Four things we’ve learned about supporting ECTs

Nick Worsley, Head of Policy EEF, highlights his key takeaways

At the heart of any consistently excellent school system is access to high-quality professional development for teachers. There are no great schools without great teachers.

Making sure every child has access to great teaching is particularly important in our collective drive to close the socio-economic attainment gap. After all, it is these pupils who stand to benefit the most.

So, when the Department for Education launched their recruitment and retention strategy in 2019, its ambition to support great teaching for all was welcome. It recognised many of the different factors – including flexible working, access to professional development, and workload – that support recruitment and retention at the different stages of a teachers’ career. The focus on evidence signalled the increasing professionalisation of teaching and aimed to bring a consistency in quality to the support being provided.

One part of these reforms was the introduction of the Early Career Framework (ECF), which set out what early career teachers are entitled to learn about and learn how to do as they begin their careers. Crucially, it also gave them an entitlement to additional support and mentoring, recognising how important these first few years are for building confident teachers that stay in the profession long-term.

The early roll-out of the ECF: What did we learn?

Before the ECF’s full nationwide launch in 2021, the government piloted an early roll-out of the programme across selected schools in 2020 – 2022. We commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to evaluate this early roll-out to assess its impact on early career teachers’ retention and school-level outcomes, particularly focusing on their self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and teaching quality.

Today we’ve published the findings from this evaluation. The pandemic had an inevitable impact on the evaluation of the early roll-out. In response to Covid-19 disruptions, the DfE – understandably – made ECF-based materials available to all schools, which led to some schools in the control group accessing resources they were not originally intended to. This blurring of lines may have affected the study’s findings, particularly regarding retention.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

1. Mentor relationships important to retention within schools

The evaluation found that, two years after the pilot was delivered, teachers who took part in the ‘early roll-out’ of the ECF were no more or less likely to have remained in state-funded teaching posts than those who didn’t. However, those who took part in the ECF pilot were more likely to remain in their original induction schools. This suggests that supportive and consistent mentoring can potentially foster a sense of belonging and stability that helps early career teachers feel more connected and supported in their schools.

2. Mentoring can benefit everyone

One of the standout findings was the positive impact that taking part had on mentors themselves. Not only did mentors report improvements in their coaching styles and confidence, but they also noted an increased ability to provide constructive feedback. This suggests that mentoring could support a school’s professional development culture across the board, as well as benefiting the mentee.

3. Workload associated with new initiatives is a major challenge

As with any new initiative, the introduction of the ECF brought workload challenges for both early career teachers and their mentors and the evaluation surfaced concerns about excessive paperwork and time demands. The DfE has taken steps to streamline processes, including merging the Core Content Framework (CCF) and the ECF to reduce duplication and launching a more flexible, one-year mentoring programme. But future iterations and evaluations need to monitor this closely.

Positive perceptions of the ECF’s impact on teaching

Both mentors and early career teachers reported that the ECF led to improvements in teaching practice, confidence, and job satisfaction. Early career teachers reported feeling more effective and empowered in the classroom, which speaks to the core aim of the programme: to support teachers in the formative years of their careers, equipping them with the skills and confidence needed to thrive.

4. Positive perceptions of the ECF’s impact on teaching

What’s next?

As with any policy, it’s crucial to continue to refine the design and delivery based on ongoing monitoring, evaluation and feedback from the sector. Some of the learnings from the early roll-out have already informed changes to policy design, for example through the offer of greater flexibility for schools and training providers, along with improved registration processes.

The recent introduction of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which integrates the Core Content Framework and the ECF, also has the potential to reduce duplication and streamline workload for both mentors and early career teachers.

But the work shouldn’t stop there, particularly as the new ITTECF framework moves into delivery from September 2025. For example, it will be critical to get the balance right between ensuring opportunities for ECTs to revisit prior learning and receive subject specific support, without undue repetition or unmanageable workload.

Providers, delivery partners, and schools will need to carefully consider how best to deliver the ECF in practice, ensuring that schools and mentors are supported to balance the demands of the programme effectively. But by continuing to adapt and improve, we can ensure that all new teachers receive the support they need to succeed – ultimately benefiting our schools, pupils, and the profession as a whole.