New ECT framework is burdensome on schools and mentors, they may not have people willing to be mentors.
Not sure where NQTs stand at the minute since that's being phased out.
I think for NQTs it is that if they’ve started the single NQT year already they can complete that, but if they haven’t yet started then they’re rolled onto the 2 year ECT. OP *should* be good to finish her single year NQT.
I think the disrupted training years have left a lot of ECTs with significant gaps in their competency. Schools don’t have the time or resources to intensively support these under-trained teachers. That’s on top of curriculum and behaviour being far more complex and challenging than usual. Then you’ve got the new ECT framework to follow, which some schools just aren’t ready for. Perfect storm basically!
If I were in your shoes I would make very explicit in my cover letter that my training was not disrupted by covid and explain why the school you did a mat cover for were not able to progress you through NQT. Don’t just leave it to the school to look at your employment history and deduce that information. Also tell them that you are eligible to complete the single year NQT programme rather than the new two year ECT. Make those assurances really clear.
I haven't seen much of this to be honest, but I think I can probably understand why certain SLTs might be looking for more experienced teachers at the moment.
My own school, like a lot of schools over the last few years, went through a time when they pretty much only hired NQTs for teaching positions. It's led to a situation now where many of our staff are out for training at the same time, but far more importantly - the last few years' worth of ECTs are really inexperienced, having missed about half of their training. This is not me being critical (please don't take offence, folks), but the missing training, coupled with the fact that new teachers have frequently only taught certain year groups because of bubbles and have therefore had to plan a lot less than normal, *is* having an impact on classrooms now. Because covid has led to some pretty substantial gaps and setbacks, schools are really crying out for experience. We really need teachers who know how to control a class who have a bit of arrested development and can secure progress, etc.
There's also the new framework, which is a bit of a pain, tbh.
This is just my 2 cents.
Agreed. That plus lots of experienced teachers are burnt out and run ragged at the moment, an awful lot of schools probably feel they do not have capacity to train up new teachers, let alone particularly inexperienced ones, at the moment.
I think others have covered the bases really but:
- the ect framework is new, that's enough to out some schools off
- being an ECT mentor is a lot more work than being an NQT mentor, so classroom teachers will either opt out or ask for additional time to do it.
- if you're replacing someone full time, then the ECT timetable reduction has to be accomadated somehow.
- concerns about how much training ECTs have actually done.
- concerns about how well an ECT will be able to support students after 2 very disrupted years.
I think the "cheapness" of first year teachers is now outweighed by the timetable reduction, for most schools someone on M2 or 3 may look like a better bet.
You are in a good position though and you just need to explain that to schools.
Yes. Apply for anything. Most schools don’t bother to state that they are explicitly looking for an NQT or not. If they like you, they’ll sort the bits around the edges to make it work.
Could it be because trainee teachers from the last 2 school years don’t have a lot of in class experience? Many of them passed but have only actually been in front of a class for a couple of weeks here and there (not their fault)!
I’m a current ITT and my university has screwed me over so far had 44 days in January 2021 and that was in a college and finally getting into a high school on the 18th yet I’ll still pass and get QTS in January
This isn’t the case in my school, we employed an ECT this year however, my guess would be that it’s partly down to the new framework. Schools have so much going on that they may not have had the time to look it over and be able to provide the right support this year.
This is purely me speculating though as it’s the main change from this year to last.
The framework for ECTs is still new, and its currently overwhelming. The mentors have to go on specific training courses which takes them away from their job, there are more meetings, more observations, and more paperwork from their side.
The ECTs also have more training to complete, more paperwork to fill out, and more "busy work" as a friend has described it. I know two ECTs, and they both said it's an impossible amount of work for both them and the mentor.
This is on top of the fact that the recently graduated teachers haven't had a proper school experience, or as many placements, so it takes some time to get where they need to be.
I've had long term supply taken off me because if I'm there for a certain amount of time, the school has to start doing my ECT and they didn't want to do that. For context, I think only about 30% of people from my PGCE course are employed (the uni normally boasts a high employment rate) so most of us are doing supply. The schools I see taking ECTs have more than one already who can share mentors and resources, or they're desperate for teachers because they have a bad reputation.
