Set up your school’s ECF-based training programme: step by step
This guidance explains how and why to use the Manage training for early career teachers service.
You can find information on training, mentoring and induction for early career teachers (ECTs) in our updated guidance collection.
How and why to use the DfE service
Any school offering statutory induction must use the service to tell us:
- which training option you’ve chosen
- information about your ECTs and mentors (unless you choose to design and deliver your own ECF-based programme)
We need this information to:
- check if ECTs and mentors are eligible for funded training and time off timetable
- pay your training provider, if you choose to use one
- give access to DfE-accredited training materials, if you choose to use them
You must provide this in addition to any information you give a training provider or appropriate body.
If your school has not used the service before, request a link to sign in. If that does not work, contact us
Follow the steps below to provide the DfE with the information we need.
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Step 1 Tell us whether or not you expect ECTs to join your school in the academic year ahead
We ask you to do this before the start of each academic year. We recommend you do this as soon as possible.
If your school is already registered on our service - sign in.
If your school is not registered on our service - get access here.
If you tell us you do not expect ECTs, you do not need to complete any more steps. Your school will not receive any more messages about ECF-based training until the next academic year.
Remember to sign in and tell us if things change and ECTs do start their induction at your school.
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Step 2 Choose or change your school’s induction tutor
Your school must nominate an induction tutor to use our service. They’ll be our point of contact for ECF-based training.
Find out more about the role of an induction tutor.
Currently you can only nominate one induction tutor at a time. If you want more than one person to access the service, you can choose to register with a shared email address that’s monitored regularly.
They’ll need to make sure your school has an appropriate body in place for your inductions.
Nominate the induction tutor for your school
Your current induction tutor can sign in to the service and nominate someone else to do the role instead. If they cannot do this, contact us
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Step 3 Choose how to run your programme
Your school’s induction tutor needs to do this as soon as possible. ECTs cannot begin their statutory induction until a training programme is in place.
Option 1
Use a DfE-funded training provider - available for state-funded schools only
Option 2
Use DfE-accredited materials to deliver your own programme
Option 3
Design and deliver your own ECF-based programme
If you choose to design and deliver your own training programme, you do not need to complete steps 4 and 5 below.
Changing your programme
Most schools choose to run one training programme for all of their ECTs. Different programmes can be run within a school if required to meet the needs of groups or individuals however.
If you want to change which programme you use to support ECTs, you should discuss this with your appropriate body. Our guidance explains how to let DfE know about a change.
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Step 4 Select a DfE-funded training provider
If you choose this training option, your school needs to select from the 6 training providers as soon as possible.
You can contact your local teaching school hub for guidance.
You must confirm your choice of training provider directly with the provider. You do not need to let the DfE know which provider you choose.They’ll contact us to let us know, and you’ll see their information when you sign into our service.
If you want to change your provider, you must contact them directly to discuss this.
or Select your DfE-accredited materials
If you choose to deliver your own programme with accredited materials, your induction tutor needs to select materials as soon as possible.
- Compare DfE-accredited materials. You may need to follow the instructions to create an account.
- Sign in to the service to tell us which materials you want to use
- Your appropriate body will fidelity check your programme to make sure it covers the full depth of the ECF.
Step 5 Register ECTs and their mentors
Add new ECTs and mentors
Your induction tutor must sign in to the service to tell us each person's:
- full name (as it appears in the Teaching Regulation Agency records)
- email address (school or personal)
You can now choose to enter their teacher reference number (TRN) and date of birth too.
If you can tell us this extra information:
- ECTs and mentors will not be asked to provide this information themselves
- we can confirm if they’re eligible for funding more quickly
If you do not enter their TRN and date of birth, we’ll need to email the ECT or mentor and ask them to use our service to provide it instead.
Our funding and eligibility for ECF-based training guidance explains why we need this information.
Add a teacher transferring from another school where they’ve started ECF-based training or mentoring
We need to find the right person in our database so we can transfer their record to your school.
To do this, your induction tutor needs to sign in to the service and tell us the ECT or mentor’s:
- full name
- TRN
- date of birth
- email address (personal or school)
- start date at your school
If your school does not have this information, contact the person directly to ask for it.
You do not need to add information about your ECTs and mentors if your school has chosen to design and deliver your own ECF-based programme.
Step 6 Begin your school’s training programme
Each ECT should start their training programme as soon as they begin their statutory induction. This can be at any point in the academic year.
Your next step depends on the way you choose to run your programme.
If you’re using a DfE-funded training provider
Your lead provider or delivery partner will contact you directly about what to do next.
If you’re using DfE-accredited materials to deliver your own programme
We’ll email your ECTs and mentors a link to the materials you chose.
You can also access the materials by creating an account in the Support for early career teachers service.
If you’re designing and delivering your own programme
You need to plan and create your materials.
Contact your appropriate body to find out more about next steps.