Examining the ECF | Investigation
7 min read
I train trainee science teachers. Above the previous couple several years I’ve seen a substantial adjust in the way we teach lecturers and how the Section for Education (DfE) prescribes coaching in England. In addition, what happens to trainees as soon as they have concluded their coaching year has significantly altered. Earlier, they spent one particular yr as a recently capable instructor (NQT), doing the job with a mentor and collecting evidence to meet the Teachers’ Criteria. Now, they devote two yrs as an early job trainer (ECT) on the Early occupation framework (ECF). Introduced in September 2021, the governing administration-directed ECF is a two-yr aid package for producing teachers. I’ve been investigating the ECF’s assure and complications.
What is the function of the ECF?
Considering the fact that 2014 in England, teacher teaching has faced an ongoing challenge to recruit and retain secondary school instructors in numerous subjects, particularly in chemistry and physics. Educating, significantly in STEM subjects, has become the two considerably less competitive in salary and much less beautiful, reportedly owing to its absence of versatility and substantial workload. In addition, retaining instructors in their 1st five many years stays hard.
Because 2014 in England, instructor education has confronted an ongoing problem to recruit and retain secondary university instructors in numerous topics, particularly in chemistry and physics (bit.ly/3TMrDP2). Training, notably in STEM topics, has develop into both considerably less competitive in salary and less attractive, reportedly due to its lack of adaptability and higher workload. In addition, retaining academics in their initial five a long time stays complicated.
The ECF underpins an entitlement for two decades of expert advancement. This entitlement is designed to assist ECTs to develop their awareness of training and learning and to practise and mirror on putting this into exercise. In simple terms, it implies that each individual ECT needs a topic mentor who they satisfy with regularly and their university has to come to a decision how it provides the ECF, with most deciding upon 1 of the authorities-approved providers. By way of this scheme, ECTs take part in on the net schooling, facilitated sessions and in-university mentoring. Their progress is reviewed and if effective, at the stop of the two decades, they are entirely skilled.
Is the Early occupation framework operating?
Anecdotally, I have heard blended views on both of those the practical experience and the impact of the ECF. For case in point, physics ECT Rachael Laming explained to me that, ‘My mentor is particularly supportive and is pleased to response any queries I have.’ Chemistry ECT, Kayleigh Angell defined, ‘It is pretty cohesive with first trainer instruction (ITT) and at the minute feels really repetitive of it. I would like it to increase a very little on the CCF (Core information framework).’

The framework should ‘offer a menu tactic to meet up with the particular person wants of new teachers’

In addition, there has been an effects on mentoring capacities in educational facilities for trainee academics in lack topics. As Sarah Poore, science ITT direct at the College of Brighton points out, ‘We have discovered that a range of universities do not have the ability to mentor ITT trainees and are reluctantly unable to provide placements. Science mentors getting expected for ECT mentoring leaves a hole in the section.’
At the Institute of Physics (IoP), strategic lead for teacher recruitment and retraining, Chris Shepherd brought alongside one another specialists in this field to assessment the most current conclusions of an evaluation of the ECF and to create a system to support enhance the framework for new instructors. I spoke to some of the gurus to get their sights.
Specialist perspectives on the ECF
Chris Shepherd’s major concern is that the ECF is way too generic and he argues for at the very least 50% subject-certain articles. Not too long ago, the IoP led a pilot task, co-funded by Gatsby, that offered physics ECTs with additional subject matter specialism assist, and evaluated by Emily Perry from Sheffield Hallam University’s Institute of Schooling Centre for Investigation and Understanding Exchange.
All the industry experts I spoke to observed it challenging to describe the very clear advantages of the current ECF, basically acknowledging that they welcomed viewed as, structured and funded guidance for ECTs. Mark Jordan, head of instruction at the RSC, summarised this, saying ‘the teaching profession deserves this level of support, but the model demands tuning to improved aid the particular person needs of ECTs’. And indeed, the ECF is currently criticised for remaining material significant, inflexible and missing factors of instructor advancement.
I requested Emily Perry to describe the ideal provision, and she determined 3 capabilities of efficient skilled development:
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- Personalised: ECTs would benefit from auditing their techniques and areas for advancement at the start off.
- Reliable: The outcomes of the audit could be utilized to develop the ECT, educated by their wants and all those of the faculty or college.
- Contextualised: A mixture of generic and subject-distinct coaching that enables contextualisation of the abilities in apply in secondary, this signifies inside issue specialism.



