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Your guide to induction in Wales - Bilingual

The NEU has put together this bilingual guide to help make your induction year work for you.

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Introducing induction

Induction is an important part of your development as a teacher. The NEU has produced this guide to answer some of the questions you might have and to help make your induction work for you.

In Wales, the induction period for newly qualified teachers (NQT) in a full-time post is one year. In England, the induction period is two years.

For new teachers who have achieved qualified teacher status (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 professional standards for teaching and leadership. The standards set out the criteria against which the NQT will be assessed, and what can reasonably be expected of an NQT by the end of their induction period.


A note on induction in England

Induction in England is underpinned by the early career framework (ECF), which was introduced in 2021. The ECF requires teachers with 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.

There are many similarities between the induction systems in Wales and England, but they are not the same. If you are planning to undertake your induction in England, visit Induction for more information.


Getting started – registration

It is your responsibility as an NQT to ensure that you register in the category of schoolteacher with the Education Workforce Council (EWC) and that you have an up-to-date Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before you start work.

As soon as you start your induction, it’s your responsibility to notify the EWC that you are undertaking induction in Wales in order to start your induction and activate your induction profile.

If you change school, you will have to complete the process again. This is critical if you are an ad hoc supply teacher working across multiple schools.

Try to ensure that your period of employment in the school is registered with the EWC for induction before you start in the post. For supply teachers, register the schools you have worked at within two weeks of your first day there.

What are the professional standards for teaching and leadership in Wales?

Professional standards describe the skills, knowledge and behaviours that characterise excellent practice and support professional growth. The five professional standards for teaching and leadership concentrate on the essential elements of every teacher’s work. The professional standards are accompanied by overarching values and dispositions that drive all teachers to be the best they can be. The professional standards support practitioners to strive for sustained excellent practice from initial training through to school leadership.

For more information, go to Educate Wales' Professional Development pages.

vernment’s guidance on induction.

NEU members at NPYW 2024

New teachers

Advice for teachers starting out in their careers, known as Early Career Teachers (ECT) in England and Northern Ireland and Newly Qualified Teachers (NQT) in Wales.

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