Supporting early career teachers to thrive in their first year. A guide for schools

The aim of this guide is to provide evidence and guidance to assist schools’ efforts in supporting those Early Career Teachers (ECTs) who have trained during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 academic years, whose training has been profoundly disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. These trainees are now working as teachers in secondary schools across the UK, and are therefore in need of practical, targeted advice and support to improve their classroom readiness, strengthen their practice and ultimately improve their chances of staying in the profession.

The findings and recommendations presented here are based on evidence gathered in a dedicated research project run by researchers from King’s College London. They draw on over 140 survey responses and interviews with secondary school trainee teachers, school leaders, mentors and university tutors conducted between September 2020 and July 2021.