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Registering an ECT-Changes to the way schools register and manage Early Career Teachers and mentors for September 2026 ECTs

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Registering an ECT-Changes to the way schools register and manage Early Career Teachers and mentors for September 2026 ECTs

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in April 2026, notifying Headteachers of changes to the service

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GOV.UK - Communication emails to schools

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Emails to schools in relation to the register early career teachers service.

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 Headteacher: Roles and Responsibilities for Early Career Entitlement

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 Headteacher: Roles and Responsibilities for Early Career Entitlement

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Headteachers' responsibilities

The early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) is a 2-year programme that supports early career teachers ( ECTs) when they start their teaching career.

As a headteacher, you have overall responsibility for the ECTE in your school.

This includes:

appointing an appropriate body

choosing a training programme option (and training provider, if your school chooses the 'provider-led' training option)

assuring the quality of your school's training programme (if your school chooses the 'school-led' training option)

choosing and supporting induction tutors and mentors

ensuring that your ECTs and mentors get their time off timetable entitlements

consulting with your appropriate body on any special circumstances, for example managing the entitlement for part-time teachers, long-term supply teachers or long-term absences

making final recommendations to your appropriate body on whether your ECTs have met the teachers' standards

keeping and maintaining ECTs' records

Find out more about headteacher responsibilities in section 5 of induction for early career teachers.

Headteachers can delegate ECTE tasks

Although headteachers have overall responsibility, you can delegate and share some tasks related to the ECTE in your school.

Induction tutors help headteachers to co-ordinate ECT activities and will often lead on them.

Find out how induction tutors support ECTs.

Appoint an appropriate body

Your school must appoint an appropriate body.

ECTs cannot start their entitlement until:

your school has appointed an appropriate body

they've been registered with your appropriate body

Appropriate bodies assure the quality of ECTE by:

checking that your school or setting is suitable for delivering ECT activities

checking that ECTs receive their statutory entitlements, for example that they are assigned a dedicated mentor and they get time off timetable to complete ECTE activities like training and mentoring sessions

making sure that support, assessment and guidance for ECTs are in place

making sure that school-led ECTE training programmes cover the initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) (if your school chooses the 'school-led' training option)

Find out how to appoint an appropriate body at set up and manage the early career teacher entitlement.

Choose a training programme option

Your school's ECTE training programme can be either:

supplied and delivered by an approved lead provider (we call this 'provider-led')

designed and delivered by your own school (we call this 'school-led')

If your school chooses the school-led option

Headteachers are responsible for putting in place an appropriate training programme. If your school designs its own training programme, you should:

make sure it covers every 'learn that' and 'learn how to' statement in the

tell your appropriate body - it'll need to check your programme to make sure it covers the ITTECF in full

There are freely available materials designed to cover the ITTECF in full that schools can use if they choose the school-led option.

Find out how to choose a training programme option at set up and manage the early career teacher entitlement.

Choose an induction tutor

Headteachers should identify and choose a person to act as an induction tutor. You should appoint someone who has qualified teacher status (QTS).

The induction tutor is an important role. The person you choose will need to:

co-ordinate and support ECTE in your school

make judgements about an ECT's progress in relation to the teachers' standards

A headteacher or principal can be an induction tutor and they must be given enough time to carry it out effectively.

Keep the induction tutor and mentor roles separate

You should keep these roles separate. A person should only have both roles in exceptional circumstances.

If your school needs to combine the roles, you should make sure the person:

can manage the full responsibilities of both roles

keeps mentoring and assessment sessions separate

Find out how to choose an induction tutor at set up and manage the early career teacher entitlement.

Headteachers should ensure that ECTs and mentors get their time off timetable entitlements.

Your school receives DfE funding to cover time off for ECTE activities.

Manage special circumstances

The length and content of the ECTE can be extended or reduced in special circumstances. This includes:

reductions due to the ECT having extensive previous teaching experience

extensions where circumstances mean it's reasonable to give an ECT more time to demonstrate that they meet the teachers' standards

an ECT's option to extend when they've taken statutory leave, such as paternity or maternity leave

You should speak to your appropriate body if you think an extension or reduction might be appropriate.

Find out about managing special circumstances and change.

Make final recommendations to your appropriate body

Headteachers need to make a recommendation to the school's appropriate body at the end of the ECT 's induction.

