DRET TSH Autumn 2 ECT Bulletin
Welcome to the DRET Teaching School Hub ECT bulletin, sharing key information with Induction Coordinators to enable you to support ECTs and Mentors in your school settings.
Thank you
We would like to open by thank you for your patience and support over the last term as we have continued to work with both the DfE and Ambition Institute to ensure all colleagues involved with these programmes are set up and able to engage in coaching conversations with ECTs as soon as possible. As ECTs undertake a two year programme of support, this means added challenges to ensure DfE records are up to date to consider mentor changes, employment moves and new participants joining the programme. We fully appreciate the valuable feedback that you continue to provide and look forward to continuing to work with you to support ECTs over the duration of the programme.
Thank you for continuing to act as our main point of contact for your school to ensure ECTs and Mentors liaise with you directly regarding queries. Where ECTs, Mentors, Induction Coordinators contact us regarding the same query, this can result in a delay to our response rate; please do continue to encourage your ECTs and Mentors to liaise with you first regarding support so both you and ourselves continue to support strategically. As we begin to look at ECT’s engagement and coaching over the coming weeks, we will contact you directly regarding any support that may be required for ECTs.
A final reminder that all ECT and mentor events can be accessed via MyAmbition; please prompt colleagues to access online joining links for sessions by logging into the platform and going to ‘Events.’ We are also currently emailing joining links for clinics directly to ECTs and Mentors to support with any initial issues in onboarding.
To do > ensure all ECTs and Mentors can access online clinics via MyAmbition with a working camera and microphone to participate.
ECT1 (2022-2024 COHORT)
Conference 2 for ECT1s (September 2022 start) will run in January; please calendar these to be able to release colleagues to attend. The DfE outlines a core amount of face to face training for the programme, and colleagues attending the in-person aspects of the programme enables us to operate a hybrid approach with online clinic delivery. Again, thank you for your support here:
ECT Conference 2 dates (ECTs to attend):
- Tuesday 10th January, 9.00am-3.30pm at Havelock Academy, Grimsby (in region ECTs)
- Thursday 12th January, 9.00am-3.30pm at Malcolm Arnold Academy, Northampton (out of region ECTs)
Matching ECTs and Mentors on Steplab
Thank you to Induction Coordinators who joined us for our recent Network Meeting, where we shared key updates and how to match mentors with ECTs. For more information and support to complete this vital stage for ECTs and Mentors, please log into Steplab and visit the support section, where you can watch a short walkthrough of the process. ECTs and Mentors are starting to contact us directly to action this; we would encourage you to communicate directly with colleagues so that they are aware that you will action this shortly. https://steplab.co/kb/view/KB3613
To do > please match Mentors and ECTs by Friday 25th November and contact us if you are unable to do so, so we can support further.
> Add conference dates for ECT1s to your school calendar to release colleagues for training.
ECT2 (2021-2023 COHORT)
It is excellent to see ECT2s continuing to receive regular mentoring (minimum requirement is fortnightly) and returning to access self-study content that is tailored to their specific targets. There is no stipulation of content coverage for ECT2s in the second year of study, and this should be led by coaching conversations and observations made by mentors.
Key dates for your calendar:
ECT Clinic Tuesday 22nd November, 4.00-5.00pm
ECT2 midpoint evaluation
We are keen to gather feedback after the first year of the programme, which will enable us to continue to develop our provision. We will be sending out a short midpoint evaluation to ECT2s and their mentors this week; please do encourage them to complete this.
Please complete the Induction Coordinator’s end of Year 1 survey: https://forms.gle/xJhr1xADLGXFn9Fn8. To those colleagues who may have ECTs on both Year 1 and Year 2 cohorts, please note that this survey relates to the programme experience for ECT2s over the last academic year 2021/2022. Please complete this survey by Monday 28th November for us to collate your valuable feedback.
Maths Pilot Update
Our national Maths pilot has now completed the first round of conferences and clinics for ECTs and Mentors, and we continue to work with the design team at Ambition to produce subject-specific exemplification for Maths ECTs. The findings from the pilot will inform a final evaluation report that will be shared across the region and wider sector. For those Induction Coordinators on the Maths pilot who are using their usual local Appropriate Body Services Provider, a pre-filled fidelity check document has been sent to you to share with your Appropriate Body; please encourage them to contact us with any queries they may have. Finally, a reminder that all Maths Pilot Induction Coordinators are welcome to attend our Induction Coordinator network meetings.
Coaching on Coaching
As well as dedicated training, mentors also have access to coaching support in the Spring term. Coaching on coaching offers mentors the opportunity to bring along a recording of their coaching to receive developmental feedback from our Expert Visiting Fellows, or have a coaching conversation that will support their own approach when coaching ECTs. Further information will be provided next term to signpost how mentors can book a session.
Appropriate Body Services
If you have elected us as your Appropriate Body, Mike Trussell, our Appropriate Body Lead will be running a series of drop-in sessions to support with writing progress reviews ahead of submission in December. These optional CPD drop-in sessions will share some examples of writing progress reviews and what makes a good progress review.
These optional online CPD drop-in sessions will be available to attend through Microsoft Teams on the dates and times below and by clicking the appropriate link to join on the day and time specified.
- Wednesday 23rd November 2022 between 5pm and 5.30pm: Sign up here
- Friday 2nd December 2022 between 12pm and 12.30pm: Sign up here
If you are unable to join these events but would like further support ahead of compiling progress reviews, please contact AppropriateBodyServices@DRET.co.uk.
ECT Expert Visiting Fellow applications are now open
Finally, our application for ECT Expert Visiting Fellows is open as we continue to develop our established team of teacher educators to lead on delivery of this nationally recognised programme, as well as providing a funding stream back into the Fellow’s school for their time and expertise. Colleagues in your setting who may be interested in the role can find out more and apply here: https://www.dretteachingschoolhub.co.uk/Apply-to-become-an-Expert-Visiting-Fellow. If you would like an informal discussion regarding the role, please contact khoward@DRET.co.uk to arrange a meeting