Combining the CCF & ECF in 2025

At the start of February 2024, the Department for Education (DfE) announced an update to the framework and recommended reading for new teachers entering the profession.

It combines the requirements of the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework, creating a fully integrated 3-year pathway for new teachers. It will come into effect from September 2025 and is abbreviated to ‘ITTECF’.

This new ITTECF framework sets out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching – underpinned by the best available evidence. By combining the two frameworks the DfE is seeking to ensure a more joined up development journey from initial training into a teacher’s first two years in the classroom.

There have been several changes and additions to framework statements in response to feedback from the sector and experts, evaluation data and lessons learnt from the first years of implementation.

The DfE have listed the 10 key changes their expert review panel has made. These changes have been listed below:

Introductory Section & Guidance for Providers

We have created ‘Guidance for Providers’ sections at the beginning of the framework, which covers how ITT and ECF providers should use this framework to inform their programmes and added a section on ‘Supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs’. This expands on and supersedes the previous CCF introduction which also included considerations for ITT providers. As the ITTECF is a minimum entitlement to training and not a full curriculum, the introductory section of the ITTECF also includes information on the requirement for providers to carefully craft coherently sequenced curricula that enable trainees and ECTs to apply evidence effectively in their phase, setting, and subject. The new introductory section also replaces the 2019 ECF introduction, which included details relevant to the early roll-out of the ECF.

SEND

We had a lot of feedback that SEND should be a greater priority in ITT and induction and not feel like a ‘bolt-on’. We have included explicit SEND references throughout the framework to encourage providers to consider SEND within each section. Some of the new statement content has been adapted from the SENCo NPQ, where the content is relevant to trainee and new teachers.

Younger Pupils

Stakeholder feedback highlighted that content specific to the early years is limited outside of early maths and reading. High quality evidence is limited in this area but where possible we have expanded existing statements on metacognition and self-regulation.

Oracy

Stakeholder feedback suggested oracy could be made more explicit in the framework and that existing statements could be expanded. The CCF and ECF already contained significant material on oral language interventions, mostly related to literacy and reading. These include the use of questions, dialogue, pair and group work, and other forms of talk. We have made these references more explicit and updated them from the existing frameworks.

References / Evidence

We have expanded the reference list and continued to asterisk the references as providers have previously found it useful for us to indicate particularly helpful references. We have also included a line to make clear that the references are not an intended reading list for trainees, ECTs or mentors, and added a statement referring to reliability of evidence.

Equalities and Inclusion

We have referenced inclusion explicitly within statement LHT 1e) ‘Creating a culture of inclusion, respect and trust in the classroom…’. We have also included a new Learn That statement (LT 1.8) to recognise barriers faced by pupils, beyond those who have SEND e.g., EAL and young carers.

Mental Health

We have included a reference to trainee and early career teachers knowing who to contact with any concerns around pupil mental health – recognising that there is variation in settings as to how this might directly apply.

Technology

We have included a new ‘learn that’ and ‘learn how’ statement relating to use of technology to support students with SEND (LT 5.9; LHT 5(j)), and references to trainee teachers’ and ECTs’ use of technology in the preamble. There is minimal evidence on using technology in educational settings and therefore we have kept changes minimal.

Other areas / No Change

There were a number of areas where we were pushed to make additions that we have not actioned, including: climate change; specific subjects; specific needs relating to SEND (e.g. Autism). These omissions reflect a need to keep the framework universal so that it can be applied to the various settings and contexts where a trainee teacher or ECT might be.

From September 2025, the ITTECF will become mandatory for accredited ITT providers to incorporate into the planning and delivery of their courses and for ECF lead providers to cover in full in their training programmes.

The DfE will also be running a new procurement round, starting later in 2024, for providers to deliver the ECF from September 2025 onwards.

If you would to know more about these longer term changes to a teacher’s introduction into the profession please call 07897 280909 or email teachertraining@wpat.uk