Early Careers Policy

The early careers policy is available in PDF Format here - (Issue date: January 2022)

Aims

Kingsway Park High School aims to:

• Run an ECT Induction Programme that meets all statutory requirements underpinned by the Early Career Framework (ECF)
• Provide ECT’s with a supportive environment that develops them and equips them with the tools to be effective and successful teachers
• Ensure all staff understand their role in the ECT induction programme

Legislation and statutory guidelines

This policy is based on:

• the Department for Education’s statutory induction guidance for Early career Teachers (England) from September 2021
• The Early Career Framework reforms
• The Education (Induction Arrangements for School Teachers) (England) Regulations 2012.

The ‘relevant standards’ referred to below are the Teachers’ Standards.

The Induction Programme

The ECT induction period will act as a bridge between initial teacher Training and a long-lasting career in teaching. It combines a structured programme of development, support and professional dialogue, underpinned by the Early Career Framework, with monitoring and an assessment of performance against the Teachers’ Standards.

For a full-time ECT, the induction programme will last for two academic years. Part-time ECT’s will serve a full-time equivalent.

The school follows the DFE funded – provider led programme. Star Academy is the awarding body. Teach first is the external provider of the ECF which is being delivered through Star Academy. The awarding body and external provider of the Early Careers Framework is reviewed annually.

Posts for induction

Each ECT will:

• Be provided with the necessary employment tasks, experience and support to enable them to demonstrate satisfactory performance against the relevant standards throughout, and by the end of, the induction period
• Have an appointed mentor, who will have qualified teacher status (QTS) or Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status (QTLS) and an Induction Tutor
• Be assigned to an external provider for the Early Careers Framework
• Have a reduced timetable to allow them to undertake activities in their induction programme; in their first year, this will be no more 90% of a 25 lesson teaching timetable, and in their second year, this will be no more than 95% of a 25 lesson teaching timetable
• Regularly teach the same class or classes
• Take part in the same planning, teaching and assessment processes to other main pay scale teachers
• Not be given any additional non-teaching responsibilities without appropriate preparation and support
• Not have unreasonable demands made upon them
• Not normally teach outside the age range and/or subjects they have been employed to teach
• Be assigned an experienced mentor who has the expertise and time to invest in their development.

Support for ECTs

We support ECTs with:

• Their designated subject mentor, who will provide day-to-day monitoring and support through the Early Careers Framework, and an induction tutor who will have an overview of activity and will co-ordinate assessments
• Half-termly observations of their teaching, coaching questions to aid purposeful and reflective feedback discussions with 48 hours of an observation
• Pop ins to identify good Teaching and Learning practice
• Half-termly progress reviews of their progress, at which we will review their objectives and revise them in relation to the relevant standards and their current needs and strengths
• Opportunities to observe experienced and effective teachers within the Altus trust
• A fortnightly programme of CPL throughout the year with short CPL videos to watch during weeks of wider school events and/or ECF seminars.

Assessments of ECT performance

Each half term an ECT’s teaching will be observed against the teaching standards. This will be undertaken by induction tutor. The induction will ask the mentor to be present for some of these observations.

Each half term the ECT and Induction tutor will meet to undertake a professional progress review to identify and agree development targets

Progress reviews are not formal assessments but ECT’s will be asked to reflect on and RAG rate their progress against the teachers’ standards.

The induction tutor will notify the appropriate body after each progress review or inform whether the ECT is making satisfactory progress. Where this is not the case, a plan will be shared to outline the strategies in place to support the ECT in getting back on track.

The induction tutor will share the termly progress review with the appropriate body with ten working days of the meeting.

ECT’S are required to undertake 2 formal assessments. This must be undertaken by the headteacher or induction tutor. These will take place at the end of the first year (term 3) and in the final term of induction (term 6).

ECT’s will be kept informed on their progress. There will be nothing unexpected.

The formal assessments will be sent to the awarding body within ten working days of the meeting, for the appropriate body to make the final decision on whether the ECT has passed their induction.

At-risk procedures

If it becomes clear the ECT is not making sufficient progress, additional monitoring and support measures must be put in place immediately, meaning:

• Areas in which improvement is needed
• Appropriate objectives are set to guide the ECT towards satisfactory performance
• An effective support programme is put in place to help the ECT improve their performance which will be approved by the headteacher
• The appropriate body may be contacted and asked for further support.

If there are still concerns about the ECT’s progress at their next formal assessment, so long as it is not the final assessment, the headteacher and/or induction tutor will discuss this with the ECT, updating objectives as necessary and giving details of the improvement plan for the next assessment period.

Under the statutory guidance, ECT’s are also required to complete the Early Careers Framework materials provided by the external provider.

Roles and Responsibilities

Role of the ECT

The ECT will:

• Provide evidence that they have QTS and are eligible to start induction
• Meet with their induction tutor at the start of the programme to discuss and agree priorities, and keep these under review
• Agree with their induction tutor how best to use their reduced timetable allowance
• Provide evidence of their progress against the relevant teaching standards
• Participate fully in the monitoring and development (ECF) programme
• Guarantee engagement with the ECF resources and seminars
• Participate in scheduled half-termly classroom observations, progress reviews and formal assessment meetings
• Actively engage in fortnightly CPL sessions both in person and recorded
• Where observations have deemed Teaching and Learning (T&L) to not be of a high enough quality, ECT’s will work on specific targets with their mentor and be prepared to be observed with the same class in a four-week period
• Agree with their induction tutor the start and end dates of the induction period, and the dates of any absences from work during the period
• Keep copies of all assessment forms
• Retain copies of all assessment reports.

