23/24 Term 4 - Induction Tutor / Mentor Newsletter

Welcome to Term 4

This newsletter has been written to support ECT induction tutors/mentors and includes the activities/information that we consider to be most useful in term 4.

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.

In This Newsletter

- Assessment date deadlines.

- How to submit the E1 Grading document.

- ECT Conference – for Primary and Secondary ECTs.

- What should you expect to see from your ECT?

- Is your ECT struggling?

- Extending an induction period.

- Is there a charge for additional support?

- What to do if your ECT resigns.

- Professional development opportunities - ITT, ECF, NPQs.

- Early Career Framework (ECF).

- Best Practice Network - ECF.

- How to contact us.

Reminders for Term 4

You should have completed your ECT's assessment and so if you haven't already, 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 4 assessment is due by 26 March 2024. For the majority of ECTs who started at the beginning of an academic year this will be an interim assessment (the same as the assessment in term 3).

Interim Assessments

For all our ECTs we do expect to see the E1 Grading document against the Teachers’ Standards. 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 the ECT begins to struggle during their induction period, it will be harder to argue that they are making sufficient progress. It is therefore important for ECTs to be proactive and ensure this document is uploaded at each interim assessment point. Instructions for uploading the E1 document are on page 4 .

ECT Absence Reporting

Please keep a note of how many days absence your ECT has throughout the year because you will be asked to submit the number of days absence in the full assessments at the end of Year 1 and Year 2. Those that have more than 30 days absence per year, may require an extension to their induction period. We will be in touch directly with mentors if this is likely to affect your ECTs.

Assessment Date Deadlines

Term 4: 26/03/2024

Term 5: 21/05/2024

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 you to highlight the comments that best fit the progress your ECT is making at this point in time. This will help you determine the overall grade your ECT is working to. Once you have highlighted the relevant comments, save a copy of the revised document so that it is ready to be uploaded to ECT Manager.

After you have submitted the Interim Assessment on ECT Manager, when on your ECT’s overview page, select:

• ECT documents (on the left-hand side of the page)

• add a new document (in green)

• complete the document name and description

• select ‘Choose file’ to upload the E1 document

• select ‘Save ECT Document’ (in green)

• if the document is saved successfully the following will appear at the top of your screen:

• 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. Any problems meeting this deadline please get in touch.

Our online Early Career Teachers Conference is designed for primary and secondary ECTs in year one of their induction period.

The Conference opens with an award-winning motivational keynote speaker Kelly Hannaghan, who will be followed by a number of interactive and engaging workshops. Finally, ICT with Mr PLee Parkinson 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!

Welcome - How to Live Well to Teach Well

Kelly Hannaghan is a Mental Health and Wellbeing Consultant and the Director and founder of Mind Work Matters Ltd. Kelly puts wellbeing and people at the heart of education. She is an award-winning motivational speaker, school improvement adviser, published author and founder of the ‘Family Matters’ empowerment and engagement programme.

Workshop One - Four Principles for Assessment: Design, Comparison, Reliability and Inference - Andrew Woods (Specialist Lead Adviser Mathematics, The Education People)

Workshop Two - The Inclusive Classroom - Kristian Laslett (Assistant Headteacher, Head of Lower Site and SENCO, The Royal Harbour Academy)

Workshop Three - Behaviour for Classroom Management - Peter Stewart (Principal Lead Special, PRU & SRP, The Education People)

Workshop Four - Working Smarter Not Harder: Making the Most of Your Time to Promote Pupil Learning - Louise Agley (Specialist Lead Adviser English, Curriculum, T&L, The Education People)

Conference Close - ICT with Mr P

Lee Parkinson (Mr P) has been a classroom teacher for over 13 years and still works part-time in school. He also now 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.

What Should You Expect to See from Your ECT at This Point?

For ECTs who are almost a third of their way through their two year induction period, we would now expect to see them making sustained improvements. They should be beginning to show consistency in meeting all the standards to at least a satisfactory level by the end of term 4.

Is Your ECT Struggling?

If you have any doubts about your ECT’s progress, it is important to raise them with your ECT asap as they may be a cause for concern. Please contact ect@kent.gov.uk if your ECT is struggling, or if you would like some help and guidance on the cause for concern procedure.

