Early Career Training Programme

Based on the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) we are supporting teachers with our new specialist training programme for early career teacher entitlement (ECTE).

Funded by

An Ofsted rated Outstanding Provider

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Overview

The term early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) replaces early career framework (ECF)-based training and induction. The training programme part is funded by DfE.

Our Early Career Training Programme (ECTP) for ECTE empowers teachers with evidence-led knowledge and skills for immediate impact in the classroom. ECTP is based on the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) and is designed around how people really learn. With a flexible approach that considers what works best in each teacher's unique situation.

ECTs will access engaging in-person and online learning designed and delivered by experts. We understand how busy teachers are, so we’ve designed it to fit flexibly around their schedule with maximum accessibility.

Join schools who’ve registered their interest

Please use this form to register your interest in the 2026–2027 Early Career Training Programme.
This form should be completed by the main school Induction Tutor and not participants.
Our ‘How to register’ section provides step-by-step instructions on how to submit a registration.

Why edt?

We're an Ofsted rated Outstanding team with 15+ years’ experience successfully delivering DfE funded education development programmes. We've been a lead provider of the Early Career Framework with ECPDP since 2019, supporting over 25,000 early career teachers (ECTs) and mentors and working with 4,084 schools.

95% of ECTs and mentors said they were 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with the programme.

(based on our previous ECF-based training ECPDP)

We're committed to working with schools to ensure all our programmes are compatible with school life – providing outstanding professional learning.

What ECTs say about the programme

Benefits of this programme

Flexible delivery by local school-based experts designed to fit around teachers’ busy schedules.
Diagnostic tools designed to adapt to the needs of an ECT and tailor their learning journey.
Focus on translating research into practice and application of theory in the classroom.
Increased phase- and subject-specific exemplification.
Focused professional learning for mentors with training by sector renowned professionals and expert local facilitators.
An enhanced focus on literacy and oracy.
Evidence-led training, designed to develop ECTs’ professional confidence and self-efficacy.
Specialised options in year 2 focused on areas of interest to support ECTs in preparing for life beyond training.

ECTs are expertly supported and empowered to make a positive difference to the lives of pupils.
Ofsted’s Early Career Framework (ECF) inspection report, 2025

Programme content

Curriculum

Our curriculum is constructed to take ECTs from foundational understanding of concepts and techniques – met first during their initial teacher training – through to mastery of this knowledge.
This is enabled through carefully timed revisiting of key Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) concepts and skills, building in higher levels of complexity and depth, as appropriate to ECTs’ growing experience, understanding and confidence.
Year 1 ensures full coverage of ITTECF content, through personalised pathways that consolidate or extend ECTs’ understanding as appropriate.
Year 2 then opens out into structured but individualised learning that is owned by the ECT and their mentor – a phase that recognises the ECTs’ growing agency and prepares them for life beyond induction.

ECT Schedule	Autumn	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Spring	Summer	Total Hours
ECT Schedule	Year 1			Year 2			Total Hours
ECT training sessions	6 hours	6 hours	6 hours	4 hours	4 hours	4 hours	30 hours
Self-directed study	10 hours	10 hours	10 hours	4 hours	4 hours	4 hours	42 hours
Mentor meetings	12 hours	12 hours	12 hours	6 hours	6 hours	6 hours	54 hours
Mentor meetings	(weekly mentoring)			(fortnightly mentoring)			54 hours

Mentor Schedule	Autumn	Spring	Summer	Total Hours
Mentor Schedule	Year 1			Total Hours
Programme induction	1 hour			1 hour
Mentor training sessions	6 hours	2 hours	2 hours	10 hours
Self-directed study	2.5 hours	2.5 hours	2.5 hours	7.5 hours
Mentor meetings	12 hours	12 hours	12 hours	36 hours*
*Mentor meetings are weekly in year 1 and continue fortnightly in year 2

Self-directed study

Interactive, research led materials with extensive subject and phase-specific examples provide clear models of effective teaching for ECTs.

Mentor meetings

One-on-one sessions help ECTs apply research to their context, develop a pool of effective strategies, and set personalised action steps.

Training Sessions

Group sessions with expert facilitators to explore research, engage in deliberate practice and benefit from collaborative learning with peers.

Personalised Pathways

Tailored learning routes based on ECTs’ needs, prior experience, and school context to avoid repetition and focus on personal areas for development.

Diagnostic tools help mentors and facilitators adapt to ECTs’ evolving needs.

Inclusive by design

Enhanced guidance for teaching adaptively to every learner in the classroom, including those with additional needs and pupils from under-resourced backgrounds.

Evidence-Led Approach

Access to top-tier international research, ensuring participants become research-literate and confident in evidence-informed practice.

Promotes intellectual rigour and creativity in engaging with various teaching methods, without prescribing a single “right way” to teach.

