Welcome to Term 6!
Well done to those of you who have reached the final term of year 1 and those who are in your final term of year 2! Your well-deserved summer break is not far away now!
Please see below for a list of important activities and information that you may find helpful this term.
If you haven't already done so, please 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 on this Newsletter:
- Our Services from September 2023
- Reminders for Term 6
- Assessment date deadline
- Are you struggling?
- What do we expect to see from you at this point in terms of progress
- ECT Conference—’What Next?’
- Updates for Best Practice Network Full Induction Programme ECTs
- Second Year ECTs
- What does year two of my induction look like?
- Guide to Successful Induction Webinar
- Contacting the ECT Induction Team
The Education People (ECT Induction Team) Services
from September 2023
Appropriate Body for Induction
Unfortunately, as a result of government changes to who can act as an Appropriate Body for the purposes of ECT induction, The Education People (ECT Induction Team) will not be able to accept new registrations from September 2023.
We will, however, continue to support our ECTs who are registered with us and won’t have completed enough time to finish their induction in July 2023. The Department for Education feel this transition period is in ECTs’ best interests because it allows schools to provide stability for them during their induction. By allowing schools to keep their existing ECTs with us, the majority of ECTs who began induction in September 2022 will avoid any disruption by remaining with one AB throughout.
We are delighted with this decision as it allows us to continue to support our existing ECTs and we look forward to doing so in September. For any new ECTs starting from September, we will be working with the two Teaching School Hubs in Kent to support them in their delivery of ECT induction services and so schools will need to contact one of the hubs below to register any new ECTs from September. Please find below contact details for both TSH:
Kent Teaching School Hub - info@ktsh.org.uk
Thames Gateway Teaching School Hub - enquiries@tgtsh.org.uk
ECF Programme in partnership with Best Practice Network
We are pleased to confirm that despite the changes to who can act as the Appropriate Body for schools, we are still able to support the delivery of the Early Career Development Programme in partnership with Best Practice Network and hope that many of our schools will continue to work with us. This programme is fully funded, so no extra cost to schools. We have been working in partnership with Best Practice Network to deliver the ECF programme for nearly 2 years and together, we have supported its development to ensure it meets the needs of our schools locally. We will continue to recommend improvements and hope to see many of you at the events around the county in the new school year. As you know, all schools offering induction must also offer an ECF programme. Schools do not have to sign up to the programme offered via their Appropriate Body and can choose any of the lead providers to access the ECF programme. For ease, we have listed the providers of the core ECF programme below that you are able to access:
• Best Practice Network – delivered by The Education People (ECT Induction Team)
• Ambition – delivered by Kent Teaching School Hub with support from The Education People (ECT Induction Team)
• Education Development Trust – delivered by Thames Gateway Teaching School Hub
How schools can register with The Education People and Best Practice Network for the delivery of
the ECF:
1. Register your Autumn 23 intake (year 1) ECT and ECM details on the DfE portal. This will be open for schools from week commencing 3rd July.
2. ECTs and ECMs complete the BPN application form (sent to the email address provided on the DfE portal).
Reminders for Term 6
If you haven't already signed off your Term 5 assessment, please make this a priority. The grading criteria is shown below:
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 meeting the induction standards.
E: This ECT is not making any progress towards meeting the induction standards.
The term 6 assessment is due by 17th July For the majority of ECT’s who started in September, this will be a full assessment.
What is a Full Assessment?
A full assessment requires your tutor to outline how you are performing under each of the Teachers’ Standards as well as grading your progress. Please note as this is a full assessment your tutor will not need to upload the E1 document.
If you work part time, we still require an assessment to be submitted on ECT Manager every term.
Have you scheduled in an Assessment Meeting?
The assessment meeting gives an opportunity for you and your tutor to discuss your progress and the grade that best represents your progress for the term. The meeting should take place towards the end of the term before the assessment is submitted.
Assessment date deadline Term 6: 17/07/2023
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 to find out whether you require additional support and therefore a visit from the Induction Team. We are here to support you, so don't panic if we book a visit to see you - we want to help you pass your induction!
Have you been absent for 30 days or more during your induction period?
If yes, your induction period will need to be extended. Please contact the induction team (ECT@kent.gov.uk) so they can advise you on how the extension will work.
What do we expect to see from you at this point in terms of progress?
Those ECTs who are in their final term of year 1 should now be meeting the Teachers’ Standards to at least a consistently satisfactory standard (C grade). Some year 1 ECTs will be working towards meeting the standards to a good level (B grade) by the end of term 6 in their first year.
