Recruiting ECTs This Term? Plan to Keep Them
- michaelgreeneducat
- 10 hours ago
- 4 min read
The summer term is often when schools turn their attention to recruitment. Job adverts go live, shortlists are created and, in many cases, early career teachers (ECTs) will make up a significant proportion of appointments for September.
There's nothing inherently problematic about this. In my experience, ECTs bring energy, commitment and, often, strong, research-informed practice from their initial teacher education (ITE) programme. They are assets to a school. The risk lies elsewhere. Too often, schools recruit ECTs without fully considering what it takes to support them and what it means to do this well. Recruitment, in isolation, is straightforward. Retention is not.
The Department for Education teacher workforce data speaks volumes: a significant proportion of teachers leave the profession within their first five years, with workload often cited as a reason. This feels like such a waste of potential.
The persistent problem: workload and early exit
During my time as an Advisor to the DfE on teacher workload, particularly in relation to those at the earliest stages of their careers, one theme was constant. ECTs are not leaving because they lack commitment or resilience. They're leaving because the conditions within which they are expected to work are often unsustainable. This manifests in predictable ways:
Excessive planning expectations, often driven by performative rather than purposeful accountability
Marking and feedback policies that prioritise volume over impact
Limited access to high-quality mentoring, or mentors without the capacity to fulfil the role effectively
A school culture that equates busyness with effectiveness, rather than clarity and precision in practice
In short, the system often asks too much, too soon, without sufficient scaffolding. If leaders are recruiting ECTs this term, the critical question is not who will we appoint? but what will they experience when they arrive?
Mentoring is not an add-on
A common misconception is that the mentoring role can be bolted on to an already full teacher's timetable. Let's be clear - it cannot and should not. High-quality mentoring is, in my opinion, the most important in-school factor in supporting ECT development. Quality here is non-negotiable. It requires:
Expertise: mentors who understand pedagogy deeply and can model, explain and diagnose effectively
Time: protected, regular opportunities for deliberate interaction, not squeezed into incidental moments
Clarity: a shared understanding of what effective practice looks like in that specific school context
Where mentors are overburdened, underprepared or unclear on their role, this limits their effectiveness and impact. Support becomes inconsistent, reactive and, ultimately, ineffective. Leaders should be asking themselves: Who are our mentors and have we set them up to succeed? If leaders are unable to put this in place; I'd politely suggest that they shouldn't be recruiting ECTs.
Culture: the hidden lever
Structures matter, but culture is decisive. ECTs thrive in environments where:
It's safe to admit uncertainty, vulnerability and where asking for help and support is encouraged
Feedback is developmental, not judgemental
Practice is refined through iteration, not perfection on first attempt
Conversely, in high-pressure cultures, where scrutiny is constant and error is penalised, ECTs quickly become risk-averse. This not only limits their development but accelerates burnout.
Rethinking workload: from volume to value
If workload is the key driver of attrition, then addressing it must be central to any ECT strategy. This is not about doing less for the sake of it. It is about doing what matters.
Leaders should interrogate:
Planning: Are ECTs creating everything from scratch, or building on shared, high-quality curriculum resources?
Feedback: Is marking policy aligned with evidence on what improves pupil outcomes, or driven by legacy expectations?
Data: Are assessment demands proportionate and purposeful, or excessive and duplicative?
The most effective schools I work with have made a deliberate shift: from asking how much are teachers doing? to how much impact is their work having?
Practical steps for leaders recruiting now
If you're appointing ECTs this term, there are some immediate, practical considerations that can make a material difference:
1. Audit your current provision: Before September, take an honest look at your ECT offer. Where are the pressure points? What does feedback from current or recent ECTs tell you?
2. Invest in mentor capacity: This may mean reducing teaching loads or reallocating responsibilities. Without this, even the best intentions will falter.
3. Align systems to support, not hinder: Ensure that policies on planning, marking and assessment are coherent and proportionate. ECTs should not be navigating conflicting expectations.
4. Be explicit about culture: Articulate what it means to learn in your school. Make it clear that development is expected, supported and prioritised.
5. Monitor experience, not just compliance: It is easy to check whether statutory requirements are being met. It is harder, and more important, to understand how ECTs are actually experiencing their first years.
6. Think carefully about the class(es) that your ECT will teach: Class allocation matters. ECTs need to develop their practice in contexts that provide appropriate challenge, but not unnecessary overload. Leaders should consider class dynamics, pupil need, curriculum complexity and available support before assigning classes. The aim is not to shield ECTs from challenge, but to ensure they are set up to succeed.
7. Plan transition before September: Where possible, induction should begin before the first INSET day. New recruits should have opportunities to spend meaningful time in school before September, beyond the usual 'meet your new class' afternoon. This might include time with their mentor, observing routines, meeting key colleagues, reviewing curriculum plans, understanding behaviour systems and getting to know the class context. A more sustained transition helps reduce uncertainty and enables ECTs to start the year with greater confidence.
A final thought
Recruitment is visible. Retention is quieter, but far more consequential. As schools move through this recruitment cycle, there is an opportunity to reset the narrative. Bringing ECTs into the profession is important. Ensuring they remain and thrive should be the greater priority. Ultimately, the question is not whether we can recruit ECTs this term. It is whether, in three years’ time, they will still be teaching - hopefully in your school!
Good luck with your recruitment this term! If you'd like any advice or support, feel free to reach out.
Links
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