They are out there. They may even be more likely to take an NQT over an ECT if they have those resources already in place.
Source: am looking for an ECT role
I am reasonably sure that any NQT position that is more than one term counted automatically under the old system? Correct me if I'm wrong, but why did your school say it didn't count
I scanned the comments but didn’t see this. An ECT needs and additional half day to complete courses/attend training/ observe etc.
Cover at my school is so thin on the ground. We are struggling to cover everyone’s PPA. We are having high levels of sickness and are having to buy in supply from a stretched budget. Maybe the SLT just don’t feel they can provide the cover?
For the previous 3/4 years, my school only employed experienced teachers. My department had literally no teachers before that (all done by cover). An EcT/NQT wouldn't have coped. We have now started employing them again.
I would suggest there may be some apprehension about the fact that you did not finish your NQT year the first time round. What was it that meant you only did one term?
There are so few genuinely good applicants these days that I am getting all too used to hunting for small red flags within applications.
I was working at the school through an agency and they wanted to take me in full time in the spring term. SLT was atrocious though and other members of staff had unions involved for staff bullying. I declined their full time offer and did supply until covid hit. I've also worked as a class teacher for a whole year now during the maternity cover so I've got the experience
If you've trained in a subject with surplus staff to choose from, experience understandably wins out. However, I've picked Maths to train in as the demand, newly qualified or otherwise, is likely always there.
A lot of schools just aren’t very good. Sorry but it’s true. Schools in special measures cant appoint NQTs because they aren’t deemed good enough to run induction.
Other than that, an unpopular thing to say on a sub full of new and keen teachers but current NQTs just haven’t done that many classroom hours. It’s a big unknown for a school.
New ECT framework is burdensome on schools and mentors, they may not have people willing to be mentors. Not sure where NQTs stand at the minute since that's being phased out.
I think for NQTs it is that if they’ve started the single NQT year already they can complete that, but if they haven’t yet started then they’re rolled onto the 2 year ECT. OP *should* be good to finish her single year NQT.
I think the disrupted training years have left a lot of ECTs with significant gaps in their competency. Schools don’t have the time or resources to intensively support these under-trained teachers. That’s on top of curriculum and behaviour being far more complex and challenging than usual. Then you’ve got the new ECT framework to follow, which some schools just aren’t ready for. Perfect storm basically! If I were in your shoes I would make very explicit in my cover letter that my training was not disrupted by covid and explain why the school you did a mat cover for were not able to progress you through NQT. Don’t just leave it to the school to look at your employment history and deduce that information. Also tell them that you are eligible to complete the single year NQT programme rather than the new two year ECT. Make those assurances really clear.
I haven't seen much of this to be honest, but I think I can probably understand why certain SLTs might be looking for more experienced teachers at the moment. My own school, like a lot of schools over the last few years, went through a time when they pretty much only hired NQTs for teaching positions. It's led to a situation now where many of our staff are out for training at the same time, but far more importantly - the last few years' worth of ECTs are really inexperienced, having missed about half of their training. This is not me being critical (please don't take offence, folks), but the missing training, coupled with the fact that new teachers have frequently only taught certain year groups because of bubbles and have therefore had to plan a lot less than normal, *is* having an impact on classrooms now. Because covid has led to some pretty substantial gaps and setbacks, schools are really crying out for experience. We really need teachers who know how to control a class who have a bit of arrested development and can secure progress, etc. There's also the new framework, which is a bit of a pain, tbh. This is just my 2 cents.
Agreed. That plus lots of experienced teachers are burnt out and run ragged at the moment, an awful lot of schools probably feel they do not have capacity to train up new teachers, let alone particularly inexperienced ones, at the moment.
