Early Career Framework
Introduction to the Early Career Framework
The Early Career Framework (ECF) is transforming the support and development offer for teachers at the start of their career. From September 2021, all Early Career Teachers (newly and recently qualified teachers) will be entitled to the following support based on the Early Career Framework:
- 2 years of new, funded, high-quality training available either as a DfE funded provider
- Funding for 5% time away from the classroom for teachers in their second year
- A dedicated mentor, with support for these mentors including access to funded high-quality training
- Funding to cover mentors’ time with the mentee in the second year of teaching
- Further funding for schools opting for the DfE Funded Provider approach for mentors to access training from the lead provider.
What are the options for delivering the new statutory induction programme?
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Teaching School Hub will deliver the DfE Funded Provider led ECF as a partner with Teach First to all schools, regardless of phase or type.
Our 2-year programme will be delivered by a team of expert facilitators from our Hub area to ensure that we respond to our local contexts.
Funding:
The Early Career Framework programme is free for schools. Details of the funding schools will receive in Year 2 are summarised here.
Schools will receive:
- Per Early Career Teacher: £1,400
- Per mentor: £1000
- Schools accessing the DfE Funded Provider will receive an additional £1576.10 (covers year 1 and 2) for mentors to access training from the lead provider
DfE Guidance:
- Eligible institutions 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 institutions or to local authorities to pay maintained schools.
