Welcome to Term 3
Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful festive period. This newsletter includes the activities/ information that we consider to be most useful in term 3.
If you haven't already done so, please complete and digitally sign any outstanding assessments. This is now a matter of urgency. Check your email for reminders of any assessments still awaiting completion.
What is in this Newsletter: -
Reminders for Term 3
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Assessment date deadlines
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How to submit the E1 Grading document
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Are you struggling?
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ECT Conference 2024
Teacher self-service Are you following the ECF Full Programme with Best Practice Network?
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Professional Development Opportunities
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How to contact us
Reminders for Term 3 If you haven't already signed off your Term 2 assessment, please make this a priority. As a reminder the assessment grades are as follows: A: This ECT is currently making excellent progress towards meeting the induction standards. B: This ECT is currently making good progress towards meeting the induction standards. C: This ECT is making satisfactory progress towards meeting the induction standards. D: This ECT is making limited progress towards the induction standards. E: This ECT is not making any progress towards the induction standards. The term 3 assessment is due by 6th February. For the majority of ECT’s who started at the beginning of the year, this will be an interim assessment (the same as the assessment in Term 2).
Interim Assessments We do expect to see the E1 Grading document against the Teachers’ Standards for all ECTs. This should be submitted on ECT manager and can be done by the ECT or the mentor. We ask for this as it forms the evidence for the grade awarded that term. If there isn’t any evidence and you begin to struggle during your induction period, it will be harder to argue that you are making sufficient progress. It is therefore important for ECTs to be proactive and ensure this document is uploaded at each interim assessment point.
Assessment Meetings The assessment meeting gives an opportunity for you and your tutor
Assessment date deadlines
to discuss your progress and the grade that best represents your progress for the term. The meeting should take place towards the
Term 3:
06/02/2024
end of the term before the assessment is submitted. The E1.
Term 4:
26/03/2024
Grading Document can be accessed via ECT Manager –
Term 5:
21/05/2024
select ‘Resources’ from the menu.
Term 6:
16/07/2024
How to submit the ‘E1—Grading Using the Teachers’ Standards’ document on ECT Manager Under each of the Teachers’ Standards within the E1 document, there are comments relating to the different grades. We would like your tutor to highlight the comments that best fit the progress you are making at this point in time. This will help your tutor determine the overall grade you are working to. Once your tutor has highlighted the relevant comments, they can save a copy of the revised document so that it is ready to be uploaded to ECT Manager.
After your tutor has submitted the Interim Assessment on ECT Manager, when on the ECT’s overview page, select: •
ECT documents (on the left-hand side of the page)
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Add a new document (in green)
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Complete the document name and description
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Select ‘Choose file’ to upload the E1 document
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Select ‘Save ECT Document’ (in green)
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If the document is saved successfully the following will appear at the top of your screen: •
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The document will then be ready for the ECT Induction Team to review. Please note: we will be expecting it to be submitted with the next Interim assessment.
Are you struggling? Are you struggling or concerned about your progress? Always talk to your school-based mentor in the first instance and feel free to contact us at ect@kent.gov.uk for confidential support and guidance. I was graded a D or an E in my last assessment. What happens next? The Induction Team will contact your induction tutor/mentor by email in the first instance to find out whether you require additional support and therefore a meeting with the Induction Team. We are here to support you, so don't panic if we book a meeting to see you - we want to help you pass your induction!
Ensuring Success in the Best Career in the World Delegates will access 4 interactive workshops and hear from 2 inspirational key note speakers. Kelly Hannaghan will open the conference and focus on ‘How to live well to teach well’. Kelly is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant and the Director and founder of Mind Work Matters Ltd. She puts wellbeing and people at the heart of education. She is an awardwinning motivational speaker, school improvement advisor, published author and founder of the ‘Family Matters’ empowerment and engagement programme. ICT with Mr P—Tech to raise standards, will be closing the conference. Mr P has been a classroom teacher for over 13 years and still works part-time in school. He also works internationally with schools looking to embed technology to transform learning. He puts pedagogy at the heart of everything he does and is the most followed teacher on social media in the UK. Mr P will close the conference with his addictive enthusiasm, leaving delegates feeling inspired as well as offering tips on how to succeed in the best career in the world! He loves sharing ideas and is sure to include the humorous side of life as a teacher! The conference is open to Primary and Secondary ECTs in Year 1 of their induction period.
The Teacher Self-Service Portal has been replaced The TRA now have a new digital service for teachers and teaching professionals to gain access to their records and services - Access Your Teaching Qualifications (AYTQ). This is in replacement for the Teacher Self-Service (TSS) Portal that previously teachers would use to access their record information. Therefore, the Teacher Self-Service (TSS) portal is no longer in service. You can use this service to: • download your teaching certificates • check your qualification status • check your early career teacher induction status • change the name on your teaching certificates
Before you start - You’ll need to create a DfE Identity account to access your teaching qualifications. You'll use the account to sign-in to this service and other DfE teaching services. Please use the following link to create and account, or if you have an existing account, log in: Access your teaching qualifications (education.gov.uk) If you require any further information on this, please contact: QTS.ENQUIRIES@education.gov.uk
Are you following the ECF Full Programme with Best Practice Network and The Education People? Did you know? Attendance at the ECF face to face and online events is essential for the required engagement with the ECF programme. Failure to attend events and engage sufficiently with the online modules on Canvas could impact on the funding your school receives from the Department for Education, for you to be registered on the ECF programme with BPN (partnered with The Education People — ECT Induction Team).
What is classed as engagement? Engagement is defined as attending face to face and online events, watching a recording of an event (if attendance is impossible) and interacting with the modules on Canvas, the virtual learning environment. How do the DFE know who is engaging with the ECF Programme? BPN are expected to provide evidence of engagement to the DfE in order to secure each schools funding. Canvas records which participants have engaged and ECF facilitators also mark registers of attendance at each event and this forms the evidence to show which ECTs and ECMs are participating appropriately with the programme and are therefore eligible for the funding. How do I access Canvas? It is best to access Canvas via the participant dashboard. The participant dashboard is your go-to portal for everything to do with your ECT Journey. This can be used to: •
View your schedule of events for the year (‘Events’ tab)
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Access the links to your online events (‘Events’ tab)
On the right hand side, of your dashboard you will see a link to Canvas which is the Virtual Learning Environment – where you will undertake the online modules.
Did you know? The Education People now offer a ‘Golden Thread’ Menu of Professional Development Opportunities Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Early Career Framework (ECF) National Professional Qualifications (NPQs). More details can be found here.
Thank you for taking the time to read our update. Please contact us if you have any questions.
ect@kent.gov.uk 03301 651300
ECT Induction Team Tim Spoerry, ECT Induction Manager Elizabeth Dean, ECT Induction Advisor (part-time) Helen Grzeszczak, ECT Induction Coordinator (part-time)
Amanda Risbridger, ECT Induction Administrator (part-time) Rhea Clarke, ECT Induction Administrator (currently on maternity leave)