What we offer

Since Early Roll Out, Pathfinder has successfully delivered the Early Career Framework Full Induction Programme (ECF FIP) to more than 900 ECTs and Mentors.

We have been delighted by the engagement and positive feedback of our Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and Mentors for the programme, for Ambition’s materials and on the quality of our Visiting Fellow’s facilitation.

Whilst most ECTs start in the Autumn Term, we regularly receive ECTs during the Spring and Summer terms and will support your school in ensuring a smooth transition onto the programme.

Delivery partner

Ambition Institute colleagues were part of the Expert Advisory Panel that helped develop the Early Career Framework. Their pilot projects, supported by the Education Endowment Foundation give them 3 years experience formulating and delivering these reforms in schools. They have expert knowledge, experience and an engaging and accessible learning platform for ECTs and Mentors to engage with the programme. They are perfectly placed to support schools, ECTs and Mentors to make the most of this valuable and impactful opportunity.

Why this programme?

The ECT programme is an induction course tailored to the needs of early career teachers, using an evidence-informed, bite-sized curriculum. It equips your teachers with the knowledge they need to make a real impact over the course of their careers.

Attract and retain staff

  • Provide quality professional development for your teachers, encouraging them to stay in the profession.
  • Provide your experienced teachers with teacher development and leadership for participating mentors.

Tackle challenges

Support your early career teachers in their day-to-day practice with a bite-sized, flexible curriculum.

Steplab

Your early career teachers will also benefit from the innovative Steplab platform, designed by teachers, for teachers. An accessible learning platform designed to provide carefully structured support, to ensure that mentors in your school can provide high-quality mentoring without adding to their workload.

Registering your ECT

All schools will receive a personalised link from the DfE granting them access to the Portal where they can register their Early Career Framework pathway and register their Early Career Teachers, Mentors and Induction Tutor. Please remember the DfE preference is for you to choose the Full Induction Programme through an approved Lead Provider.

Please also remember to register your ECTs with an Appropriate Body – this is a statutory requirement, failure to do so prevents your ECT from starting their formal induction period. You can use Pathfinder Teaching School Hub for both your ECF-based induction and your Appropriate Body services.

Please use the following links to register any new ECTs (Academic Year 2023-2024) with Pathfinder as your Delivery Partner and/or AB.

Catherine Matthewman
Pathfinder ECF Lead

“We are very proud to be a highly achieving delivery partner of Ambition’s Outstanding Early Career Teachers’ Programme. Over the last two years we have supported hundreds of teachers and their mentors to develop their practice and it has been wonderful to hear so many success stories. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with many more fantastic school leaders, ECTs and their mentors through this enriching programme.”

Links, Resources and Guides

Department for Education Links

Ambition Institute Guides

Pathfinder ECF Resources

Induction Coordinator Bulletins

Further Resources

We also have a secure area, containing resources that are only accessible to our induction tutors, mentors and ECTs. You can find this area here. If you require the password, please contact a member of the TSH team.

What our ECTs say

“The support I’ve received through the ECF has allowed me to feel well supported and prepared for my first term in teaching.”
“The ECF has further enriched my development… having regular discussions with my Mentor about what I am learning through Ambition has enabled me to consolidate my learning and has encouraged me to apply relevant techniques to my own teaching practice.”
“Really useful clinics and tweaked to suit the members of the course so that it was personalised support.”
“I am really enjoying and benefitting from taking part in this programme.”
“I find my weekly meetings with my ECT really useful and rewarding.”
“It’s very informative training which is delivered very well. I always get something good out of it.”
“Thank you for helping me to improve.”
“Thank you for the Visiting Fellows engaging and professional delivery.”
“Brill sessions, really enjoyed it and lots to take away.”
“Really informative. Lovely to collaborate with others working with similar and different ages.”
“I found the training very useful and I’ve already begun to add to/alter my practise as a result.”
“It was great to have the opportunity to speak to other ECT’s and share experiences.”
“The session was really useful, introducing new content as well as building on knowledge learnt from the previous conference.”
“Great to have time to work on a routine specific to our situation that we can put into practice straight away.”
“It was useful to reflect on how I manage behaviour and what other routines/strategies could be implemented.”
“I am finding it very useful and am able to make some tangible differences to my teaching skills.”
“An extremely informative and useful course.” 
“I will definitely be using better hinge questions now.”
“A key takeaway is how I can work with TAs to gauge how they want to support in my lessons and how I can have professional and meaningful conversations with those TAs.”
“I’ve learned how I can best use hinge questions to unpick student understanding whilst creating a really inclusive, safe environment where my students are free to make mistakes but also use these mistakes to further their understanding.”
“I can take away some concrete strategies that can be planned into lessons to become confident in knowing what my pupils have learnt.”

