Progress reviews and formal assessments

Under the 2-year statutory induction arrangements implemented by the DfE, if you are full-time, you will have 2 formal assessments of your practice carried out, one at the end of the first year and a final assessment at the end of the second year. If you are part-time, these are carried out on an FTE basis. Additionally, at the end of each term where a formal assessment is not due, a progress review is to be completed. If you leave post partway through induction. an interim assessment will be required in order to provide the next inducting school with a picture of your progress towards meeting the government teacher standards including development targets.

At the end of each assessment period (year 1 and year 2), the headteacher/principal will send a formal assessment report to the appropriate body providing evidence of your progress towards consolidating your ITT and meeting/embedding each of the government teacher standards. At the end of statutory induction, the headteacher/principal will recommend and evidence in the year 2 (final) assessment whether you have successfully met the teacher standards or not.

NB: Its important to note the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) programme (formerly ECF) is not and must not be used as an assessment framework. Additionally, performance management/appraisal arrangements do not apply to statutory indcution. During and throughout statutory induction, you must only be assessed against the government teacher standards.

Please also note you cannot ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ the ECTE training programme nor can you ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ an individual induction term or year 1 – you can only ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ statutory induction at the end of a fully completed 2-year induction (FTE for part-time ECTs).

In terms of progress reviews and formal assessment, the statutory guidance places the following expectations on you, your induction tutor, headteacher/principal and the Appropriate Body:

• Induction tutor: coordinate and carry out two formal end of year assessments (FTE for part-time ECTs) and at the end of each term where a formal assessment is not due, complete a progress review for each ECT. If you leave post partway through induction, this will become an interim assessment. In all instances, an end of period meeting should be arranged with you to discuss progress – there must be no surprises !
• Early Career Teacher: to keep track of, and participate effectively in, the scheduled progress reviews and assessment meetings with your induction tutor, mentor and/or headteacher/principal.
• Headteacher/Principal: to ensure completion of progress reviews and that formal assessments are completed and sent to the appropriate body with a recommendation evidencing whether the teacher standards have been met at the end of the period.
• Appropriate Body: quality assure and monitor the return of progress reviews and formal assessment and at the end of the induction period, upon receipt of assessment and recommendation from the head/principal, decide whether you have met the teacher standards to successfully complete in­duction.  Additionally, regularly provide the government Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) with accurate data on all ECTs starting or completing in­duction and those who start, then leave a school partway through an induction period.
  

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End of term progress reviews…

Progress reviews are not formal assessments however under 2-year induction arrangements they are to be completed by your induction tutor (not your mentor) at the end of each term where a formal assessment is not due. Review meetings should also be held with you at the end of each term. These meetings are an opportunity for you and your induction tutor to record and discuss progress, achievements, areas for development and agree any changes to the induction plan in terms of objectives or actions – there must be no surprises!

Both you and your induction tutor should be properly prepared before the progress review meeting.

For you this could include maintaining a self-reflection/evaluation, identifying gaps in knowledge, self-evaluation against the teacher standards, CPD needs etc.

For your induction tutor, this includes capturing and maintaining evidence of your progress against the teacher standards, seeking feedback from mentors and other colleagues who have, for example, run specialist induction sessions or observed you in the classroom.

NB: Where you leave or are due to leave a post partway through induction and before the next formal assessment point, an interim assessment will be required in order to provide the next inducting school with a fuller picture of your progress including area(s) for further development and/or any concerns.

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End of year formal assessments…

Formal assessments are to be completed by your induction tutor and submitted by the headteacher/principal to the appropriate body at the end of each completed induction year (FTE for part-time ECTs).  Additionally an assessment meeting should be held with you before the due date and prior to final submission of the end of year formal assessment. These meetings provide an opportunity for you and your induction tutor and/or head/principal to discuss with you what will be written about you and areas for further development and/or concerns – there must be no surprises !

Meetings should be informed by descriptive evidence of your professional practice and performance against the teacher standards and progress made against any previous objectives/development targets set e.g. previous progress reviews. Objectives/targets should be reviewed and re­vised in relation to the government teacher standards (not the ECTE programme) and your individual needs and strengths.

The outcomes of the final (end of year 2) formal assessment meeting provide an opportunity for you and your induction tutor and/or head/principal to take stock of what has been achieved over the induction period and prepare you for involvement in performance management/appraisal arrangements should you successfully complete statutory induction.

To reiterate, performance management/appraisal arrangements do not apply to ECTs or ECT Induction. You must only be assessed against the teacher standards during and throughout induction.

Evidence of progress towards meeting the government teacher standards…

Over the course of the induction period, evidence from day-to-day practice as well as from specific development activities will build up to show how you are making progress towards meeting/embedding the government teacher standards and your induction tutor must regularly capture this evidence in preparation for completing formal assessments.

You may also wish to maintain a self-reflection/evaluation of progress you feel you have made towards to meeting the teacher standards.  Whilst maintaining a self-reflection/evaluation is not a statutory requirement for ECTs during induction – it is good practice to do so.

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What if things seem to be going wrong ? …

It’s important that you are an active participant in your own induction and it’s very important that you maintain a dialogue with your induction tutor and other colleagues. Your school will be aware through the statutory guidance and appropriate body training that if an ECT is experiencing difficulties/performance related issues they need to respond early through the provision of appropriate additional monitoring and targeted support. If you have concerns about your induction, in the first instance you must address your concerns through the appropriate channels within the school i.e. with your induction tutor and/or headteacher.

If you do not feel that your concerns are being addressed having raised them at school level and you would like further guidance then please contact: Jay Sweeney, Appropriate Body Manager at: ab-induction@bright-futures.co.uk

It is important to appreciate that the recommendation that you pass or fail induction is not made until the end of a fully completed induction. You cannot ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ an individual term or year 1 – you can only pass or fail induction at the end. Progress reviews and formal assessments will say whether or not you are making satisfactory progress towards meeting/embedding the teacher standards. We encourage all concerned not to use the word ‘fail’ until the final term of a 2-year in­duction.

Induction Appeals…

Statutory induction remains a one-time only process. Should you fail induction, it is possible to appeal the decision. For full details, please see here