What is the ITTECF and what does it mean for the Early Career Framework?

The ECF was rolled out nationally in 2021. But from 1 September 2025, it will undergo a significant change with the introduction of the ITTECF.

What is the ITTECF?

The framework forms the basis of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) – the training that all early career teachers must do.

The ITTECF sets out what new teachers need to know and be able to do using two types of content: ‘Learn that…’ and ‘Learn how to…’ statements. These statements use the best available evidence, and the framework is independently assured in terms of the evidence base by the Education Endowment Foundation. It is also quality assured by the Department for Education (DfE) and by Ofsted.

From September, the new framework connects the previously separate Initial Teacher Training (ITT), Core Content Framework (CCF) and ECF. It aims to create a more consistent journey for new teachers as they progress from teacher training into early career training.

What is the Early Career Teacher Entitlement?

The Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) is a two-year programme funded by the DfE that supports early career teachers when they start their teaching career. It’s designed to develop their professional skills and provide them with the knowledge and skills to meet the teachers’ standards.

Previously known as 'ECF-based training and induction', the new entitlement includes:

• A training programme and one-to-one mentor support from an experienced colleague for early career teachers.
• A one-year training programme and guidance for new mentors (if the school uses a DfE-funded lead provider such as Ambition Institute).
• Time off timetable for both early career teachers and mentors.
• Regular progress reviews.
• Two formal assessments for early career teacher against the teachers’ standards.

Schools receive backfill funding directly from the DfE to accommodate the costs of providing the programme in school.

What changes does the new ITTECF introduce for early career teachers?

As of September 2025, the updated framework now includes the following for early career teachers:

• More specialist content: with content covering how to help pupils with oracy, early cognitive development and special educational needs and disabilities through approaches such as adaptive teaching.
• More specific training materials: with specific examples for different subjects, phases and settings, particularly primary and early years pupils.
• Diagnostics tools: which early career teacher (ECT) mentors can use to assess what teachers already know from teacher training, so they can adapt their training accordingly.
• Change to mentor training: with new mentors now completing one year of training, while early career teachers still receive two years of coaching.

Benefits of the ITTECF in early career training

For teachers:

The framework helps new teachers build confidence by developing their practice, knowledge and working habits. It gives them a strong start by grounding their practice in the latest evidence and research, delivered through structured support and mentoring throughout the early stages of their career. It standardises the entitlement of training that every early career teacher receives.

For mentors:

The ITTECF gives mentors a clear structure and resources to guide new teachers effectively. Mentors benefit from professional development opportunities that strengthen their own coaching and leadership skills, to give them experience of teacher education.

For schools:

The framework aims to help retain teachers at the beginning of their careers by improving wellbeing and job satisfaction so they can better support pupils. It provides a consistent and high-quality approach to supporting new teachers, which helps raise standards in teaching and learning.

The DfE found that four in five early career teachers (80.5%) who started ECF-based induction in 2022/23 were retained in state schools after two years.

How Ambition delivers the ITTECF for early career teachers

We deliver the ITTECF to meet the terms of the entitlement through our Early Career Training Programme (ECTP), which is graded ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted. Our curriculum focuses on how teachers learn, as well as what they learn. 

We use instructional coaching as a foundation, one of the best-evidenced forms of professional development. This means teachers benefit from bite-sized content and tailored, observational feedback to help them keep getting better over time.

More than 56,000 early career teachers and their mentors have started our ECT programme since 2021/22 (figure correct as of July 2025). This makes us the largest lead provider of the Early Career Training Entitlement. This is possible thanks to our 42 delivery partners across England, which enables teachers to study and network in a location that’s convenient for them.

88% of Year 2 early career teachers learning with us said that they plan to stay in teaching within the next three years (July 2025).

Discover the Early Career Training Programme

The training that teachers receive early in their careers can have a real impact on their satisfaction, success and future in the profession. Continually improving the quality of this training helps give every child the best start in life.

To learn more about our Early Career Training programme, visit our programme page or explore our frequently asked questions about the ECTP.