When the ECT has any concerns, they will:

• Raise these with their induction tutor as soon as they can
• Consult with their contact at the appropriate body at an early stage if there are difficulties in resolving issues with their tutor or within the school.

Role of the Induction Tutor

The Induction Tutor will hold QTS status and:

• Provide, or coordinate, guidance for the ECT’s professional development (with the appropriate body where necessary)
• Carry out half-termly progress reviews throughout the induction period
• Undertake two formal assessment meetings during the total induction period coordinating the input from other colleagues as appropriate (normally one at the end of term three and one at the end of term six, or pro rata for part-time staff)
• Carry out progress reviews in terms where a formal assessment does not occur
• Following progress review meetings, inform the ECT of their determination of their progress against the Teachers’ Standards and share progress review meetings of the determination of their progress against the Teachers’ Standards and share progress review records with the ECT, headteacher and appropriate body
• Inform the ECT during the assessment meeting of the judgements to be recorded in the formal assessment record and invite the ECT to add their comments
• Ensure that the ECT’s teaching is observed using the KPHS Observation record and feedback is provided within 48 hours
• Where the quality of Teaching and Learning has not been deemed a high quality in an observation, specific targets will be shared for the mentor to support the ECT with a follow up observation taking place with the same class within four weeks
• All conversations of feedback, strengths and developments to be shared with the ECT, mentor and Curriculum Leader (CL)
• Arrange fortnightly CPL sessions to support development. Where other wider school responsibilities/ECF seminars take place in the same week, provide a recorded CPL session to watch
• Support mentors and ECTs to engage with the ECF
• Quality assure the mentors observation and feedback process
• Ensure ECT’s are aware of how, both within and outside the Altus trust, they can raise any concerns about their induction programme or their personal progress
• Take prompt, appropriate action if an ECT appears to be having difficulties.
• Ensure that all monitoring and record keeping is done in the most streamlined and least burdensome way, and that requests for evidence from ECTs does not require new documentation but draw on existing working documents
• Liaise with the headteacher and the awarding body if an extension to the induction period is to be considered for exceptional circumstances
• Keep all relevant documentation, evidence and forms on file for 6 years.

In exceptional circumstances, the Induction Tutor may have to additionally take on the role of Mentor. It is important that the individual understands the distinction between their role as tutor and their role as mentor.

Role of the Mentor

The mentor will hold QTS or QTLS status and:

• Meet weekly with the ECT for structured mentor sessions to provide effective targeted feedback
• Work collaboratively with the ECT and other colleagues involved in the ECT’s induction within KPHS to help ensure the ECT receives a high-quality ECF-based induction programme
• Provide, or broker, effective support, including phase or subject specific mentoring and coaching
• Take prompt, appropriate action if an ECT appears to be having difficulties
• Take part In ECF training as delivered through the external provider.
• Provide guidance and effective support to the ECT, including coaching and mentoring
• Observe the ECT weekly to inform progress against the Teachers’ Standards
• Where observations have highlighted the quality of T&L is not strong enough, work with the induction tutor and ECT to support progress towards these targets
• Ensure the ECT is aware of how they can raise concerns about their induction programme or their personal progress, both within and outside of the school
• Take prompt, appropriate action if the ECT appears to be having difficulties
• Work with the induction tutor to ensure any concerns or additional support are dealt with effectively and timely
• The mentor will take part in the DFE ECF training. This will be timetabled.

Role of the Headteacher

The headteacher is, along with the appropriate body, jointly responsible for the monitoring, support and assessment of the ECT during induction, and is expected to:

• Check that the ECT has been awarded QTS
• Clarify whether the teacher needs to serve an induction period or is exempt
• Agree, in advance of the ECT starting the induction programmes, which body will act as the appropriate body
• Notify the appropriate body when an ECT is taking up a post in which they will be undertaking induction
• Ensure that the requirements for a suitable post for induction are met
• Ensure the induction tutor and the mentor have the ability and sufficient time to carry out their role effectively
• Ensure an appropriate ECF-based induction programme is in place
• Ensure the ECT’s progress is reviews regularly, including through observations of and feedback on their teaching
• Ensure that assessments are carried out and reports completed and sent to the appropriate body
• Maintain and retain accurate records of employment that will count towards the induction period
• Ensure that all monitoring and record keeping is done in the most streamlined and least burdensome way
• Make the governing body aware of the arrangements that have been put in place to support ECTs serving induction
• Make a recommendation to the appropriate body on whether the ECT’s performance against the Teachers’ Standards is satisfactory or requires an extension
• Participate appropriately in the appropriate body’s quality assurance procedures
• Notify the appropriate body as soon as absences total 30 days or more.

Role of the local Governing Body

The LGB will:

• Ensure the school complies with statutory guidance
• Be satisfied that the school has the capacity to support ECT
• Ensure the headteacher is fulfilling their responsibility to meet the requirements of a suitable induction post
• Investigate concerns raised by the ECT as part of the school’s grievance procedure
• If it wishes, seek guidance from the appropriate body on the quality of the induction arrangements and the roles and responsibilities of staff involved in the process
• If it wishes, request general reports on the progress of ECT’s.

Role of the Appropriate body

• The appropriate body has the main quality assurance role within the induction process.

Monitoring arrangements

This statement will be review annually by the Headteacher.

Links with other policies

This policy links to the following policies and procedures:

• Appraisal
• Grievance
• Code of Conduct
• Teaching and Learning