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01 Leadership News

This news page is for Senior Leaders within schools and settings across Halton, Warrington and Wigan.

 

DfE Updates

On Friday 10th January the DfE announced a package of updates to the Early Career Framework (ECF) alongside a formal Review of the National Professional Qualifications (NPQs).

This package includes:

  • Update on the government’s manifesto commitment to update the ECF

  • Outcomes of the 2025 ECF procurement

  • Funding for April 2025 NPQ cohort

  • Announcement of the Review of NPQs frameworks

Updating the ECF manifesto commitment

From September 2025, building on the ECF, the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) will be introduced. The ECTE will revise and improve the delivery of the ECF programme, maintaining the grounding in evidence, to ensure the highest standards of professional development for new teachers.

To ensure every ECT has access to a high-quality induction as part of their ECTE, the DfE will:

  • Remove barriers for schools to deliver their own training, if they want to, making it cheaper and easier for schools.

  • Provide targeted support and further real-life examples for ECTs in special schools by partnering with expert organisations.

  • Reduce the burden on schools by streamlining the registration process to access the ECTE.

 

There will be a full review of the delivery of the ECTE, including the content of the ITTECF, in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs based on the most up to date evidence. This review will focus on increasing support for mentors, as well as teaching pupils with SEND.

ECTE Lead Providers

GOV.UK has been updated with the names of the lead providers who will be delivering the new training programme from September 2025.

NPQ Review

The review of all NPQ frameworks is expected to take 18 months and will be supported by a wide-ranging programme of engagement from across the sector. This will include the convening of an expert steering group who will work in partnership with the DfE and Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) to update the frameworks.

The key areas the Review will address are:

SEND – Further best-practice for teaching pupils with SEND, drawing heavily on the new SENCO NPQ content.

Leadership Progression – Ensuring that areas that are repeated across the different NPQ frameworks genuinely supports progression through different levels of leadership.

Workload reduction – Addressing how leaders can make more effective implementation choices which support workload reduction.

Operational leadership – Further best-practice, particularly at executive leadership level, in operational aspects of leadership, such as budget management and workforce deployment.

 

We will continue to share further information as more detail emerges.

 

ITT Mentor Funding

Schools can still claim funding to cover the cost of ITT mentor training, despite the training no longer being compulsory.  Find out how to apply for the funding

Initial teacher training reform funding guidance – GOV.UK
 
 
For any questions about your training or the ECF offer from Generate Teaching Hub please contact hub@wpat.uk.

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