Those ECTs in their final term of year 2, should now be meeting the Teachers’ Standards to at least a consistently good standard, although ECTs are able to pass at a satisfactory level. Please refer to document E1 in the handbook for guidance on grading your progress.
ECT Conference 2023 —‘What Next?’
(for Primary and Secondary ECTs in Year 2 of induction)
Wednesday 12th July 2023
Online - 09:30 to 15:30
A fantastic opportunity for Primary and Secondary ECTs in year 2 of their induction period to access workshops focusing on our theme of 'What Next?' - i.e. looking forward to teaching after successfully completing induction. Delegates will have the opportunity to attend all 4 workshops during the course of the day as well as hearing from our opening and closing key speakers. Further details of these will be published shortly.
To book, follow this link: Wednesday 12th July—ECT Conference ‘What Next?’
Year 2 Early Career Framework Expectations for those ECTs on the Best Practice Network Full Induction Programme
The ECF for Year 2 of your induction period provides a more in depth analysis of the topics of year 1, consolidating knowledge. For ECTs following an ECF programme provided by Best Practice Network, alongside the face to face sessions, ECTs will also have online workshops, mentoring sessions and time to go through the modules on canvas as part of their 5% release time. Schools will also need to arrange for their ECTs to visit another school during the Summer term of 2024 for a day. Further information on all of this will be communicated to you at the Year 2 Induction Conferences that BPN will be inviting both Mentors and their ECTs to, very soon. These conferences will set out what to expect in the second year of the ECF programme. The conferences are 2 hours long, and delegates will be able to choose from a range of dates and times to suit their availability. Keep an eye out for the invitation from Best Practice Network soon! ECTs following a core or school based programme should discuss the content of year 2 with their mentor.
Second Year ECTs
As we approach the next academic year, the Department for Education has asked appropriate bodies to remind schools about the importance of ensuring that timetabling for next academic year includes sufficient time off timetable as per the Statutory Induction Guidance. This includes ensuring that:
• ECTs have 10% in year 1 and 5% in year 2; and that
• Mentors have sufficient time to carry out their role effectively – both to:
• undertake mentor training (for those on funded training programmes); and to
• plan and hold mentor sessions with their ECT(s)
NB: Mentoring sessions would normally be expected to be during normal teaching hours
We will check that the reduced timetable is in place for year 2 as part of our normal QA process.
Observations
Observations should take place as normal with at least one formal observation every term. Some schools require more than one observation/ drop in a term and this is acceptable as long as the observation is a supportive process and constructive feedback is given in a timely manner.
Assessments
These will look the same as they did in Year 1 of your induction period. You will have an Interim assessment (just a grade) at the end of Terms 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 and a full and final assessment (the more detailed assessment with comments against each standard) at the end of Term 6. Our E1 ‘Grading using the Teachers’ Standards’ document will also need to be uploaded to ECT Manager at the end of Terms 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Your mentor/tutor should highlight the comments within the E1 document in the relevant columns, that best describe your progress within each Teachers’ Standard. You may find it helpful to use a different colour highlighter each term so you can easily track your progress.
Induction mentor meetings
If you are making at least good progress towards meeting the Teachers’ Standards, your meetings with your mentor/tutor can be reduced to 2 per term with informal catch ups in-between, as and when needed. We recommend the first meeting should take place within the first 2 weeks of each term to discuss if there are any Teachers’ Standards you should focus on and then the second meeting (the assessment meeting) at the end of each term, should look at your progress and the grade that will be submitted in your assessment on ECT Manager. Don’t forget to bring evidence to show how you are meeting the standards to these meetings, as this will help your tutor make an informed decision about your grade.
ECT Impact Files
The ECT Impact File is now a requirement for ECTs who started induction from September 2022. This file should hold or point to the evidence to show you are meeting the Teachers’ Standards. Your tutor/mentor will have a good idea which standards you are meeting but they are not with you all the time and will not see everything you do in the class room. We have a proforma ‘E4 – Evidencing the Teachers Standards’ that you may find helpful to record where your evidence can be found. The document lists the standards and highlights how you can show you are meeting them. There is also a chart where you can record the evidence you have and where it can be located. We suggest you use this document and take it with you to your end of term assessment meetings where your tutor will discuss the grade they will submit on ECT Manager.
What does Year two of my Induction look like?