Guide to Your Induction Year
An NQT induction is an assessment period lasting 3 terms, which you can usually expect to complete in one academic year, and is designed to ensure that you have a solid grounding in which to continue to build on your skills throughout your teaching career.
Why have an NQT induction year?
The purpose of the NQT Induction Year is to help you become a successful teacher, by offering you personalised support and guidance through the first year of your new teaching career.
You can only begin your induction period once you have successfully gained Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).
What will I learn in my Induction Year?
The induction is a period in which you can build on what you learned in your ITT (Initial Teacher Training), and can be broken down into two main elements:
- Professional Development and Support - which is tailored to your specific needs
- Assessment against Teacher Standards - find out more
What support will I have during my Induction?
As well as your tailored programme of professional development, you will also receive:
- A 10% reduction in your teaching timetable in order for you to develop your skills out of the classroom. This is in addition to your 10% planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time.
- Support from your Induction Tutor/Mentor
- Reviews on your progress, together with formal meetings each term with your head teacher and/or induction tutor
- Finally, by gaining your job with My NQT Year, you will have regular contact throughout your placement with your own dedicated consultant, who will be available to offer you any additional support and advice you need.
How does the Induction Period work?
Your Induction will be assessed over an academic year, with an assessment at the end of each full term. You can complete your induction on either a full-time or part-time basis (pro-rata – see 1). There can also be gaps between terms once the induction period has started. There is also no limit as to how much time you spend in one school. You can move schools after a term or two, and complete your induction in another school. (long-term supply jobs – see 2)
When you are reaching the end of a term, you should meet with your head teacher or induction mentor for formal assessment. This is to enable you to monitor your progress towards Teacher Standards consistently over your practice.
Following the first two meetings, your head teacher will provide a report to the appropriate body (Local Authority or Teaching School) detailing your progress towards the Standards.
After your assessment at the end of the third term, your head teacher will make a recommendation to the appropriate body as to whether your progress towards the standards has been satisfactory.
The Local Authority or Teaching School will then decide whether you have successfully met the requirements to complete your induction period and will write to your head teacher and the NCTL (National College for Teaching and Leadership) to inform them of their decision.
You will then be contacted directly by the NCTL in writing to confirm whether you have successfully completed your induction period.
1 The length of the overall induction period will be calculated pro-rata. For example, if you were to work for the whole of their induction period on a half-time contract, their induction period would last for six school terms.
2 If a position which is available on a long term supply basis meets induction standards, and is contracted to last for at least one full academic term, induction should go ahead. Therefore, supply positions covering maternity leave and long-term sickness are generally suitable to count towards induction.
Where can I complete my induction year?
You can now complete your induction period in most schools throughout the country. However for some Sixth form colleges, maintained Nursery schools and independent schools there may be certain requirements that are met before the induction programme can proceed.