I graded my ECT as D or E in the last assessment. What happens next?

The Induction Team will contact you by email in the first instance to find out whether you require additional support.

Extending an ECT’s Induction Period

If you wish to extend your ECT’s induction period, you must make this recommendation to the Induction Team before the end of your ECT’s induction. We will then liaise with you to ensure your ECT meets the statutory extension criteria and if so, talk to your ECT about their right to appeal against this decision. Our advice is that you alert us to the possibility that an extension may be needed as early as possible. Please bear in mind that a school cannot extend an ECT’s induction period without prior agreement from their Appropriate Body.

Is There a Charge for Any Additional Support?

There isn’t a charge for a member of the Induction Team to visit your school to discuss initial concerns regarding an ECT and set up an action plan, as long as we are alerted to the issues before the last four terms of their induction.

If the support becomes ongoing then there will be a charge for this. However, this is rare and you would always be consulted prior to us raising any charge.

What to Do If Your ECT Resigns

The Induction Team should be informed by phone or email as soon as you know that the ECT is resigning. This is because it is necessary for the team to ensure that paperwork is correct and the TRA are informed promptly.

Mentors whose ECTs leave part way through induction may be required to complete a ‘half term assessment’. The team needs to know in good time to ensure that the correct assessment is available for completion.

Please contact the team if you think this will apply to one of your ECTs and we can confirm what will need to be completed before the ECT leaves your school.

In terms of the Early Career Framework you must inform your lead provider (Ambition Institute; Best Practice Network; Capita; Education Development Trust; Teach First or UCL Institute of Education) to withdraw the participant.

Did you know? The Education People now offer a ‘Golden Thread’ Menu of Professional Development Opportunities.

Teacher Training (ITT)

Early Career Framework (ECF)

National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)

More details can be found here and on the next page.

Do You Have ECTs Starting in April 2024?

Are your ECTs registered for Induction as well as the Early Career Development Programme? – they are two separate registrations!

If you are appointing ECTs, don’t forget to:

1. Register them with an Appropriate Body (unfortunately, government changes no longer allow us to take on new ECTs for AB services). We do however, continue to deliver the ECF programme (Ofsted rated Outstanding) across Kent - just follow point 2 below:

2. Register your ECT on our Best Practice Network Early Career Development Programme – by following the steps below:

The School Induction Tutor responsible for the ECF in school must register their ECTs and mentors on the DfE Online Service (whichever Lead Provider you choose will then collect additional details directly from the ECTs and ECMs to enable allocation to their local training group).

If you choose Best Practice Network registering with them consists of three parts:

1. if your school has not yet had an ECT, or is changing Lead Provider to Best Practice Network, you will be prompted with instructions for next steps within the DfE Online Service

2. if your school has not yet had an ECT or is changing Lead Provider, the school will also need to register with Best Practice Network via the BPN website School’s registration form.

**When you get to the question “If you were directed here by a local Teaching School Hub, Multi-School Organisation or training partner, please select from the dropdown below” select The Education People**

Once the above has been completed,

3. BPN will share a ‘BPN application link’ for ECTs and ECMs (mentors) to set up their accounts (note, BPN application links are sent automatically once the ECT/ECM registration has been completed on the ‘DFE Online Service’ portal). This link will arrive via email so ECTs/ECMs will need to keep an eye on their inbox and also junk emails in case it lands there.

***If you have chosen an alternative provider for the delivery of the ECF, please liaise with your chosen provider on how to ensure you are appropriately registered for the delivery of the ECF.***

Are You Following the ECF Full Induction Programme (FIP) with Best Practice Network and The Education People?

Did you know? Attendance at the ECF face to face and online events is essential for achieving the required levels of engagement with the ECF programme. Failure to attend events and engage sufficiently with the online modules on Canvas could impact, not only the ECT entitlement to valuable CPD and support in their first two years of teaching but also the funding your school receives from the Department for Education to release ECTs and mentors.

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 online 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 the ECT/ECM’s go-to portal for everything to do with their ECF journey. This can be used to:

• view their schedule of events for the year (‘Events’ tab)

• access the links to their online events (‘Events’ tab).

On the right hand side of the dashboard they will see a link to Canvas which is the Virtual Learning Environment – where they will undertake the online modules.