Guidance

Backfill payments for time off timetable for early career framework (ECF) mentor training (national roll-out) conditions of grant for academic years 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023

Updated 28 March 2024

Applies to England

1. Introduction

Schools using one of the Department for Education (DfE)-funded training providers to deliver early career framework (ECF) mentor training will receive backfill payments to cover 36 hours of mentor time off timetable for training per mentor, over 2 years. Year 1 and year 2 refer respectively to the first year and second year of induction for a mentor.

This funding will be made in arrears over 2 payments. The first payment will be made in the summer of year 1, following the start of ECF mentor training, covering 18 hours of mentor time off timetable for training. The second payment for the remaining 18 hours of mentor time off timetable will be made in the summer of year 2 where there has been sustained engagement with the mentor training.

2. Proportionate funding

Funding for eligible mentors working part-time, or for those who commence DfE funded mentor training slightly later in the academic year, for example January, will be paid in full over 2 payments during the summer of year 1 and the summer of year 2. Funding may be used to support these eligible mentors beyond the 2 academic years. It is for the school to decide how this funding is managed.

Funding for eligible mentors who start their training late in the academic year and are not registered and validated on DfE’s manage training for early career teachers service by 31 May, will receive their payment the following summer.

3. Eligibility

All state-funded schools and establishments where induction can be served and have a mentor signed up and completing DfE funded provider-led ECF based mentor training will be eligible for the funding.

4. Lead providers

You can view the list of national roll-out ECF lead providers.

5. How DfE checks the eligibility of mentors

If a school uses a DfE funded training provider to deliver ECF based mentor training, we have to make sure that all mentors taking part are eligible for funding. We do this by checking mentors’ details in the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) records.

When school induction tutors register mentors with DfE using DfE’s manage training for early career teachers service we:

• send each mentor an email (so it’s important the addresses provided are for active email accounts)
• ask them to sign into our service and tell us their teacher reference number (TRN) or National Insurance number, name and date of birth

We check that the mentor:

• does not have any prohibitions, sanctions or restrictions on their record
• has not previously received funding for ECF based mentor training

The school induction tutor can sign in to the manage training for early career teachers service to see the status of these eligibility checks.

6. Funding

Eligible schools and establishments will receive 2 payments to enable mentors to have time-off timetable to complete the 36 hours ECF based mentor training. This will be paid over 2 payments in arrears for the majority of mentors who are supporting early career teachers (ECTs) with standard 2-year ECF based induction.

The first payment will be in the summer of year 1. This payment will be based on evidence lead providers share with DfE that the mentor has commenced training. It will fund 18 hours of mentor time off timetable for training.

The second payment for the remaining 18 hours of mentor time off-timetable (36 hours in total) for mentor training will be made in the summer of year 2. This payment will be based on evidence that lead providers share with DfE that there has been sustained engagement with the mentor training.

For mentors who are supporting ECTs following a non-standard ECF based induction, payments will be made over 2 years as above. The payments will be a combination of arrears and advance payment to have time off timetable.

DfE makes backfill payments directly to schools and establishments or to local authorities to pay maintained schools.

The funding amount is calculated using the average hourly rate for mentors and will differ by region:

Mentor time off timetable for training	England (excluding the London area)	Inner London area	Outer London area	Fringe area
Payment 1- 18 hours (1 year of training)	£856.93	£1,048.80	£944.42	£882.53
Payment 2- 18 hours (1 year of training)	£856.93	£1,048.80	£944.42	£882.53
Total (36 hours)	£1,713.86	£2,097.60	£1,888.84	£1,765.05

We collect data on mentors through DfE’s manage training for early career teachers service to minimise the administrative burden on schools.

7. Payments

The two payments will be made in arrears in the summer of year 1, and the summer of year 2. These payments are based on evidence that lead providers share with DfE and eligible mentors recorded through DfE’s manage training for early career teachers service, therefore it’s essential that your school submits accurate and up to date information about ECTs to the service to ensure payments are received.

Schools can find more information about how to submit and update mentor information.

Schools do not need to do anything else to receive this payment. Schools and local authorities will receive this funding as part of their normal payments from Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). For local authority maintained schools the funding must be made available by the local authority to the school irrespective of the existence of any deficit relating to the expenditure of the school’s budget share. The funding is not part of schools’ budget shares and is not part of the individual school’s budget. It is not to be counted for the purpose of calculating the minimum funding guarantee.

If you think that your school should have received this payment and has not, email continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk to let us know.

8. Variation

These conditions of grant may be altered at any time. Participating schools and establishments will be notified of this through existing channels.

9. Recovery of funding

This funding is being provided under sections 14 to 16 of the Education Act 2002 and we reserve the right to audit the expenditure.

We may seek to recover funding that has been paid in error or has not been used for the intended purpose.

Recoveries will be made by invoice or by offsetting the amount against subsequent payments due from DfE.

The recipient must notify DfE immediately through the ESFA enquiry form if it becomes aware of any instance of error, suspected fraud or financial irregularity in the use of the funds.

10. Assurance

We have a responsibility to make sure that public funds are properly managed in line with these grant conditions. As payment will be made in arrears, we reserve the right to ask schools to confirm that the money has been or will be spent in the way intended. Acceptance of the funding will be taken as confirmation.

Schools should keep some record of this expenditure such as a receipt for classroom cover, or a timetable for the mentor(s) involved, but we will not mandate what form this record should take, and trust school leaders to use their judgement.

We reserve the right to conduct light-touch, proportionate assurance such as spot checks with individual schools, asking for sight of such records.