Early Career Programme
The Early Career Programme is an ECF-based training programme structured to develop ECTs' professional practice through online learning, virtual and face-to-face training sessions and the support of a fully trained mentor throughout their first two years of teaching.
Mentors also have a two-year programme to develop their practice. From September 2025, this will change to a one-year programme for any new mentors.
Saffron Teaching School Hub works in partnership with Teach First to deliver the Early Career Programme.
From September 2025, the Early Career Programme will be called the ECTE training programme. Details of our ECTE training programme from September 2025 can be found here.
What is the Early Career Framework (ECF)?
The Early Career Framework (ECF) sets out what ECTs are entitled to learn about and what they should learn how to do when they start their careers, focusing on the key areas of: behaviour management; pedagogy; classroom practice; subject knowledge; assessment and questioning; and professional development.
It underpins ECTs' statutory entitlement to receive two years of high-quality training and in-school mentor support.
This entitlement includes:
- Two years of funded, high-quality training available either as a Full Induction Programme (FIP), Core Induction Programme (CIP) or School-based Induction Programme.
- Funding for 5% time away from the classroom for teachers in their second year.
- A dedicated mentor, with support for these mentors including access to high-quality training.
- Funding to cover mentors' time with the mentee in the second year of teaching.
- The ECF is not an assessment tool, as ECTs continue to be assessed separately against the Teachers' Standards overseen by Appropriate Bodies.
Further information about statutory induction can be found here.
Changes from September 2025
From September 2025, the ECF will be replaced by the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF).
Read about the changes here: The new ITTECF - what has changed?
Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) - changes from September 2025
From September 2025, the Government is introducing the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE). This remains a 2-year programme that supports Early Career Teachers when they start their teaching career.
The updated programme ensures that there is an increased focus on areas such as SEND, oracy, adaptive teaching and literacy, with more exemplification included for different phases, settings and subjects. In addition, mentors will have access to diagnostic tools to tailor content for their ECTs.
Alongside the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which replaces the Early Career Framework (ECF) from September 2025, this will ensure that the offer to new teachers remains supportive and of a high standard to ensure they are able to meet the Teachers’ Standards.
Any documentation relating to ECT induction for September 2025 onwards will use the new terminology.
The DfE update on the changes can be found here: ECTE Changes 2025
Early Career Programme funding
The Saffron Early Career Programme is funded by the DfE for state-funded schools.
Schools will be funded for:
- Time off-timetable for ECTs and mentors in their second year
- Training delivered directly to ECTs and mentors
- Additional funding to backfill mentor time (up to 36 hours)
For full details of Early Career Programme funding, see the DfE links below:
Registering ECTs for September 2025
Registration for ECTs starting in September 2025 will soon be open on the DfE Manage Training for Early Career Teachers portal. DfE will contact schools about ECT registration by the end of w/c 30 June.
As well as registering with the DfE, schools must also register their ECTs with an Appropriate Body and for an Early Career Training Programme.
Guidance on how to register ECTs
- Registering ECTs on the DfE portal: DfE ECTE Registration AY 2025-26
- To register ECTs with Saffron Appropriate Body and on Saffron Teaching School Hub’s Early Career Training Programme, follow the steps listed below or see this step-by-step guide: Registering ECTs - Saffron Teaching School Hub
Step 1: Register ECTs and Mentors on DfE Manage Training for Early Career TeachersThe first step in registering for the Saffron Early Career Training Programme is done via the DfE Manage Training for Early Career Teachers portal. If schools have previously had ECTs, the nominated Induction Tutor will have an existing link to the DfE portal. All emails from the DfE about this portal go to the school's nominated Induction Tutor. Please check that your nominated Induction Tutor is always up-to-date on the DfE portal. As part of the DfE portal registration process, you will be asked to choose a Lead Provider and a Delivery Partner for your Early Career Programme. To register for the Saffron Early Career Programme:
You can find guidance on how to register ECTs on the DfE portal here: DfE ECTE Registration AY2025-26 You must also complete the Saffron Early Career Programme registration form - see Step 2. |
Step 2: Complete the Saffron Early Career Programme registration formTo register for the Saffron Early Career Programme, please complete the form below: You do not need to register with Teach First Directly. |
Step 3: Register your ECTs with an Appropriate BodyAll ECTs must be registered with an Appropriate Body before they can start induction. As part of the registration process on the DfE Manage Training for Early Career Teachers portal, you will be asked to say which Appropriate Body you are using for statutory induction. Please note: indicating which Appropriate Body you are using on the DfE Online Service does not constitute registration with an Appropriate Body. You need to register with an Appropriate Body separately. To register your ECTs with Saffron Appropriate Body, click here. |
Contact us
If you have any questions about the Saffron Early Career Programme, contact our EC Programme Lead Paula Downes at pauladownes@saffron.academy or 01799 513030 ext. 1248.
Early Career Programme news
A Year of Growth, Reflection & Connection: Highlights from the Saffron Early Career Programme 2024–25
As the 2024–25 academic year draws to a close, Saffron Teaching School Hub's Early Career Programme community has much to celebrate. Through training sessions, mentoring conversations, and reflective practice, ECTs and their mentors have shared a journey filled with insight, inspiration, and professional growth.
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ECT Induction and the Early Career Teacher Entitlement
ECT Induction is a statutory two-year support and training programme for newly qualified teachers in England. It ensures early career teachers (ECTs) receive structured development, mentoring, and assessment during their first two years in the profession.
From September 2025, the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE)…
Saffron Early Career Programme - Summer Term conferences
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It has been a fantastic start to the summer term for our Early Career Programme, with a range of ECT and mentor conferences taking place in April and May across the Hub region.
There were high levels of engagement throughout as we built on the prior knowledge of our delegates, with the ECT conferences focusing on ad…