Guidance

Early career teachers: your training and support entitlement

Published 22 April 2025

Applies to England

What you’re entitled to

As a new teacher, you’re entitled to training and support to give you the skills and knowledge to meet the teachers’ standards.

Your early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) is designed to provide this and includes:

• a training programme
• mentor support
• time off timetable
• regular progress reviews and 2 formal assessments against the teachers’ standards

If you’re a full-time teacher, your ECTE usually lasts 2 years. It could be longer if you’re part time or if you take extended time off for any reason.

If you have significant prior teaching experience you may be considered for a reduced length ECTE. You should discuss this with your induction tutor and headteacher before starting your entitlement.

Find out more about the early career teacher entitlement.

Starting your ECTE and what to expect

Your school will register you for your entitlement. Normally, this will be done by the person who is responsible for the ECTE in your school, such as an induction tutor or an early career teacher (ECT) lead.

You’ll be registered with:

• Department for Education (DfE)
• your school’s training provider (if your school is using the provider-led training option)
• your school’s appropriate body

You’ll receive an email from DfE confirming your registration and next steps.

A training programme

You’ll get a training programme that will support you in your first few years of teaching and help you to meet the teacher’s standards.

Your school can either:

• use a lead provider and delivery partner (we call this ‘provider-led’)
• design and deliver its own training programme (we call this ‘school-led’)

Your training programme will be based on the content of the initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF). It’s designed to support your teaching skills and build on what you learned during your initial teacher training.

The training will help you to:

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

The exact amount of training you get will depend on your school’s training programme.

In addition to the training programme, your school might offer extra training in specific areas.

Support from a dedicated mentor

You’ll be assigned a mentor when you start your entitlement.

Your mentor should:

• meet with you regularly to provide support and feedback
• help you to relate your training to your specific subject area, phase and context
• arrange informal classroom drop-in sessions with you, and give feedback
• be a point of contact if you have difficulties with your training

Your mentor will not assess you. Their focus is on supporting you with your professional development during your ECTE.

Time off timetable for your ECTE

Your school should give you time off timetable for your ECTE to complete ECTE activities such as training and mentoring.

You should get:

• 10% off your timetable in year 1
• 5% off your timetable in year 2

Progress reviews and assessments

Progress reviews and assessments check your progress against the teachers’ standards. Your school induction tutor will normally arrange these sessions. They should also tell you how you need to prepare for them.

If you’re a full-time ECT, you:

• will usually get 4 progress reviews during your entitlement – 2 in your first year and 2 in your second year
• should have a formal assessment at the end of years 1 and 2

If you’re a part-time ECT, you:

• will typically have more progress reviews than if you were full time
• will have the same number of formal assessments – one at your entitlement half-way point and one at the end

The last formal assessment you have (known as a final assessment) will be the basis for your headteacher’s recommendation to the appropriate body.

The final assessment will:

• record if your overall performance has met or not met the teachers’ standards
• state if there’s a need for you to extend your training and entitlement

Your pay and career progression during ECTE

Your ECTE has no adverse impact on your pay or career progression. You can progress on the pay scale both during and after your entitlement.

Working part time

If you work part time, your headteacher will work with your induction tutor, appropriate body and training provider to arrange your entitlement to fit with your working pattern.

If you have problems with your ECTE

You should speak to your mentor if you’re having problems with your training programme.

If you’re having problems with other aspects of your entitlement, you should speak to your school’s induction tutor.

If your induction tutor is unable to help, you should speak with your appropriate body.