Guidance

Early career teacher entitlement

Published 22 April 2025

Applies to England

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-career-teacher-entitlement/early-career-teacher-entitlement

Background

Early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) is a 2-year programme that supports early career teachers (ECTs) when they start their teaching career. It’s designed to: 

  • develop their professional skills 
  • provide them with the knowledge and skills to meet the  teachers’ standards 

 It includes: 

  • a training programme for ECTs 
  • mentor support for ECTs 
  • a training programme for new mentors (if the school uses a Department for Education (DfE) funded lead provider) 
  • time off timetable for ECTs and mentors 
  • regular progress reviews and 2 formal assessments for ECTs against the teachers’ standards 

The term ‘early career teacher entitlement (ECTE)’ replaces ‘ECF-based training and induction’ from September 2025.

ECTE is funded to cover time away from the classroom

Guidance for funding and eligibility for ECF-based training details the DfE funding schools receive to cover time off for ECTE activities. 

‘Time off timetable’ is the term used for ECTs and mentors who should be given time away from their teaching timetable to allow for ECTE activities. 

ECTE partners 

Your school must appoint an appropriate body, even if you choose the school-led training option. Appropriate bodies are responsible for assuring the quality of the statutory induction of ECTs.

If your school uses a provider-led approach, you’ll also need to partner with a: 

  • lead provider 
  • delivery partner 

For provider-led training, the lead provider provides the online learning platform used for training ECTs and mentors. The delivery partner delivers training events. 

These roles are sometimes undertaken by the same organisation. For example, an appropriate body might be the same organisation as the delivery partner.

ECTE training programme 

The ECTE training programme can be either: 

  • delivered by an approved training provider (we call this ‘provider-led’) 
  • developed and delivered by your own school (we call this ‘school-led’) 

Regardless of the option your school takes, the training must be based on the initial teaching training and early career framework (ITTECF).

If your school has chosen provider-led training, new mentors will receive mentor training to help them in their role as a mentor. 

The training programme supports ECTs to meet the teachers’ standards 

The training programme will help ECTs to: 

  • set high expectations 
  • promote good progress 
  • show good subject and curriculum knowledge 
  • plan and teach well-structured lessons 
  • adapt their teaching to support the needs of all pupils 
  • make accurate and productive use of assessment 
  • manage behaviour 
  • fulfil wider professional responsibilities 

The training programme is separate from progress reviews and assessments. 

ECTs’ assessments are only made against the teachers’ standards. They must not be assessed against the knowledge, skills and working habits described in the  ITTECF.

ECTs can use documentation from their training programme to help prove they’ve met the teachers’ standards. They cannot fail any part of the training programme. 

The training programme must be based on the ITTECF

The training programme must be based on the ITTECF and fully cover all aspects of that framework. This applies both to provider-led and school-led training programmes. 

The framework is based on the best available evidence. It covers the knowledge, skills and behaviours that support the ECT to meet the teachers’ standards. 

Mentor support 

Each ECT will have a mentor assigned to support them during their first 2 years. Mentor support covers the ECT’s training programme and the wider aspects of their development as a new teacher. 

Find out more about the mentor role and responsibilities. 

Review and assessment 

ECTs need to have progress reviews and formal assessments against the teachers’ standards during ECTE. Your school should arrange and scheduled these, and share with your appropriate body.

Find out more about reviews and assessments in section 2 of induction for early career teachers.

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