ECTs: The Mentor Solution!

In addition to the content of the Early Career Framework (ECF) and the allocation of a tutor to work with every Early Career Teacher (ECT) throughout their 2-year induction period, it was deemed essential that every new teacher be assigned a mentor.

The ECF clarifies that the mentor role is unique and different from that of the tutor and that one individual – no matter how skilled – should not be taking on both roles.

Whilst tutoring requires observation and feedback for the ECT to respond to, mentoring focuses on the internal and provides a framework to facilitate articulation by the ECT with the aim of making explicit which in turn supports the ECT’s understanding and perspectives.

Having both these roles filled by one individual, no matter how skilled, would not only reduce the level of support accessed by the ECT, but would also be detrimental to the member of staff tasked with the workload and impossibility of taking on that dual role.

The challenge is, of course, having the capacity within your setting to allocate a mentor with the appropriate:

• Knowledge – of the ECF, the Teachers’ Standards, theoretical models & academic sources to draw upon to pass on key information (without overwhelm) on a needs-basis to inform current practice.

• Skills – to run a productive 1:1 session which enables reflection, articulation and an interrogation of the evidence base to support the ECT to understand the present and which then supports the ECT not only to plan next steps, but also to identify and address gaps in knowledge and/or skill and mindset, thus enabling their professional development.

• Availability – and capacity to meet regularly with your ECT(s) within teaching hours and always within contracted time (as is now required in the ECF as of September 2023) and to offer your ECT(s) ongoing support.

Rather than overloading your existing staff, I provide a cost-effective CORE online mentoring package for one or multiple ECTs which provides consistency of provision and an authentic 1:1 mentoring experience which can comprehensively respond to each ECT’s level of need without additional ‘buy in’.

Adjust to your needs and budget:

• In support of your existing mentoring arrangements, I can provide less bespoke ways of working via group mentoringand/or communities with options for live and/or asynchronous support.

• I can provide a more basic package where you buy-in additional services and support on a needs-basis, rather than as CORE.

• I can offer discounts for additional services(linked to your ECTs or in the wider educational context) can also be added to this on a weekly/monthly basis or in response to need.

SENCo Supervision & Support:

I know what it's like to be a SENCo with the pressure of multiple roles and management pressures.  

I know the pressures of managing a large TA team and have experience in supporting SENCos to plan for a change of policy and practice in regard to TA deployment.  

I understand what it's like to be under the pressure of academic study whilst working full time - I completed my Masters in Special and Inclusive Education at the IOE whilst working in the advisory service in Westminster and then at the IOE itself!   

I know what it takes to mentor and tutor SENCos to access and succeed on the NASENCo course. 

I know the gaps that exist in the knowledge, skills and understanding of class teachers - both experienced and new to the profession.   

I know that the key to surviving as a SENCo is enabling all stakeholders to fully take on their statutory duty for SEN. 

But that's not enough! 

You can trust that I'm able to support you to develop the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to excel in your SENCo role, but I want to do so whilst promoting your well-being and helping you to avoid overwhelm and excessive workload. 

I want you to THRIVE in your career.  And I know that I can help you do that!

There's so much SEN information out there but being overloaded with more and more facts and 'to do lists' will just overload you and lead you to struggle to take it all in and then decide what to do with that new knowledge. 

Being given more knowledge without a clear path to implementation will not help you develop professionally. 

Learning only has impact when there is an explicit application to practice . 

I will always give you clear guidance of how you can implement your learning at every stage!

Contact me for information on ways I can support you in your role.  

You can access me for one-off advice, a specific policy or practice focus or for an ongoing project or support package.  

I can work with individuals, single settings or setting groups (e.g. MATS).