Glossary

Early Career Teacher Programme (ECTP)

The training that Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and ECT mentors are entitled to as part of their 2-year induction. From September 2025, this training will be based on the ITTECF.

For clarity, avoid referring to ‘induction training’ which could be misconstrued as something wider - i.e. the wider contextual training ECTs should have in schools (and any new staff to that school)

Providers of the ECTP

The lead providers who work with delivery partners to deliver the ECTP.

Provider-led ECTP or government funded ECTP

The training programmes for ECTs and their mentors based on the ITTECF delivered by Lead providers and Delivery Partners. Do not use “FIP” or “Full Induction Programme” in user-facing contexts.

School-led ECTP

A school delivering their own ECTP for their ECTs, not accessing the funded provider-led training programme. Do not use “DIY” or “DIY programme” in user-facing contexts.

Mentoring of ECTs / ECT mentor

The regular mentoring that ECTs are entitled to, and their designated mentor. Avoid using ‘ECF mentoring’ or ECF mentor

Assessment

The formal assessment of ECTs against the teachers’ standards. This determines whether they pass or fail statutory induction. It’s important to be clear that: * ECTs are not assessed against the ECF or ITTECF * ECF-based or ITTECF-based training for ECTs is not assessed * ECF-based or ITTECF-based training for ECTs is not part of an ECT’s formal assessment * ECTs do not have to complete their ECF-based or ITTECF-based training for ECTs to pass their induction

Progress reviews

Regular reviews of an ECT’s performance, conducted by their induction tutor. These are designed to monitor an ECT’s progress towards meeting the teachers’ standards. You should not use the term “progress review” in relation to any aspect of the ECTP. Progress reviews are a separate part of statutory induction.

DfE’s ‘Manage training for early career teachers’ service

Manage training for early career teachers is the online service schools must use to register information about their ECTP. Never refer to it as DfE’s “platform” or DfE “portal”.

This project aims to replace the old Manage training service.

You can read more about what schools can do in the service in our guidance: Guidance for schools: how to manage ECF-based training

DfE’s ‘Support for early career teachers’ service

Support for early career teachers is the online service schools use to access the DfE-accredited training materials if they wish to deliver these themselves.

Replacement mentors

A new mentor joining the ECF mentor training programme to replace an existing mentor. Currently, we know a mentor is a replacement mentor is a lead provider submits over the API they are on a replacement mentor schedule. This mentor needs new funding allocated to them for their training. But they do not count towards a lead provider's contract performance metrics for training. Only the first mentor for the early career teacher is counted.

Replacing mentors

A mentor who is already on the ECF mentor training programme who starts to support an ECT (new or existing). This mentor does not need new funding as they have already had this allocated.

Qualifying nursery provision within maintained schools

Previously referred to as ‘maintained nursery schools and nursery provision within maintained schools’