Early Career Framework

• Fully-funded programme by the DFE for state-funded schools and attracts additional funding for 36 hours off timetable for mentors

• Training and support for ECTs and their mentors delivered by University of Warwick (UoW) staff 
• Programme based on the Ambition Institute framework and self-study materials 
• Annual conferences on the Science of Learning and Wellbeing & Implementing Change 
• UoW tutor-led half-termly sessions for ECTs  
• UoW tutor-led half-termly mentor learning sets and ‘boost events’ for mentors 

• We see our delivery of the ECF as a continuation of the training and development we offer teachers through our existing PGCE and Masters programmes 
• Our staff embody the Warwick Teacher Characteristics of Social Justice, Intellectual curiosity and Creativity
• Our staff are experienced in delivering blended programmes 

Thank you for choosing us! To formalise this, there are two key steps you need to take: 

1.  Register your school via the Capita online formLink opens in a new window. In order to complete this form, you will need to:  

• Provide your school’s name and URN  

• Provide your ECF Induction Coordinator’s name and email address  
• Select ‘University of Warwick’ as your Local Delivery Partner  
• Estimate the number of ECTs you will have to induct in 2022/23  

2.  Your Nominated Induction Tutor will need to use the DFE's portal to register your decisionLink opens in a new window to use an approved training provider to deliver the ‘Full Induction Programme’ to your Early Career Teachers and their mentors.  

Alongside Capita we will then be able to confirm the delivery partner relationship with your school and the DfE through data sharing.

We’re happy to discuss your school’s needs and answer any questions you have for us. Please contact partnership at warwick dot ac dot uk in the first instance. 

What is different about induction for Early Career Teachers from September 2021? 

What are my choices as an employer of an Early Career Teacher?

As of September 2021, schools* employing an ECT are required by law to deliver a two-year induction programme Schools must choose one of the following three options: 

1. Choose a provider-led programme fully funded by the DFE - Schools can choose from 6 providers accredited by the DfE who will design and deliver a programme of face-to-face and online training to ECTs and their mentors. {CTE are offering this option as part of the Capita consortium}
2. Deliver their own training using DfE accredited materials and resources - DfE accredited materials are available for free. This includes ready to use materials and resources for new teachers and mentors, to deliver their own ECT and mentor support.
3. Design and deliver their own two-year induction programme for ECTs based on the ECF. 

Regardless which of the above options a school chooses, they: 

1. remain eligible for funding related to ‘time off timetable’ for ECTs and mentors: 

• • 5% off timetable in year 2 for all ECTs for induction and training activities (incl time with mentor) 
  • 20 hours off timetable for year 2 for mentors to mentor ECTs  

2. will be required to register their ECT(s) with an ‘Appropriate body’ for induction

Our ECT and Mentor course outlines

A detailed overview of our programme for both Early Career Teachers and Mentors can be found here <link PDF showing table of course across years and terms> 

ECF and Full Induction Programme Info Booklet for schools

A booklet from Capita and the University of Birmingham explaining the Full Induction Programme Offering can be found here <link PDF info book> 

Where will face to face sessions on our programme take place?

We plan to host ‘in person’ sessions on the University of Warwick campus but would look to negotiate an alternative option subject to final numbers recruited and the locations of employing schools. 

What are the financial benefits of choosing to do a Provider-led programme with CTE, University of Warwick?

We know that our partner schools may have many considerations to take into account when deciding what works best for their early career teachers, mentors and school priorities. When just considering the finances and resourcing involved in delivering the three respective options, a provider-led programme is most likely the simplest and most cost-effective solution.  

State-funded schools that sign-up to a Provider-led programme will have this training fully funded for them and the payments and transfers for this are managed directly between the DFE and the provider delivering the training. Schools only need to confirm the details of their provider (and their participants) with DFE and we’ll manage the rest in relation to our own fees for delivering. 

As mentioned above, schools are eligible for the funding for ‘time off timetable’ for ECTs and their mentors regardless of which of the three options they choose. However, schools that choose a provider-led programme (like ours) will receive fully-funded mentor training and additional funding from the DFE for mentor backfill for 36 hours of time off timetable to undertake mentor training and development across the two years. 

A useful overview of funding available for state-funded schools is given on the DFE website: Early career framework reforms: overview - GOV.UK

Depending on your Appropriate Body’s pricing scheme, there may also be a cost saving for your school in that if you use a Provider-led programme, you will not ned to ask your Appropriate Body to undertake the additional checks to confirm your induction programme is appropriately aligned with the ECF (see Appropriate Body item below).  

Please note that we are able to offer the full induction programme for any independent schools that are interested in self-funding the full induction programme for their Early Career Teachers and Mentors, just get in touch and we’ll let you know more. 

Appropriate Bodies and Fidelity Checks

Under the ECF, ‘Appropriate Bodies’ will ensure that new teachers receive their statutory entitlements and are fairly and consistently assessed. Regulations allow for appropriate bodies to charge schools for their services, though this must not exceed the cost of supplying the service. 

If a school chooses to deliver their own training (as per option 2 or 3 above), their Appropriate Body will also have a role in checking the ECTs are receiving a programme of support and training based on the ECF.  

Fidelity checks for the provider-led programmes are managed by the provider (in our case, Capita) and schools using this programme do not need to engage their own appropriate body to confirm the alignment of the training with the ECF. 

More information on Appropriate Bodies can be found in the .GOV guidance

In Q&A published by the DFE folllowing a webinar on 17th June, the following was also published to clarify OFSTED’s role as an Appropriate Body for Provider-led programmes: 

Q: Will OFSTED be inspecting a sample of schools? 

A: OFSTED will not be inspecting sample schools, instead, lead providers will be subject to a quality assurance mechanism through Ofsted inspection to ensure the best support for schools and teachers. To inform their assessment of the lead providers, Ofsted will visit a sample of delivery partners and will engage others involved in receiving and delivering their programmes including teachers and mentors. Delivery partners, including schools, will not be judged individually as part of these inspections or directly named in reports. 

For schools not undertaking the full induction programme, the school’s appropriate body will have a role in ensuring the school provides its ECTs with an alternative programme of training and support that is fully based on the ECF. For all Early Career Teachers, whether they are on FIP or alternative programmes, Appropriate Bodies will continue to check that they are receiving their statutory entitlements. As now, the appropriate body will continue to make the final decisions as to whether ECTs have met the Teachers’ Standards based on the headteacher’s recommendation.  

What do schools need to do about the ECF before September?

Unless a school is opting to design its own ECF-based programmes, the school will need to get set up on the DFE online service ahead of the early career teachers beginning their inductions. For most early career teachers, this will be September.   

All maintained schools and academies will be required to nominate an induction tutor and confirm this detail to the DfE (an initial hyperlink to do this was sent by email from the DFE earlier this year).  Schools will then be able to add details of their ECTs and mentors before the summer holidays, or later where recruitment requires.  

If you would like to opt to work with a training provider (such as ourselves and Capita), you must confirm this to us as the provider and we will then return details regarding your intention to do so to the DfE.  See further details below. 

*for more detail about to which schools the ECF and related requirements and funding applies, please consult the Statutory Induction Guidance.