Early Career Programme
Registering ECTs on the Saffron Teaching School Hub Early Career Programme
** DfE Registration for September 2023 ECTs and Mentors opens from Monday 3rd July **
The Early Career Framework has been introduced by the DfE to provide support and guidance to Early Career Teachers (ECTs) throughout their first two years of teaching. The framework is structured to further develop ECTs' professional practice through online learning, virtual training and the support of a fully trained mentor.
Saffron Teaching School Hub is working in partnership with Education Development Trust to deliver the Early Career Framework programme. This DfE-funded programme is open to all schools in Braintree, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford with ECTs.
How do I register my ECTs and mentors for the Saffron TS Hub Early Career Programme?
Registration for the Saffron TS Hub Early Career Programme is done via the DfE Online Service 'Manage Training for Early Career Teachers'.
Registration on the DfE Online Service for September 2023 ECTs and Mentors opens in the week commencing Monday 3rd July. The DfE will email schools in batches.
If schools have previously had ECTs, they will have an existing link to the DfE Online Service. If not, use this link: https://manage-training-for-early-career-teachers.education.gov.uk/
All emails from the DfE about the Online Service go to the school's nominated Induction Tutor. Please check that your nominated Induction Tutor is up-to-date on the DfE Online Service as soon as possible.
Induction Tutors will be able to register ECTs on the DfE Online Service from 3rd July. Please refrain from doing this before then. Induction Tutors should wait for email confirmation from the DfE before signing into the service.
Who do I choose for my Lead Provider and Delivery Partner?
As part of the DfE Registration process, you will be invited to choose a Lead Provider and Delivery Partner for your Early Career Programme. To register for the Saffron TS Hub programme, choose 'Education Development Trust' as the Lead Provider and 'Saffron Teaching School Hub' as the Delivery Partner.
Do I need to register separately with the Lead Provider?
If you are not currently using Education Development Trust (EDT) as your Lead Provider, you should register your interest with EDT on their website so that they can start to create a record for your school. Register your interest with EDT here.
If you have previously used EDT as your Lead Provider, you can skip this step.
Do I need to register separately with an Appropriate Body?
As part of the DfE Registration process, you will be asked to say which Appropriate Body you are using for statutory induction. Please note: this does not constitute registration with an Appropriate Body - you need to register with an Appropriate Body separately. To register with the Saffron Appropriate Body service, click here.
Introduction to the Early Career Framework (ECF)
The 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 a new statutory entitlement to receive two years of high quality training and in-school mentor support.
This entitlement includes:
- Two years of new, 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 Teacher Standards overseen by Appropriate Bodies.
Further information about statutory induction can be found here: DfE Induction for early career teachers: statutory guidance
Saffron Teaching School Hub Early Career Programme
Saffron TS Hub provides the DfE Funded Induction Programme (FIP) to schools, in partnership with Education Development Trust (EDT). The Saffron TS Hub programme is for all ECTs in all schools, regardless of phase or type, primarily in the five Essex Local Authority Districts of Braintree, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford.
The Saffron TS Hub programme is delivered by a team of expert facilitators from across the whole Hub area to ensure we can tailor delivery to local context.
Read about the programme from the perspective of an ECT, a Mentor, an Induction Tutor and a Facilitator here.
Funding
The Saffron/EDT ECF programme is funded by the DfE so there are no costs to schools. This is known as the Funded Induction Programme (FIP).
In addition, 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 back fill mentor time up to 36 hours
Payment will be received at the end of the second year. Schools will receive:
- Per Early Career Teacher: £1,200 (£1,300 for Fringe areas)
- Per mentor: £900
Why Education Development Trust?
The Education Development Trust (EDT) ECF programme develops a constructive developmental relationship with ECTs, using the principles of instructional coaching that also harness teachers' own experience and expertise.
To date, instructional coaching has a stronger evidence base for its impact on pupil outcomes that any other form of CPD (Sims, 2019). Mentors are trained in the principles of instructional coaching to help ECTs identify not only what needs to improve, but precisely how. This structured cycle of identify - learn - improve underpins all mentor/ECT guidance in the EDT ECF programme.
However, the EDT ECF programme also offers flexibility to include dialogic and facilitative coaching, avoiding a dogmatic insistence on instructional coaching which alienates mentors, so that they don't feel frustrated and disempowered by the lack of room to use their professional judgement. The flexibility of the EDT ECF programme opens up space intellectually and practically for mentors to tailor their approach to the ECT, working with them on a daily and weekly basis. This combination of coaching practices provides a rich and flexible model for mentoring ECTs in the first year of teaching.
Key features of the Saffron/EDT ECF programme - for Early Career Teachers
The key features of the Saffron/EDT ECF programme for ECTs are:
- Face-to-face and webinar sessions, exploring effective classroom practice across settings, phases and specialisms
- Regional and local training sessions delivered in schools across Braintree, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford
- Regular mentoring sessions with a focus on learning, practising and improving
- Opportunities for reflection and discussion through local networks
The two-year schedule for ECTs is summarised below:
Key features of the Saffron/EDT ECF programme - for mentors
The key features of the Saffron/EDT ECF programme for mentors are:
- Specialist training and support to ensure confidence in their knowledge of the ECF
- Opportunities to learn new mentoring and coaching techniques to strengthen essential skills to use throughout their careers
- Access to the latest pedagogical research and evidence
The two-year schedule for mentors is summarised below:
Contact us
If you have any questions about the Saffron/EDT ECF programme, contact our ECF Lead Angela Cass at angelacass@saffron.academy or 07793 555315.
Early Career Programme Facilitator Recruitment
Are you interested in becoming a facilitator on our Early Career Programme? For further information and details of the application process, click on the link below: