Improve pupil outcomes and staff retention by developing highly skilled, motivated teachers
Early career teachers are entitled to two years of training as part of the statutory Early Career Framework (ECF) to ensure they’re supported at this critical time of transition, growth and development.
To help you develop high quality, highly skilled and motivated teachers, our ECF-based training programme – developed with our lead academic partner, the University of Birmingham – equips them to walk into the classroom confidently with the practical skills and insight to enhance teaching and learning.
Focusing on the five key areas of behaviour management, pedagogy, curriculum, assessment, and professional behaviours, we provide early career teachers with the tools they need to thrive and make the most difference in the classroom, encouraging a culture of commitment to their own professional development and refinement of their practices.
It’s fully funded, so there are no costs, unfunded time or resources required from your school. We provide specialist cohorts for special schools and alternative provision settings.
59
hours with mentor
➥ Mentor support provided is 39 hours in the first year, 20 hours in year two
34
hours training
➥ Expert facilitators provide 19 hours of training in the first year, 15 hours in year two
40
minutes study a week
➥ Self-guided study is 40 minutes a week in the first year, 15 minutes a week in year two
01
Two years of new, funded, high-quality training with a dedicated mentor
02
Funding to cover mentors’ time with the early career teacher in their second year
03
Access to free learning and development materials
04
Funding for 5% time away from the classroom for teachers in their second year
See below for a brief summary of our provision, and take a look at the overview of years one and two of our training programme
High quality course content
Training content is developed by our lead academic partner, the University of Birmingham’s School of Education and reflects ongoing feedback to keep the programme relevant and up to date.
Specialist programme lead
Our specialised ECF-based training team includes a senior leader programme champion who leads on design and delivery, working closely with specialist curriculum developers.
Engaging learning channels
A practical, engaging mix of online and face-to-face learning includes training for mentors and funded time out of the classroom so teachers and mentors can learn quickly and effectively.
Peer-to-peer support
Peer-to-peer support provides opportunities for participants to network and learn from other early career teachers, often working within the same school phase.
Skilled training facilitators
A countrywide network of experienced partners who deliver the training with skilled facilitators, bringing the learning to life and supporting participants throughout.
Built-in flexibility
We enable part-time and in-year starting early career teachers to engage with our learning in a way that is fully inclusive and reflects their different working patterns.
The role of the mentor in our ECF programme
“As a mentor, it has made me reflect on my own teaching and also be very specific when supporting my early career teacher.”
Mentors play a central and critical role throughout the induction. We’re on hand to help them, providing a fully resourced and supportive training experience so mentors are equipped with the skills and confidence to work with all teachers. They’ll become highly skilled coaches regardless of teacher stage and an asset for ongoing teacher development and learning throughout your school.
Applying instructional coaching, we establish a clear model of what good looks like and focus on small areas for improvement, practising the strategy in an environment as similar to a real classroom as possible. The weekly mentoring sessions in year one, and fortnightly mentoring sessions in year two, provide observation and coaching for early career teachers, giving them the opportunity to discuss a topic at length to enhance their understanding of a concept within the school context.
Supports teacher workload
Our flexible programme is designed to support teacher workload with taught and self-study sessions which require no pre-reading or additional follow up.
Self-study can be accelerated or managed to suit work commitments and responsibilities, while further reference sources and materials are available for participants who choose to extend their learning beyond that required for the ECF.
A unique curriculum
We provide expert, contextualised training and resources for all early career teachers and mentors.
Our curriculum is designed in consultation with practitioners and senior leaders in schools to ensure content is balanced and relevant, guaranteeing excellent teaching and learning outcomes. It includes facilitated live events, self-study learning and weekly in-school mentor coaching.
Academic excellence
Our ECF-based training lead academic partner is the University of Birmingham School of Education, who have led the content creation and delivery of our curriculum.
The Birmingham School of Education is renowned for its high-quality research and industry collaborations, which continue to increase the wellbeing of teachers and pupils throughout the UK.
National footprint of delivery partners
Our network of regionally-based delivery partners are all highly-regarded and academically experienced higher education institutes with excellent track records in the delivery of initial teacher training through to advanced professional qualifications.
This network forms a seamless transition for early career teachers, strongly influencing our curriculum’s content and design and ensuring the provision of context-specific case studies.
Special schools & alternative provision
We offer a national ECF-based training programme for special schools and alternative provision settings delivered by bespoke facilitators with specialist expertise.
We bring together early career teachers and mentors in a national remote delivery model across the country, ensuring the programme is personalised and develops teacher skills and strategies to benefit pupils’ individual needs.
Technology-enhanced, people supported
Hosted and supported through our learning experience platform, the programme provides early career teachers, their mentors and school induction leads with central, easy-to-navigate resources to support progress throughout.
We ensure that participants feel motivated, empowered and equipped to fully engage in their learning. Responsive, timely and effective specialist support is also available via our dedicated mailbox.
