Roles and Responsibilities

The Early Career Teacher (ECT)

The ECT is expected to:

• provide evidence that they have QTS and are eligible to start induction;
• meet with their induction tutor to discuss and agree priorities for their induction programme and keep these under review;
• agree with their induction tutor how best to use their reduced timetable allowance and guarantee engagement with their ECF-based induction programme;
• provide evidence of their progress against the Teachers’ Standards;
• participate fully in the agreed monitoring and development programme;
• raise any concerns with their induction tutor as soon as practicable;
• consult their Appropriate Body named contact at an early stage if there are, or may be, difficulties in resolving issues with their tutor/within the institution;
• keep track of and participate effectively in the scheduled classroom observations, progress reviews and formal assessment meetings;
• agree with their induction tutor the start and end dates of the induction period/part periods and the dates of any absences from work during any period/part period; and
• retain copies of all assessment reports.

Headteachers

The Headteacher is, along with the Appropriate Body, jointly responsible for the monitoring, support and assessment of the ECT during induction, and is expected to:

• check that the ECT has been awarded QTS;
• clarify whether the teacher needs to serve an induction period or is exempt;
• agree, in advance of the ECT starting the induction programme, which body will act as the Appropriate Body;
• notify the Appropriate Body when an ECT is taking up a post in which they will be undertaking induction;
• ensure that the requirements for a suitable post for induction are met;
• ensure the induction tutor has the ability and sufficient time to carry out their role effectively;
• ensure that the mentor has the ability and sufficient time to carry out their role effectively;
• ensure an appropriate ECF-based induction programme is in place;
• ensure the ECT’s progress is reviewed regularly, including through observations of and feedback on their teaching;
• ensure that assessments are carried out and reports completed and sent to the Appropriate Body;
• maintain and retain accurate records of employment that will count towards the induction period;
• ensure that all monitoring and record keeping is done in the most streamlined and least burdensome way;
• make the governing body aware of the arrangements that have been put in place to support ECTs serving induction;
• make a recommendation to the Appropriate Body on whether the ECT’s performance against the Teachers’ Standards is satisfactory or requires an extension;
• participate appropriately in the Appropriate Body’s quality assurance procedures; and
• retain all relevant documentation/evidence/forms on file for six years.

There may also be circumstances where the Headteacher should:

• obtain interim assessments from the ECT’s previous post;
• act early, alerting the Appropriate Body when necessary, in cases where an ECT may be at risk of not completing induction satisfactorily;
• ensure third-party observation of an ECT who may be at risk of not performing satisfactorily against the Teachers’ Standards;
• notify the Appropriate Body as soon as absences total 30 days or more;
• periodically inform the governing body about the institution’s induction arrangements;
• advise and agree with the Appropriate Body where, in exceptional cases, it may be appropriate to reduce the length of the induction period or deem that it has been satisfactorily completed;
• consult with the Appropriate Body in cases where a part-time ECT has completed a period covering, but not equivalent to, two years and has met the necessary requirements to reduce induction;
• provide interim assessment reports for ECTs moving in between formal assessment periods; and
• notify the Appropriate Body when an ECT serving induction leaves the institution.
• In addition to the above, Headteachers of FE institutions, independent schools, academies and free schools, BSOs and nursery schools should also ensure the ECT’s post and responsibilities comply with the specific requirements for statutory induction in these settings.

Induction Tutors

The Induction Tutor (or Headteacher if carrying out this role) is expected to:

• provide, or coordinate, guidance for the ECT’s professional development (with the Appropriate Body where necessary);
• carry out regular progress reviews throughout the induction period;
• undertake two formal assessment meetings during the total induction period coordinating input from other colleagues as appropriate (normally one at the end of term three and one at the end of term six, or pro rata for part-time staff);
• carry out progress reviews in terms where a formal assessment does not occur;
• inform the ECT following progress review meetings of the determination of their progress against the Teachers’ Standards and share progress review records with the ECT, Headteacher and Appropriate Body;
• inform the ECT during the assessment meeting of the judgements to be recorded in the formal assessment record and invite the ECT to add their comments;
• ensure that the ECT’s teaching is observed and feedback provided;
• ensure ECTs are aware of how, both within and outside the institution, they can raise any concerns about their induction programme or their personal progress;
• take prompt, appropriate action if an ECT appears to be having difficulties; and
• ensure that all monitoring and record keeping is done in the most streamlined and least burdensome way, and that requests for evidence from ECTs do not require new documentation but draw on existing working documents.