Upcoming Events

The facilitated aspects of the Early Career Framework are delivered through full day, in-person conferences and 90 minute, online clinics. Participants can find the dates of these using the ‘Events’ tab on My Ambition.

To support the smooth running of the programme, we also provide some additional sessions for Induction Coordinators and Mentors.

Induction Coordinator Briefings

Autumn Term

Tuesday 7th November 2023

Spring Term

Tuesday 9th January 2024

Summer Term

Tuesday 9th April 2024

Mentor Drop-ins

Every Thursday

4pm-4:30pm

Frequently Asked Questions

The ECF is a new statutory entitlement to training and resources for Early Career Teachers and their Mentors. It underpins exciting reforms to the government’s teacher recruitment and retention strategy, improving the training and development opportunities available to teachers. The ECF recognises the importance of high-quality induction training and the integral role of the Mentor in ECTs’ development. It provides funding, resources, support and training to facilitate this. Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/teacher-recruitment-and-retention-strategy

It is not an assessment tool, ECTs continue to be assessed against the Teacher Standards. More information on the revised statutory guidance and regulations can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/induction-for-early-career-teachers-england.

The ECF consolidates best available evidence and research in five key areas: behaviour management; pedagogy; curriculum, assessment and professional behaviours. This is formulated around “learn that” and “learn how to” statements which you can view here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-career-framework-reforms-overview/early-career-framework-reforms-overview

  • The induction period for ECTs has been lengthened to two years and there is increased support and training for ECTs and their Mentors.
  • The role of the Mentor has been introduced and is separate to the role of the Induction Tutor.
  • There is funding to ensure protected time for both ECTs and Mentors to hold high-quality instructional coaching conversations – this includes 20hrs across Year 2 for Mentors.
  • In addition to the 10% timetable reduction in Year 1, ECTs receive a 5% timetable reduction in Year 2.
  • The DfE has specified key evidence-based content that it is mandatory to cover during induction.
  • Appropriate bodies (ABs) have a role in checking that a school is delivering an ECF-based induction.
Funding (year 2) England (excluding the London Area) Inner London Area Outer London Area Fringe Area
Rounded cost per Early Career Teacher £1,200 £1,500 £1,400 £1,300
Rounded cost per Mentor £900 £1,100 £1,100 £900
Total £2,100 £2,600 £2,500 £2,200

Schools have the choice of engaging with and delivering the DfE ECF Framework through three pathways.

1. Full Induction Programme (FIP)

Materials and support have been created by the DfE approved Lead Providers. All resources are paid for, there is no additional responsibility on schools to create content, quality assurance materials/delivery or provide additional evidence to their appropriate body.

2. Core Induction Programme (CIP)

Curriculum materials have been created by the DfE approved Lead Providers. Learning Platform access, training sessions, ECT / Mentor support systems, administrative support etc are not available using this route. Additional materials need to be developed by the school – this additional element is not funded. Quality assurance of these materials/delivery requires additional evidence to their appropriate body.

3. School-based Programme

Schools design and deliver their own induction programme, based on the ECF. This is not funded, requires additional appropriate body checks and delivery may also be checked via Ofsted.

The DfE have made it clear that their preference is for schools to engage with the ECF through the FIP model “To ensure ECTs benefit from the highest quality support and ease the burden and cost for both schools and appropriate bodies, it is recommended that schools choose a Full Induction Programme” (AB Guidance: Induction and the Early Career Framework). As a Teaching School Hub we fully support this recommendation and its numerous benefits for schools.