NIoT Early Careers Framework programme awarded Ofsted 'Outstanding' in all areas
We are delighted to share that the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) has received an overall Outstanding judgement in a recent Ofsted inspection of its Early Career Framework (ECF) programme.
Describing the NIoT's ECF programme as a "vibrant professional learning community," the glowing report highlights the exceptional work that the NIoT ECF faculty and its network of associate colleges and campuses carry out to make the programme as impactful as possible for Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and their mentors.
A clear and compelling moral purpose
Central to the NIoT's approach is our aim to be truly school-led and we are pleased to see this ethos mirrored in the comments from the inspectors, who describe our programme as, "school-led... with a clear and compelling moral purpose."
This is underlined by the fact that leaders have chosen to work where the need is greatest, designing a model that supports ECTs and mentors to succeed in complex and challenging school contexts.
The report goes on to describe how ECTs benefit from the "seamless integration of expert insight with the practical demands of the classroom, ensuring that their training is both aspirational and immediately applicable."
The team’s dedication to putting teachers' needs at the heart of the programme design was recognised, with a note on how "training is regularly refined in response to ECT feedback, not as an afterthought but as central to programme design." The report also highlighted how "sessions are sharply focused to ECTs’ needs, respectful of their workload and carefully paced to sustain momentum without overload."
The impact of the programme is tangible, with clear progression noted in second-year ECTs: "They know when and why to apply specific teaching strategies to secure strong outcomes for pupils in their own settings. As confident, reflective practitioners, they are exceptionally well equipped for long-term success in the classroom."
Better outcomes for children
In response to the ECF Ofsted report, NIoT CEO, Melanie Renowden commented:
“I’m delighted the programme has received this outcome, evidencing the impact of our school-led approach. We’re particularly pleased to see the report highlighting the robustness and flexibility of the programme and the value it delivers for teachers and mentors, ultimately supporting better outcomes for children.”
These sentiments were echoed by the head of ECF, Katy Micklewright, who said:
“While we’re extremely proud to have everything we've been working towards for the teachers we work with validated in this report, we’re restless to continue to listen and improve, to ensure we provide excellence for schools.”
Click here to read the report in full, or find out more about NIoT’s ECT programme here.