At the Gateway Academy, we are fully committed to upholding the statutory requirements of the Early Career Framework (ECF) for early career teachers. The ECF was designed to make sure early career teachers focus on learning the things that make the most difference in the classroom and their professional practice. Each Early Career Teacher (ECT) whether in year one or two, is assigned a mentor with whom they work closely over the course of the year. Regular self-study takes place as well as observation and feedback on elements of the Framework. Our ECF is delivered using the Ambition Institute material and we work with the Professional Learning Network on delivering this. Via Steplab, our ECTs follow the guided curriculum which has been created by the Ambition Institute.

There are five core areas to the ECF:

• Behaviour management
• Pedagogy
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Professional behaviours

The content of the ECF builds on and complements Initial Teacher Training (ITT). The ECF underpins what all early career teachers should be entitled to learn about and learn how to do based on expert guidance and the best available research evidence. As is the case for other professions, areas covered in initial training will be covered in greater depth as part of induction as teachers continue on their journey to becoming experts.

In order to ensure congruence with the eight Teachers’ Standards, the content of the Framework is presented in eight sections. In developing the Framework, behaviour management was thought to be encompassed by High Expectations and Managing Behaviour (S1 and S7); pedagogy was thought to be encompassed by How Pupils Learn, Classroom Practice and Adaptive Teaching (S2, S4, S5); and curriculum, assessment and professional behaviours were thought to be encompassed by S3, S6 and S8 respectively.

While the ECF is presented around the Teachers’ Standards for clarity, the ECF is not, and should not be used, as an assessment framework. Early career teachers will not be expected to collect evidence against the ECF, and they will continue to be assessed against the Teachers’ Standards only. The ECF will underpin an entitlement to training and support for early career teachers and should not be seen as an additional assessment tool. Part Two of the Teachers’ Standards defines the behaviour and attitudes which set the required standard for conduct throughout a teacher’s career. These standards must always be met and stand alongside the ECF so are not explicitly referenced within the framework.

The core induction programmes include high-quality development materials, underpinned by the ECF, which will support early career teachers to develop the essential knowledge and skills to set them up for a successful and fulfilling career in teaching.