Early Career Framework and Appropriate Body Engagement Events Webinars

With the final term of this current academic year in full swing it is now time to look ahead to the next year with schools invited to attend the Appropriate Body and Early Career Framework information engagement events - either to find out more if new to the SWIFT delivery; or for existing schools who are already working this year with SWIFT and who tuned in for an update.
 
SWIFT ECF Lead, Chris Harris began proceedings by introducing SWIFT: as two of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Teaching School Hubs, Colyton and Kingsbridge, working with other partners.
 
The Appropriate Body (AB) and Early Career Framework (ECF) are two distinct entities, and Chris introduced the Early Career Framework as the two-year statutory professional development entitlement for new teachers joining the profession, part of the DfE’s Recruitment and Retention Strategy – heralding the start of a teacher’s Golden Thread journey.

​Partnered with national provider, Teach First, and having benefitted from the 2020 – 2021 DfE/Teach First ECF pilot year, SWIFT is pleased to be the delivery partner of this forward-looking support training for teachers in their first two years of teaching,
 
Essentially, the DfE recognises that teacher quality = success for students, and particularly for disadvantaged children. Research and statistics show that effective CPD, development and support in a teacher’s early years is more likely to ensure effective achievements and longevity of teachers in the profession.
 
The spirit of the ECF is as a supportive programme. And as part of schools’ support for their ECTs, they are required to provide ECTs with 10% additional timetable time in Year 1 and 5% in Year 2. ECTs must have access to effective mentoring, which is a significant and beneficial element of the Early Career Framework programme.
 
As teachers we understand the value of aiming high and as part of the Year 1 programme, ECTs engage in six half-termly modules led by their SWIFT Delivery Lead with edifying learning material relevant for the classroom, complemented by a maximum of four and a half hours per half term of private study on the Teach First online learning platform, Brightspace; supported by weekly interactions with their school Mentor based on Instructional Coaching. In addition, this year’s ECTs are invited to attend the ECF Summer Enrichment Conference on Wednesday 6 July 2022. 

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Next year when the ECF cycle begins again for the new Year 1 ECTs, as part of SWIFT’s pragmatic and considered support, the official start date will be from the week commencing Monday 19 September 2022 in order to allow ECTs the few essential weeks to embed in their schools and to discover the reassuring basics that can make a big difference to the start of their teaching career.
 
The programme will commence with individual induction days for Mentors and ECTs during the first and second weeks of the programme; and significantly, these will be as in-person events. A novel experience in the aftermath of the past two years of Covid-19 and based on feedback from this year’s cohort who expressed a wish to network and meet together with fellow programme members.
 
Teachers also understand the value of forever learning and the benefits of experience with lessons learned this year from various aspects of the programme – not least, the online learning platform, Brightspace. Chris took the opportunity to thank stakeholders for their flexibility in the delivery of the programme and celebrated the pleasingly positive feedback in a Teach First survey at the start of this year in which SWIFT compared very highly against the national average.  

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Mentors also have their own training programme to develop them in their support role, with learning material on Brightspace and one seminar per half term with their SWIFT Delivery Lead. The dedicated Mentor Handbook provides guidance on expected interactions; however, with scope to be flexible and tailor to the needs of their own ECT.

Mentors also have their own training programme to develop them in their support role, with learning material on Brightspace and one seminar per half term with their SWIFT Delivery Lead. The dedicated Mentor Handbook provides guidance on expected interactions; however, with scope to be flexible and tailor to the needs of their own ECT.
 
As the ECT journey continues into Year 2, there is a similar format to the programme, albeit with reduced time requirements and delivery.  The noteworthy change in the programme is that delivery in Year 2 is subject/phase specific. Year 2 ECTs will attend six-hour induction sessions and one seminar per half term with expert practice; whilst Mentors will attend one seminar per half term, plus the all-important ECT mentoring session which becomes a fortnightly requirement in Year 2.  SWIFT will be leading compulsory Year 2 ECT and Mentor Induction Days in the Summer Term on Tuesday 12 and Thursday 14 July 2022 respectively.

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​There will also be opportunities for ECTs to benefit from development cycles. For example, to meet and observe an expert in their school and to participate in the leadership enrichment series through Brightspace, progressing in the future to engaging in NPQs and other aspiring middle leadership or specialist opportunities. Additional opportunities to expand an ECT’s repertoire include SEND enhancements, a visit to another school, an invitation to join the SWIFT Professional Communities network with termly subject events, CPD opportunities such as the Spring Term Racial Literacy programme, high quality videos for seminar catch-up, the end of year ECT conference - which incidentally and importantly, Mentors and SLT are also welcome to join; and membership of the Chartered College of Teaching. All of which are part of the journey to support and encourage the transition from ECT to experienced teacher.
 
Above all, SWIFT is committed to being a strong support for schools, and understands that this translates into positive student outcomes.

Some good news about Year 2 funding. Those schools engaged in the full induction programme with SWIFT will receive an additional £1,200 for their additional ECT 5% timetabling and additional Mentoring. What’s more, in the Summer Term schools receive approximately £1,600 as a back payment for their Mentor completing the training programme.
 
There’s more good news. Too often programmes can be associated with paperwork, but there’s no expectation for schools to do any paperwork or record-keeping for the ECF - unless it is useful for you. Hence its distinctness from the Appropriate Body. And there’s no need for schools to re-register their existing ECTs into Year 2. That’s automatic. But schools will need to ensure that Mentors are allocated and we understand the significance of timetable challenges. So, it’s important to get this right and make adequate time. Ideally, the same Mentor will continue with their ECT for both Years 1 and 2 and it is important that schools keep SWIFT and the DfE informed in the event of any changes.

So, what about the Appropriate Body that complements support for new teachers. The other SWIFT speaker, Chris Barnett - one of the Strategic Leads for the SWIFT AB, explained about this vital lifeline of support to schools in managing the statutory induction of their teachers.
 
Working with schools, the SWIFT AB service monitors and supports to ensure that ECTs work towards their end of Year 1 and 2 formal assessment and check the paperwork and undertake QA visits and supplementary support where required.
 
We encourage schools to be aware of assessment deadlines and to be proactive about support and capacity needs in your school. 

Based on SWIFT’s experience this year, the SWIFT AB Service has updated their Year 2 costings from the current 60% Year 1 and 40% Year 2 ratio to the future 50% in both Years 1 and 2. For the sake of clarity in the continuing academic year cycles, it is worth noting that Year 2 ECTs will be known as Cohort B.
 
Similar to the ECF, existing ECTs on the programme will not need to reregister for Year 2. But new ECTs in either Year 1 or in Year 2 new to their school will need to be registered and you can find the sign-up form at the end of this report. 
 
Behind the scenes on-boarding of ECTs involves detailed work. Hence the sooner schools sign-up the smoother the process for all parties.  But SWIFT HQ is here to assist - with guidance on completing the AB Service Level Agreement and how to register on the DfE portal (for example, remember to keep handy the TRN and date of birth of your ECT and Mentor).

Report by Jude Owens,
PA to the SWIFT Executive Team

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School Registration Form  

sign-up your school here

For More Information ​

email | colyton TSH

email | kingsbridge TSH

email | ECT Team