Introducing induction
Induction is an important part of your development as a teacher. This guide is to answer some of the questions you might have and to help make your induction work for you.
Induction in England is underpinned by the ITTECF(formerly the Early Career Framework or ECF) which was introduced in 2025. The ITTECF requires teachers with qualified teacher status (QTS) to complete a two year induction period, with a structured programme of support, a dedicated mentor, and additional time off timetable in the second year of teaching.
In Wales, the induction period for newly qualified teachers (NQT) is one year. For more information about induction in Wales, please see the NEU publication Your Guide to Induction in Wales.
In Northern Ireland, induction and early professional development (EPD) normally take three years to complete. For more information about induction in Northern Ireland, please see the NEU publication Your Guide to Induction in Northern Ireland.
For new teachers who have achieved QTS, induction has a very precise meaning. To be able to continue to teach without restrictions in maintained schools, non-maintained (or independent) special schools, maintained nursery schools, maintained children’s centres and pupil referral units, you must successfully complete the required induction period by meeting the Teachers’ Standards.
The standards set out the criteria against which the ECT will be assessed, and what can reasonably be expected of an ECT by the end of their induction period.
What are the Teachers’ Standards in England?
The Teachers’ Standards are used to assess all those completing their statutory induction period, as well as all other teachers in maintained schools. The decision about whether you have met the standards should take into account your work context and be made on the basis of what can be reasonably expected of an ECT by the end of their induction period. Judgements should reflect the expectation that ECTs have effectively consolidated their initial teacher education and demonstrated an ability to meet relevant standards over a sustained period.
Appropriate bodies
The appropriate body is responsible for deciding whether you meet the standards, based on your head teacher’s recommendation.
Beyond this, the appropriate body has an important oversight responsibility: to ensure that you are being adequately supported by the schools you work in, and that your training entitlements are met. The appropriate body can give guidance and advice to a school to ensure that their induction programme will be suitable, and can offer training for induction tutors, school mentors and ECTs to make sure that all the people involved in the process understand their roles and responsibilities
Your employer must register you with the appropriate body before you start induction, and you should receive notification (if in doubt, check, as your induction will not officially begin until this happens).
You can expect to have a named contact within the appropriate body, who will respond to any concerns about your induction. This is a statutory entitlement.