron Appropriate Body has been invaluable. Early visits helped me understand the requirements of the role, and knowing Saffron is only an email or phone call away is very reassuring. They keep me informed about training and step in when needed. Recently, a cover crisis meant our ECTs couldn't attend their first major training session. Saffron kindly came into school on an INSET day to deliver a face-to-face catch-up, which was hugely appreciated.

As numbers grow, so does the demand on mentors' time and on the tutor's capacity for observations and reports. For this reason it is vital to protect timetabled mentor and release time, sharing the load through well-trained mentors, and keeping systems simple. Wellbeing needs watching too, for ECTs and for those supporting them. My one piece of advice to other Induction Tutors is to make ECT check-ins a regular part of your week. Little and often is far more effective than trying to tackle everything at once.