I asked Emily Perry to describe the great provision, and she determined three features of effective specialist development. To start with, it really should be personalised, meaning ECTs would benefit from auditing their techniques and parts for development at the commence. Secondly, it requirements to be authentic, employing the outcomes of the audit to create the ECT, informed by both equally their demands and those people of the faculty or college. Thirdly, the PD really should be contextualised, featuring a mix of generic and issue-unique schooling that makes it possible for contextualisation of the capabilities in practice in secondary, this suggests within issue specialism.
Chris recalled how he valued obtaining issue-precise instruction when he was an NQT, specifically having a person-to-one assistance with the use and training of sensible operate in his specialism. Though this even now goes on, it is patchy and the ECT framework would gain from mandating this as part of its provision.
As I was gathering these thoughts, I acquired that many of the authorities-funded ECF companies gained excellent grades from Ofsted for their ECF schemes. Nevertheless, close to the very same time a report from Gatsby and Instructor Tapp raised questions about the provision and usefulness of the ECF.
As I was collecting these thoughts, I figured out that various of the government-funded ECF vendors acquired superb grades from Ofsted for their ECF techniques. However, all over the same time a report from Gatsby and Trainer Tapp (little bit.ly/3IKtU74) raised questions about the provision and efficiency of the ECF.
What future for the Early profession framework?
Some ECTs are acquiring a really favourable practical experience and really feel their mentors had been a lifeline by way of the to start with yr. On the other hand, at its worst the ECF is considered time consuming, meaningless and repetitive of ITT … and occasionally it’s the very matter that potential customers them to quit. As Trainer Tapp’s Becky Allen concludes in her examination, far better is not necessarily very good adequate. ‘Providing new academics with fulfilling teaching encounters that lead to their identification as educators must be one particular of the framework’s aims,’ she suggests.
Some ECTs are having a pretty positive working experience and feel their mentors were a lifeline as a result of the to start with yr. Nonetheless, at its worst the ECF is viewed as time consuming, meaningless and repetitive of ITT presently skilled by new ECTs … and from time to time the very matter main them to stop. As Teacher Tapp’s Becky Allen concludes in her examination (bit.ly/493KPwq), better is not always fantastic adequate. ‘Providing new academics with pleasurable training activities that add to their id as educators should be one of the framework’s goals,’ she suggests.
The ECF initiative has been heralded by the DfE as superior help for ECTs as England has faced rising authorities management and scrutiny of all elements of instruction above the previous ten years. I contacted colleagues in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales for their views on England’s ECF. Several hadn’t heard of it but have been intrigued to know additional. Wales is now implementing its possess Newly capable instructor aid programme and colleagues in Northern Ireland have proven their have Studying leaders strategy. Colin McGill, a lecturer in instructor schooling at Edinburgh Napier University, likes the much more certain direction available to novice lecturers by the English ECF. On the other hand, he (along with other people) suggests that alternatively of the generic programme, the framework ought to ‘offer a menu method to meet up with the specific demands of new teachers’.
New teachers have to have assistance, but there is a mismatch amongst what the DfE is providing, what the investigate evidence displays is necessary and the simply call from acquired societies to include things like noticeably extra issue-certain provision. It looks that ECF programmes provide ECTs with generic input, relatively than supplying personalised, authentic and contextualised experiences. The DfE has invested revenue in this programme, and it proceeds to evaluation and make improvements to the provision (results of the January 2024 evaluation choose effect in September 2025). I only hope that it listens to the learned societies and instructor development pros to make the ECT as effective as probable and finally keep additional lecturers instructing for more time.
