Supporting early career teacher mentors in primary and secondary education: developing a context specific coaching training programme

Statutory induction for newly qualified teachers (NQTs) was introduced in England in 1999 (DfEE, 1999) as a bridge from initial teacher training to a professional career in teaching. In 2021, the statutory Early Career Framework (ECF) superseded the NQT induction programme which represents a two-year government-funded professional development programme for Early Career Teachers (ECTs). In this practitioner research project, I identify and explore major issues of concern to key stakeholders, in relation to the inconsistency and variability in ECT mentor support for Early Career Teachers (ECTs). This resulted in the development of a context specific professional development programme to support coaching practice for ECT mentors. The programme can be accessed and adapted to a variety of other contexts. This training programme has the potential to be used and embedded in the current statutory two-year ECT induction programme across the UK. In developing the coaching programme for ECT mentors, I engaged in several action research cycles and adopted a multi-methods approach using surveys, semi-structured interviews, and observations to gather data and inform the programme. The ECT mentor participants comprised teachers and senior leaders, including headteachers, deputy and assistant headteachers, and special educational needs teachers. My findings indicate that a record number of ECT mentors left the ECT induction programme in 2022. On a wider scale, these findings are echoed in a rise in ECTs leaving the profession within two years of qualifying, owing to increased workloads, stress-related issues, the greater demands of the revised early career induction programme, and variability and inconsistency in ECT mentor support across the UK.

My results have important implications for identifying some of the key indicators impacting the retention of ECTs and reducing the variable nature of ECT mentor support across the UK. The results have the potential to influence policymakers and ensure that ECT mentors have the coaching skills, knowledge, and tools necessary to guide and support ECTs on their journeys to becoming experienced teachers.

This research project consists of two parts: first, the practitioner research project, which outlines the significance of the research within the field of coaching, my research methodology, activity, and findings; and second, the Introduction to Coaching training programme (artefact) which offers professional practice and knowledge for ECT mentors in the primary and secondary education sector.