Early Career Teacher Entitlement & Guidance

The Early Career Training Programme (ECTP) provides a funded entitlement to a structured two-year package of high-quality professional development. The reforms are part of the Department for Education’s (DfE) Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, which aims to improve the training and development opportunities available to teachers.

The Initial Teacher Training Early Career Framework (ITTECF) is the evidence base which underpins this entitlement for Early Career Teachers’ professional development. It sets out what all Early Career Teachers should learn about, and learn how to do, during the first two years of their careers.

The Early Career Training Programme reforms are designed to ensure that Early Career Teachers develop the skills and confidence they need. It sets out what all Early Career Teachers should both learn about and learn how to do during the first two years of their careers. The eight core areas of the Early Career Training Programme are:

• High Expectations
• How Pupils Learn
• Subject and Curriculum
• Classroom Practice
• Adaptive Teaching
• Assessment
• Managing Behaviour
• Professional Behaviours

The links below have been provided by the Department for Education to provide further guidance on the Early Career Framework (for ECTs/Mentors in April 2025 or earlier) and Early Career Teacher Entitlement (for ECTs/Mentors in Sept 2025 cohorts or later).