Early Career Teachers – those at the very beginning of their careers – have always found a supportive environment at Felsted. After all, they are the future of our profession and key to maintaining the character and quality of the education we offer generations of pupils.
So when in 2021 the Government changed the national approach to teacher training and the Early Career Framework handed schools the autonomy to run their own programmes, we were quick to jump on the opportunity.
The ability to tailor a programme to suit the packed schedules of staff in a busy boarding and day school was of course appealing. But on top of that, we recognised the great potential of instilling best practice in teachers in the formative early years of their careers. We could feed their intellectual curiosity and giving them a flying start to teaching excellence.
“The ability to tailor a programme to suit the packed schedules of staff in a busy boarding and day school was appealing.”
The summer holiday of 2021 was spent devising a concept for Felsted’s own Early Career Teachers (ECT) programme. It was put into action immediately for the nine new entrants to the profession the school had recruited. This was one of the highest numbers the Independent Schools Teacher Induction Panel (IStip) said they had ever seen when they came to inspect in our very first year of operation.
IStip was impressed: The inspectors praised the way the programme is tailored for each individual ECT, the standard of mentoring and the high quality of the provision, especially given the size of the cohort.
Most rewarding was the inspectors’ comment regarding Felsted’s support network and praised the “very positive, collegial atmosphere in the school.”
This was certainly my aim when I set out to create a personalised, school-based programme for our Early Career Teachers, which would be aligned with the school’s whole-school academic development priorities, and offer sufficient academic rigour.
The two-year programme (extended from the previous one year specified by the Government) gives time to develop good learning habits, so our ECT programme centres on key pedagogical areas that are important for the holistic development of teacher training, in line with the statutory teaching standards, to support developed and extended progress.
“There is also a focus on academic research and how to develop this into excellent practice.”
The programme’s content was compiled as a booklet for ECTs and their mentors to deep dive into the standards in a more exploratory manner. Each standard is broken down into manageable chunks, which can then be explored with the ECT’s mentor and through critical thinking questions.
There is also a focus on academic research and how to develop this into excellent practice. A number of books, articles and blogs are shared with ECTs too, to encourage development of cognitive science and lead the way in teaching and learning.
The importance of providing a supportive group for ECTs cannot be underestimated. We hold fortnightly INSET sessions bringing together all of the ECTs to discuss any problems and work through solutions, and to extend their understanding of the standards. For example, the ECTs receive in-house training on supporting neurodiverse students and developing strategies for effective feedback, as well as exploring how to practically implement Felsted’s learning goals and academic priorities.
Now in its second year, Felsted’s programme has 13 ECTs and is evolving to suit their needs and interests, encouraging them to flourish. Mentor support has been added, as well as training in “instructional coaching”. This is a real benefit of the programme as it creates opportunities for both new teachers and middle leaders to continue professional development, resulting in a good number of Felsted teachers extending their learning and expertise and maintaining the drive for teaching excellence.
“The Early Career Teachers receive in-house training on supporting neurodiverse students.”
It is already clear that through offering our own bespoke ECT programme we are creating a diverse and highly skilled body of teachers, who have so much to offer our pupils. Its success has prompted IStip to recommend that Felsted become a regional ECT training hub; already other schools have approached us to support their training.
Felsted’s programme is bespoke, so it can be tailored for any independent or state school, prep, primary, or senior. It is suitable for graduate ECTs, but also for those changing career – their rich life experience brings their teaching alive in the classroom.
Some ECTs have come straight from completing PhDs and bring in-depth subject knowledge and expertise, which is also an inspiration for our pupils. Of course, all ECTs must complete a teacher training qualification, such as PGCE.
We are very pleased we took advantage of the opportunity to devise a bespoke programme for ECTs. Supporting and extending new teachers in the formative early years of their careers is extremely rewarding, and it is reassuring to know that the foundations of teaching commitment and excellence continue to be laid down for the future.