Quotations are taken from the DfE Statutory Guidance for Induction available online here.

How many observations does an ECT need to have?

The statutory guidance says:

“An ECT’s teaching is expected to be observed at regular intervals throughout their induction period to facilitate a fair and effective assessment of the ECT’s teaching practice, conduct and efficiency against the Teachers’ Standards. Observations of the ECT may be undertaken by the induction tutor or another suitable person from inside or outside the institution.”

We normally recommend that an ECT is observed each half-term in year 1 (so 6 times a year) and each long term in year 2 (so 3 times a year).  These observations should be agreed in advance with the ECT and verbal and written feedback given following the observation.  However, schools may have a different pattern of observation, which is fine.  The main point is that the induction tutor should have a fair and accurate picture of the ECT’s teaching when they come to write the report.

Who should observe the ECT?

Formal observations may be carried out by the induction tutor, or “another suitable person from inside or outside the institution”.  This may be the headteacher or another member of SLT, or the subject or year lead. 

Mentors may carry out developmental observations as part of the ECF programme, but they should not normally form part of the assessment process.

Is there a formal lesson observation template we can use to write up the observations?

There is a template in the resources section on ECT Manager that schools can use, but they are also free to use their own school documentation.

Do we have to upload the lesson observation write ups anywhere?

Schools can upload the write-ups (and any other documents) to the “documents” section of the ECT’s homepage on ECT manager, but you don’t have to.

What evidence does an ECT need to keep to demonstrate progress against the Teachers’ Standards?

ECTs are not required to keep a portfolio of evidence specially for their induction.  The statutory guidance says:

“Evidence for assessments must be drawn from the ECT’s work as a teacher during their induction. To ensure evidence gathering is not burdensome for the ECT, formal assessment meetings should be informed by evidence gathered during progress reviews and assessment periods leading up to the formal assessment. This will consist of existing documents and working documents. There is no need for the ECT to create anything new for the formal assessment, they should draw from their work as a teacher and from their induction programme. Judgements made during the induction period should relate directly to the Teachers’ Standards and should not be made against the ECF.”

Evidence should therefore be in the form of working documents – the ECT’s planner (hard copy or online, lesson presentations and materials, mark book or data spreadsheets etc). 

When the induction tutor writes the progress reviews and end of year reports, they are expected to summarise the evidence on which their judgements are based, so they need to have seen the evidence themselves and have discussed it with the ECT.

There is a tracker document in the resources area on ECT manager which ECTs and induction tutors can use if they want to have a brief record of the evidence, but this is not a statutory requirement and does not need to be submitted anywhere.

Does a school/ECT have to submit their evidence to the Appropriate Body?

No there is no need to submit any evidence to the AB, unless there are concerns about the ECT’s progress, or there is a difference of opinion between the ECT and the school in terms of the judgements being made about their progress.

How are ECTs assessed against the Teachers’ Standards?

It is the responsibility of the induction tutor to review the ECT’s progress against the Teachers' Standards.  We would recommend that the induction tutor meets half termly if possible, and certainly termly, with each ECT to discuss their progress.  It is important that ECTs are clear about their strengths and areas for development, in relation to the Teachers’ Standards, and the statutory guidance is very clear that there should be “no surprises” when it comes to the end of year reports.

Evidence for judgements should come from more than just lesson observations – it can include planning documents, reports, data shots, pastoral activities, engagement with CPD sessions and whole school events, engagement with the ECF programme, pupil voice, contact with parents etc.

How many reports are written for ECTs, and who writes these?

ECTs will have a report at the end of each long term (so 3 per year) and it is normally the induction tutor who will write these.

Progress reviews should take place at the end of term 1, 2, 4 and 5 when there is no formal assessment.  This is to check whether ECTs are on track to successfully complete induction, to summarise the evidence collected by the induction tutor and to set agreed developmental targets.  Induction tutors may ask the ECT to provide copies of existing evidence to inform the review.

Formal assessment reports are written at the end of each year of induction.  These should be carried out by the headteacher or the induction tutor, not the mentor.  ECTs should be kept up to date on their progress and there should be no surprises.  The formal assessment is a written report against each of the Teacher’s Standards.

Mentors should not normally be involved in assessing the ECTs or writing the termly reports.

TSH Berkshires runs termly support sessions offering guidance and examples of good practice.  There are also guides and exemplars in the resources section on ECT Manager.

How do I know when the reports are due?

Reports are always due two weeks before the end of term.  This is for full-time ECTs who started induction at the beginning of a term.  If the ECT is part-time or started between terms, they may have different deadlines, but you can always see when a report is due on the ECT’s home page in ECT Manager.

Can we “fast track” our ECT if they are very good?

All ECTs have to have a 2 year induction period, even if they are very strong – there is no “fast track” option.  If an ECT has what the statutory guidance refers to as “extensive prior experience of teaching whole classes to the Teacher Standards” it is possible to request a reduced induction period.  There is an application process and you would need to give evidence of the ECT’s prior experience – there is more information about this in the resources section on ECT Manager.

What do we do if we have concerns about the ECT?

If a school is concerned that an ECT is not making progress against the Teachers’ Standards, they should put additional support in place and inform TSH Berkshire.  ECT’s cannot fail an individual term or year of induction – the decision about passing or failing is only made at the end of the two year period.  There is more information about the concerns process in the Induction Tutor Handbook in the resources area on ECT Manager.

What do I do as an ECT if I have concerns about my induction?

Discuss your concerns with your induction tutor in the first instance. If you still have concerns, contact TSH Berkshire.

What happens if an ECT is judged to have not met the Teachers’ Standards at the end of the induction period. 

It may be possible to extend the induction period in this case.  This needs to be discussed with TSH Berkshire well before the end of the induction period.  An extension to the induction period doesn’t usually have any long term affect on the ECT’s career.

How long is the induction period for part-time ECTs.

The length of induction for part-time ECTs is calculated pro rata.  So an ECT on 0.5 should have an induction period of 4 years.  However, it is possible for a part-time ECT to finish induction after 2 years, if the school and ECT are in agreement, and if the ECT has met the Teachers’ Standards.  The school have to apply for this and there is more information on ECT Manager.

What happens if an ECT leaves the school before the end of the year?

The school will have to write an “interim assessment” if the ECT leaves before their end of year assessment is due.  Please contact TSH Berkshire so that we can set this up on the system.

What happens if an ECT goes on maternity leave?

Maternity leave doesn’t count as absence.  An ECT can choose to have their time on mat leave count towards their induction period, or they can choose to extend their induction by the number of days they were on leave.  There is more information about this in the resources section on ECT Manager.  Please let us know when your ECT goes on maternity leave and when they return so that we can put them “on hold” on the system.