Delivery Partners

We partner with organisations that share our values. Our Delivery Partners are selected for their track record of delivering high-quality professional development.

Delivery Partners act as the main point of contact for schools and teachers registered on this programme, providing training events with experienced local facilitators. All materials are adapted to fit the needs of teachers and pupils in their area.

Find out more about our Delivery Partners, see who's in your area or discover how your organisation could partner with us to deliver ECTP via the links below.

Find a Delivery Partner

Become a Delivery Partner

Funding and how to register

The Department for Education is funding all training, at no cost to schools.

All state funded schools, who offer statutory induction, will receive additional funding to deliver the Early Career Framework reforms.

The funding will cover:

5% off timetable in the second year of induction for all early career teachers to undertake induction activities including training and mentoring.
Funding for mentors to spend time with early career teachers in the second year of induction - this is based on 20 hours of mentoring across the academic year.

Further information on funding can be found on GOV.UK.

How to register

How to register for the Early Career Training Programme if you have not registered with edt before

Find one of our delivery partners for your school:

Please select from our list of current delivery partners we are working with.

This list is subject to change. If you don’t see a delivery partner local to you, please contact us at ecf@edt.org for support.

Contact your local delivery partner directly to confirm you will be working together.

3. When the Department for Education (DfE) registration opens, likely to be from mid-June, the DfE will contact schools directly to invite them to register their participant details on their ‘register early career teacher’ service. Please only use active email addresses. Changes to participant details, such as name and email address, are to be updated on the ‘register early career teacher’ service.

Please visit this page to set up your DfE Sign-in to access the ‘register early career teacher’ service if you don’t already have an account.

Once edt receives the participant details from the DfE we will email the School Induction Tutor a form to confirm the Delivery Partner the school will be working with.

If you are interested in working with us as a delivery partner, please visit this page to find out more about this role and how we work together.  

If your school has previously registered with edt

The DfE will be in touch with an invitation to enter new ECT and mentor details for the 2026-2027 cohort on the DfE's ‘register early career teacher’ service. You will need details of each individual for this part of the application.

Please only use active email addresses for participants. Changes to participant details, such as name and email address, are to be updated on the ‘register early career teacher’ service.

Please note that there is no need to register with edt again, as we have your school details from the previous academic year. 

Change in Induction Tutor

If there is a change in Induction Tutor or main school contact, please use the DfE's ‘register early career teacher’ service to update DfE with changes/withdrawals to the Induction Tutor who is registered with DfE. 

Edt will then receive updated Induction Tutor information directly from DfE, and we will update our records. 

If you have participants who started their induction in Academic years 2023-2024, 2024-2025 or 2025-2026

If you have participants who started their induction in academic years 2025-2026, 2024-2025 or 2023-2024 please use these forms to register:

You do not need to register individual participants at this point, the DfE will contact you to collect participant information.

Our impact in 2025

In 2025 Ofsted rated edt's delivery of the ECPDP ‘Outstanding’ in all areas. In the report, teachers consistently praised the training for improving their classroom practice, boosting their confidence, and providing sustained support that directly benefited their pupils.

Mentors were described as the ”beating heart” of the ECPDP and central to its impact, helping early career teachers to embed new habits, apply knowledge effectively, and grow as practitioners.

“I feel many of the challenges I have faced in teaching have been overcome through what I learnt on the ECPDP, be it consciously or not. The ECPDP provided me with valuable knowledge, a range of ideas, strong support, and increased confidence in the classroom. I believe that much of what I have overcome in my teaching career can be attributed to the ECPDP.”

Early career teacher, England

Got a question?

If you would like to talk to a member of the ECTP team, get in touch with us.

Contact

Early Career Training Programme

Jump to section

Overview

Join schools who’ve registered their interest

Why edt?

95% of ECTs and mentors said they were 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' with the programme.

What ECTs say about the programme

Benefits of this programme

Programme content

Curriculum

ECT Schedule

Year 1

Year 2

Total Hours

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Autumn

Spring

Summer

ECT training sessions

Self-directed study

Mentor meetings

Mentor Schedule

Year 1

Total Hours

Autumn

Spring

Summer

Programme induction

Mentor training sessions

Self-directed study

Mentor meetings

Self-directed study

Mentor meetings

Training Sessions

Personalised Pathways

Inclusive by design

Evidence-Led Approach

Delivery Partners

Funding and how to register

How to register

How to register for the Early Career Training Programme if you have not registered with edt before

If your school has previously registered with edt

Change in Induction Tutor

If you have participants who started their induction in Academic years 2023-2024, 2024-2025 or 2025-2026

Our impact in 2025

Early career teacher, England

Got a question?

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Our Delivery Partners

Become a Delivery Partner

Ofsted commends edt for Outstanding delivery of Early Career Framework, citing commitment to quality as “shining strength”

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