Early career teacher (ECT) induction: deciding your approach

There are 2 approaches to delivering early career teacher (ECT) induction. Read this advice to help you pick the best option for your school, including important factors to consider.

Updated
on 1 July 2025
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Contents
  1. What are your options?
  2. Choosing your approach
  3. Ensuring compliance

What are your options?

From 1 September 2025, settings that are required, or choose, to offer statutory induction to new teachers are expected to offer a 2-year induction based on the initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF).

Headteachers must put an appropriate ITTECF-based induction programme in place, and make sure that mentors and tutors who support ECTs can carry out their role effectively.

This is outlined in paragraph 5.3 (pages 42 and 43) of the guidance on induction for ECTs.

Read our article about choosing and supporting ECT induction mentors.

There are 2 different approaches to delivering an ITTECF-based induction 

Funded provider-led programme – a DfE-accredited provider designs and delivers training to ECTs and their mentors, funded by the DfE  School-designed and delivered programme – you design and deliver your own induction