At Fairfax Multi Academy Trust, we believe that a high-quality induction process is the bedrock for a successful teaching career.
As such, FMAT use STAR as the Appropriate Body for the Early Career Framework and our ECT programme is delivered through the National Institute of Teaching. This programme is underpinned by the Early Career Framework, developing your self-evaluation, professional, subject and curricula knowledge, enabling you to realise your potential in the classroom.
Fairfax Multi-Academy Trust clearly prioritise ECT development and have years of experience supporting Early Career Teachers.
Year 1
ECTs are assigned a mentor who provides day by day and week by week support through the cycle shown in the diagram opposite. Self-directed study is accessed through the evidence based ‘Great Teacher Toolkit’ allowing ECTs to access current evidence whilst learning to implement it with support of their mentor and Professional tutor who oversees the ECT provision within the ECTs academy. In addition to the standard ECT programme, FMAT ECTs attend two Trust Network Events each year, providing them with the opportunity to meet ECTs from other schools and form relationships beyond their home academy. The Trust ECT lead meets with ECTs half-termly in order to ‘check in’ and provide an additional tier of support.
ECTs corroborate the fact that the trust heavily invests in ECTs and that the school considers the needs of individual ECTs’. This includes the opportunities to network with ECTs from across the trust and to collaborate with colleagues in subject-specialisms across schools.
Year 2
In year two, FMAT ECTs complete FMAT’s Exceptional Teacher Programme. The FMAT Exceptional Teacher Programme is designed to develop our Trust ECT+1 teachers in the FMAT Teaching for Excellence model. The programme comprises seven sessions, each focussing on a strand of our Trust Teaching for Excellence Framework to ensure that in FMAT classrooms:
- High quality explanation and excellent subject knowledge are applied consistently to challenge and inspire pupils.
- Modelling is effectively implemented to promote metacognitive skill development.
- Feedback on work is well-focussed, diagnostic and of a very high quality and enables students to successfully improve their work and understanding.
- Questioning is used systematically and effectively to check students' understanding throughout the lesson using a variety of successful strategies.
- Work is adapted to match student needs and as a result all students are successful in progressing through the curriculum.
