Outstanding together: How our ECF programme is shaping early careers

We’re proud to be working with our 22 fantastic delivery partners – teaching school hubs and multi-academy trusts across the country – to deliver our ECF programme to over 7,500 early career teachers (ECTs) and their mentors.

And, since 2020, we’ve supported a total of more than 30,000 ECTs and their mentors to develop the knowledge and skills needed to set them up for success and support all young people, regardless of their backgrounds.

We are one of only a small group of national providers offering the full ‘golden thread’ from initial teacher training through to executive leadership qualifications. This is our second outstanding rating for ECF, alongside our National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) and Training Programme (ITT), which were also rated outstanding in all areas at their most recent inspections.

So, what is it about our ECF that makes it stand out?

Disadvantage is at the heart of our mission

We were really pleased that Ofsted noted both during the inspection and in their report how strongly our focus on pupils facing the greatest deprivation runs through all aspects of the programme:

Education as a tool to eradicate disadvantage and inequality is at the core of everything that Teach First, alongside its delivery partners, achieve.

Eradicating educational disadvantage goes to heart of our charitable mission and is the basis of everything we do. We know it can be harder to implement ECF in schools based in areas of deprivation because of the additional capacity, time and resourcing challenges these schools face.

So, our research-informed programme is focused on ensuring ECTs and mentors in those schools have the highest quality ECF experience, and this was recognised during the inspection:

The vision of Teach First, to support and empower the most disadvantaged children, is realised through a research informed curriculum that is at the heart of all aspects of the ECF programme.

Phase and subject-specific content

Developed over more than 20 years, our expertise as an outstanding provider of initial teacher training (ITT) has given us a real understanding of an early career teacher’s in-school experience. We know that phase and subject specificity is critical because the classroom environment will vary from phase to phase, subject to subject and setting to setting.

ECTs need to be able to see how what they’re learning on the ECF directly relates to their own classroom and what they’re doing in any given week or term. Developed by our in-house curriculum experts, the subject-specific pedagogy and strategies that form year two of our programme supports our ECTs in making what they’re learning applicable to their own context. Our year two subject-specific content already covers 20+ secondary subjects, early years, key stage 1, key stage 2 and specialist provision.

As the report notes:

The exceptional exemplification of generic principles, into specific subject and phase contexts, enables ECTs to adeptly apply their knowledge to their teaching ... As a result, ECTs are extremely well prepared to teach in their chosen phase and subject(s).

Strong relationships with delivery partners

We work closely with delivery partners to ensure that ECTs receive a robust package of support at the start of their careers, which, through our partnership, reflects the local contexts they serve. Our delivery partners share our values and our focus on supporting pupils facing the greatest challenges to reach their potential.

The exceptionally close and collaborative partnerships we have was highlighted by Ofsted as a key factor in ensuring that every new teacher is supported to make a lasting impact.

These trusting, open relationships between Teach First and delivery partners lead to a relentless focus on the continuous improvement of what is already an incredibly strong offer for ECTs.

‘A relentless focus on continuous improvement’

Recently we were pleased to be re-selected as a ECF lead provider for September 2025 onwards. Along with our delivery partners, we are committed to continuing to improve the programme, to offer teachers at the start of their career the best possible support and development.

Enhancements we’re making include: a diagnostic tool to support ECTs to access content tailored to their starting point, bite-sized sessions so ECTs can access learning around busy workloads, additional classroom exemplification - including Early Years, post-16 and special schools - and high-quality one-year mentor training.

We are proud of the dedication and effort that goes into our ECF programme to ensure that new teachers receive the highest quality support and guidance, and in turn, help all young people achieve their potential.

Interested in the ECF?

If you’d like to learn more, either by becoming a delivery partner or registering your ECT for our next cohort, visit our ECF webpage.