Mentors

The Mentor (or the Induction Tutor if carrying out this role) is expected to:

• regularly meet with the ECT for structured mentor sessions to provide effective targeted feedback;
• work collaboratively with the ECT and other colleagues involved in the ECT’s induction within the same school to help ensure the ECT receives a high-quality ECF-based induction programme;
• provide, or broker, effective support, including phase of subject specific mentoring and coaching; and
• take prompt, appropriate action if an ECT appears to be having difficulties.

Appropriate Bodies

The Appropriate Body has the main quality assurance role within the induction process. Through quality assurance, the Appropriate Body should assure itself that:

• Headteachers (and governing bodies where appropriate) are aware of, and are capable of meeting their responsibilities for monitoring support and assessment. This includes checking that an ECT receives an ECF-based induction programme, designated induction tutor and mentor, and the reduced timetable; and
• the monitoring, support, assessment and guidance procedures in place are fair and appropriate.
• the Appropriate Body should, on a regular basis, consult with Headteachers on the nature and extent of the quality assurance procedures it operates, or wishes to introduce. Institutions are required to work with the Appropriate Body to enable it to discharge its responsibilities effectively.

The Appropriate Body is expected to take steps to ensure that:

• Headteachers have put in place an ECF-based induction programme for the ECT and that their programme of support is clearly based on the ECF;
• headteachers (and governing bodies where appropriate) are meeting their responsibilities in respect of providing a suitable post for induction;
• the monitoring, support, assessment and guidance procedures in place are fair and appropriate;
• where an ECT may be experiencing difficulties, action is taken to address areas of performance that require further development and support;
• where an institution is not fulfilling its responsibilities, contact is made with the institution to raise its concerns;
• induction tutors have the ability and sufficient time to carry out their role effectively; ● mentors have the ability and sufficient time to carry out their role effectively;
• headteachers are consulted on the nature and extent of the quality assurance procedures it operates, or wishes to introduce;
• any agreement entered into with either an FE institution or an independent school’s governing body is upheld;
• the Headteacher has verified that the award of QTS has been made;
• the school is providing a reduced timetable in addition to PPA time;
• the ECT is provided with a named contact (or contacts) within the Appropriate Body with whom to raise concerns;
• FE institutions are supported in finding schools for ECTs to spend ten days teaching children of a compulsory school age in a school;
• ECTs’ records and assessment reports are maintained;
• all monitoring and record keeping is done in the most streamlined and least burdensome way, and that requests for evidence from ECTs do not require new documentation but draw on existing working documents. agreement is reached with the ECT and the Headteacher is consulted where a reduced induction period may be appropriate or is deemed to be satisfactorily completed;
• Agreement is reached with the ECT and the Headteacher is consulted in cases where a part-time ECT has completed a period covering, but not equivalent to, two years and has met the necessary requirements to reduce induction;
• a final decision is made on whether the ECT’s performance against the Teachers’ Standards is satisfactory or an extension is required and the relevant parties are notified; and
• they provide the Teaching Regulation Agency with details of ECTs who have started; completed (satisfactorily or not); require an extension to; or left school partway through an induction period; together with details of the type of induction an ECT is accessing.

The Appropriate Body should also (as local capacity, resources and agreements allow):

• respond to requests from schools and colleges for guidance, support and assistance with ECTs’ induction programmes;
• provide information to the Headteacher on the types of induction available; and
• respond to requests for assistance and advice with training for induction tutors and mentors. The Governing Body The Governing Body:
• should ensure compliance with the requirement to have regard to this guidance;
• should be satisfied that the institution has the capacity to support the ECT;
• should ensure the Headteacher is fulfilling their responsibility to meet the requirements of a suitable post for induction;
• must investigate concerns raised by an individual ECT as part of the institution’s agreed grievance procedures;
• can seek guidance from the Appropriate Body on the quality of the institution’s induction arrangements and the roles and responsibilities of staff involved in the process; and
• can request general reports on the progress of an ECT.

Teaching Regulation Agency

The Teaching Regulation Agency will carry out specific duties on behalf of the Secretary of State, including:

Statutory

• hearing appeals; and
• ensuring that the names of ECTs who have failed induction are included on the list of persons who have failed to satisfactorily complete an induction period.

Non-statutory

• recording the progress of ECTs through their induction process and providing details of teachers who have passed or failed induction to employers through the Employer Access Online service.