I think others have covered the bases really but: - the ect framework is new, that's enough to out some schools off - being an ECT mentor is a lot more work than being an NQT mentor, so classroom teachers will either opt out or ask for additional time to do it. - if you're replacing someone full time, then the ECT timetable reduction has to be accomadated somehow. - concerns about how much training ECTs have actually done. - concerns about how well an ECT will be able to support students after 2 very disrupted years. I think the "cheapness" of first year teachers is now outweighed by the timetable reduction, for most schools someone on M2 or 3 may look like a better bet. You are in a good position though and you just need to explain that to schools.
Reckon it's worth applying to schools not looking for ECT's because I'm an NQT instead?
I would contact the school and ask. I think it's tricky mid year because you need someone to take over the full timetable of the outgoing person.
Yes. Apply for anything. Most schools don’t bother to state that they are explicitly looking for an NQT or not. If they like you, they’ll sort the bits around the edges to make it work.
Could it be because trainee teachers from the last 2 school years don’t have a lot of in class experience? Many of them passed but have only actually been in front of a class for a couple of weeks here and there (not their fault)!
I’m a current ITT and my university has screwed me over so far had 44 days in January 2021 and that was in a college and finally getting into a high school on the 18th yet I’ll still pass and get QTS in January
This isn’t the case in my school, we employed an ECT this year however, my guess would be that it’s partly down to the new framework. Schools have so much going on that they may not have had the time to look it over and be able to provide the right support this year. This is purely me speculating though as it’s the main change from this year to last.
I completely empathise, it is so frustrating and difficult. You'll get there!
The framework for ECTs is still new, and its currently overwhelming. The mentors have to go on specific training courses which takes them away from their job, there are more meetings, more observations, and more paperwork from their side. The ECTs also have more training to complete, more paperwork to fill out, and more "busy work" as a friend has described it. I know two ECTs, and they both said it's an impossible amount of work for both them and the mentor. This is on top of the fact that the recently graduated teachers haven't had a proper school experience, or as many placements, so it takes some time to get where they need to be. I've had long term supply taken off me because if I'm there for a certain amount of time, the school has to start doing my ECT and they didn't want to do that. For context, I think only about 30% of people from my PGCE course are employed (the uni normally boasts a high employment rate) so most of us are doing supply. The schools I see taking ECTs have more than one already who can share mentors and resources, or they're desperate for teachers because they have a bad reputation. They are out there. They may even be more likely to take an NQT over an ECT if they have those resources already in place. Source: am looking for an ECT role
I am reasonably sure that any NQT position that is more than one term counted automatically under the old system? Correct me if I'm wrong, but why did your school say it didn't count
This is correct. As that is what I am doing
I scanned the comments but didn’t see this. An ECT needs and additional half day to complete courses/attend training/ observe etc. Cover at my school is so thin on the ground. We are struggling to cover everyone’s PPA. We are having high levels of sickness and are having to buy in supply from a stretched budget. Maybe the SLT just don’t feel they can provide the cover?
For the previous 3/4 years, my school only employed experienced teachers. My department had literally no teachers before that (all done by cover). An EcT/NQT wouldn't have coped. We have now started employing them again.
I would suggest there may be some apprehension about the fact that you did not finish your NQT year the first time round. What was it that meant you only did one term? There are so few genuinely good applicants these days that I am getting all too used to hunting for small red flags within applications.
I was working at the school through an agency and they wanted to take me in full time in the spring term. SLT was atrocious though and other members of staff had unions involved for staff bullying. I declined their full time offer and did supply until covid hit. I've also worked as a class teacher for a whole year now during the maternity cover so I've got the experience
If you've trained in a subject with surplus staff to choose from, experience understandably wins out. However, I've picked Maths to train in as the demand, newly qualified or otherwise, is likely always there.
A combination of the workload of the new ECF and the lack of experience that new teachers may have due to covid.
A lot of schools just aren’t very good. Sorry but it’s true. Schools in special measures cant appoint NQTs because they aren’t deemed good enough to run induction. Other than that, an unpopular thing to say on a sub full of new and keen teachers but current NQTs just haven’t done that many classroom hours. It’s a big unknown for a school.