Mentoring and coaching trainee and early career teachers

Project Overview

High-quality mentoring is critical to supporting trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) and has become central to the Early Career Framework (ECF) in England. However, there remains significant variation in how mentoring is delivered, how mentors are selected, and the support provided to mentors. Schools face challenges around capacity, consistency, and clarity, particularly in identifying what constitutes effective mentoring and providing sufficient time and resources for mentors to succeed.

To address these challenges, the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) has conducted a comprehensive research project into mentoring and coaching. This research combines a conceptual review, a current practice survey and a rapid evidence review to better understand what works, where evidence gaps exist, and how schools and providers can deliver mentoring that drives outcomes. Drawing on feedback from over 1,000 mentors and 300 mentees, as well as extensive literature reviews, the project explores how mentoring impacts teacher wellbeing, retention, practice, and pupil attainment while identifying the key characteristics of effective mentoring relationships.

Research Aims

• To identify what research is promising and where there are gaps in the evidence, in order to inform the commissioning of new research into teacher mentoring and coaching
• To inform a set of recommendations for schools and teacher-development providers on effective practice in novice and early-career teacher mentoring and coaching

Summary of Findings

The study highlights significant variation in mentoring practices for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs). While most teachers recognise the importance of mentoring, there is a lack of consistency in what mentoring involves and how it is delivered. Activities such as observation and feedback, sharing best practices, and setting goals were frequently mentioned, but mentors and mentees reported discrepancies in their experiences. For instance, only one-third of mentees felt mentoring provided a safe space to discuss feelings, compared to two-thirds of mentors who believed this to be true. This gap suggests a need for clearer expectations and better alignment in mentoring relationships.

The study also revealed significant challenges for mentors, particularly regarding time and training. Around one-quarter of mentors reported receiving no training, while an additional one-third found their training inadequate. Mentors often struggle to balance mentoring duties with their teaching workload, and many schools lack the resources to allocate dedicated time for mentoring. Despite these challenges, mentoring was seen to benefit mentees' confidence and teaching practice, with the potential to improve wellbeing and retention. However, older mentees, particularly career changers, reported less positive experiences, suggesting mentoring approaches may need to be adapted to better meet their needs.

In identifying effective mentoring characteristics, the study emphasises the importance of a structured approach with high-quality training and support for mentors. Key elements of successful mentoring included strong, sustained mentor-mentee relationships, focused feedback, and opportunities for mentors to develop their own skills. Teachers expressed a preference for mentors aligned by key stage or subject, though the study found the quality of mentoring mattered more than who the mentor was. These findings underscore the need for clearer guidance, better mentor selection, and targeted resources to ensure mentoring is effective, equitable, and impactful for both mentors and mentees.

Key Takeaways

• Sustained, productive relationships between mentors and mentees are vital to effective mentoring. Key active ingredients include goal setting, facilitation of learning, and providing emotional support.
• A significant barrier to successful mentoring is the increased workload and lack of allocated time for mentors and mentees. Mentors frequently report needing more time for mentoring activities and their professional development.
• Effective mentor training is essential but often lacking. Many mentors feel their training is insufficient in quality or length, which limits the potential for positive outcomes.
• Mentoring is more successful in schools where leadership visibly supports it, allocates adequate time for mentoring activities, and fosters a culture of continuous improvement.

The National Institute of Teaching (NIoT) has published findings from its inaugural research project, ‘Mentoring and coaching trainee and early career teachers.

The project has four stages, overseen by an expert panel of practitioners, academics and providers:

Project Team

• Professor Andrew Hobson, University of Brighton
• Professor Emerita Bronwen Maxwell, Sheffield Hallam University
• Catherine Manning, Education and Training Foundation
• Professor Becky Allen, Teacher Tapp
• Jennifer Stevenson, independent, 3ie senior research fellow
• Dr Zsolt Kiss, ZK Analytics
• Dr Clara Joergensen, University of Birmingham
• Dr Melissa Bond, NIoT & University College London

Expert Panel

• Cat Scutt, MBE, Chartered College of Teaching
• Dr Sam Sims, UCL Institute of Education
• Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Plymouth Marjon University
• Dr Dan Goldhaber, American Institutes for Research
• Natasha Raheem, Dixons Academies Trust
• Sharon Harrison, Star Academies
• Professor Sam Twiselton, OBE, Sheffield Hallam University

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