Everything You Should Expect from Your ECT Induction Period

During your teacher training, you will have been made aware that the next step in your pathway to a job in education is your ECT (Early Career Teacher) induction period. But what does your ECT induction actually involve?

Read more about ECT life

An ECT induction currently takes six complete school terms. These are usually completed full-time and within two academic years, though this doesn’t have to be the case. 

An ECT working on a part-time basis is expected to complete their induction period in four school years.  

Yes. If you do not pass your induction period, you are not given a second chance. 

Successful completion of the induction period demonstrates that you have met the relevant professional teaching standards. These are the basic requirements that span working life as a teacher, such as subject knowledge, planning, assessment, learning environment, behaviour management, and professional conduct.  

Throughout these two years, you will have a number of lesson observations, as well as regular meetings with an assigned induction tutor to discuss your development. 

ECTs are formally assessed twice – midway through their induction period and then at its end. You will receive regular progress reviews in the interim. This means that you should draw from your work to maintain a portfolio of evidence that they are meeting each teaching standard. 

At the end of the two-year period, your school’s headteacher will inform the local authority whether they feel you have met the official Teachers’ Standards and passed your ECT induction.  

You can have your induction in almost all schools and educational providers. This includes; maintained schools, academies, free schools, pupil referral units, alternative provisions, independent schools, sixth forms, and further education colleges.  

You'll have a 10% reduction in your teaching timetable for your first year (in addition to PPA time) to allow for meetings with your induction tutor and other necessary activities. 

In your second year, you will receive a 5% reduction. 

You are also entitled to regular one-to-one sessions with an assigned ECT mentor (as distinct from your induction tutor) to discuss your progress and help you to create effective development strategies.  

Teaching Personnel’s ECT Pool puts you in front of thousands of potential employers looking to take on Early Career Teachers. Our specialist educational recruitment consultants promote you to schools near you, saving you the hassle of writing multiple applications. 

We are here to help you land your first job as a newly qualified teacher and support you throughout your two ECT years. All you have to do is register your details and we’ll get to work finding you a job you’ll love.