You should use the ECT 's final formal assessment for the recommendation and it should:

record if the ECT's performance has met or not met the teachers' standards

state if there's a need for an extended ECTE

After the final assessment report, your appropriate body will:

decide if the ECT has met the teachers' standards

report their decision on the ECT's record

Find out more about reviews and assessments in section 2 of induction for early career teachers.

Maintain and keep records

You should:

maintain accurate records of the ECTE in your school, including your ECTs' progress and formal reviews

keep all relevant documentation for 6 years

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Headteachers: responsibilities for early career teacher entitlement

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The early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) is a 2-year programme that supports early career teachers ( ECTs) when they start their teaching career. As a headteacher, you have overall responsibility for the ECTE in your school.

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Induction Tutor: Roles and Responsibilities 

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Induction Tutor: Roles and Responsibilities 

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Applies to England

Induction tutors' responsibilities

Early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) is a 2-year programme that supports early career teachers ( ECTs) when they start their teaching career.

Induction tutors play an important role in their school's ECTE.

Some schools use the term ' ECT lead' instead of induction tutor.

If you're an induction tutor, you'll:

lead and co-ordinate on the delivery of the ECTE in your school

need to update Department for Education (DfE) about any changes to the ECTE in your school

review and assess an ECT's progress against the teachers' standards

be a point of contact for anyone involved in the ECTE

carry out some of your headteacher's ECTE responsibilities, if these are delegated to you

An induction tutor is different to an ECT's mentor.

Find out more about induction tutor responsibilities in section 5 of induction for early career teachers.

Lead and co-ordinate ECTE delivery

Induction tutors are responsible for setting up and managing the training, support, assessment and changing circumstances for the ECTE.

Find out more about how to do this at set up and manage the early career teacher entitlement.

Tell DfE about changes to your school's ECTE

You must update DfE if there are any changes to your school's ECTE.

Use the manage training for early career teachers service for any changes to your:

Review and assess ECTs' progress

An ECT's progress needs to be assessed against the teachers' standards throughout their entitlement. You do this through progress reviews and formal assessments. You will arrange and schedule these and share records of them with your school's appropriate body.

You should take prompt and appropriate action if an ECT appears to be having difficulties. Speak with your appropriate body to agree appropriate support.

Find out more about reviews and assessments in section 2 of induction for early career teachers.

Delegated responsibilities

Your headteacher may delegate some of their ECTE responsibilities to you as the school's induction tutor. This may include:

appointing an appropriate body

choosing a training programme option

managing special circumstances

Find out more about headteachers' responsibilities and how to set up and manage the early career teacher entitlement.

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Induction tutors: responsibilities for early career teacher entitlement

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Mentors: responsibilities for early career teacher entitlement

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The early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) is a 2-year programme that supports early career teachers (ECTs) when they start their teaching career.

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Set up and manage the early career teacher entitlement

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What schools need to do to set up and manage training, support, assessment and changing circumstances for the early career teacher entitlement (ECTE).

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How to register a new ECT on ECT Manager

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How to register a new ECT on ECT Manager

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How to support ECTs who are 'not on track'

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How to support ECTs who are 'not on track'

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Changes to the way schools register and manage Early Career Teachers and mentors for September 2026 ECTs

 

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Changes to the way schools register and manage Early Career Teachers and mentors for September 2026 ECTs

 

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informing schools what information is required and how to register

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GOV.UK - Register early career teachers service: changes for schools

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The launch of the register early career teachers service means a number of changes for schools.

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Changes to the way schools register and manage Early Career Teachers and mentors for September 2026 ECTs

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Changes to the way schools register and manage Early Career Teachers and mentors for September 2026 ECTs

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Resources to help support schools using the Register Early Career Teachers (RECT) service.

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Documentation This site is used for documentation about a service.

Scenarios and data used in these videos are for demonstration purposes only. They do not indicate real-life actions.

Register a school's first early career teacher

Tell DfE about the school induction tutor

Register an early career teacher for a school-led programme

Assign a mentor to an early career teacher

Register an early career teacher where a partnership is already in place

Register an early career teacher who's moved from another school

Register a mentor (already registered at another school)

Tell DfE about an early career teacher or a mentor who's leaving the school permanently

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GOV.UK - Register early career teachers service: supporting videos

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Scenarios and data used in these videos are for demonstration purposes only. They do not indicate real-life actions.