Source · Select Committees · Education Committee
Recommendation 50
50
Deferred
Implement continuous review for ITT and ECF, increase placements, and mandate specialist setting experience.
Conclusion
The Department for Education must implement a continuous review and update cycle for the ITT and ECF to keep training relevant and effective. It must urgently increase the number of ITT placements and explore the viability of mandating every teacher to complete a placement in a specialist setting during ITT or ECF. Without practical, hands-on experience supporting children and young people with SEND, teachers will remain ill- equipped to meet their needs. (Recommendation, Paragraph 203)
Government Response Summary
The government defers the implementation of a continuous review cycle for ITT and ECF to a full review in 2027, and does not address the urgent increase in ITT placements or exploring mandatory specialist placements.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
In schools, we want to make sure teachers can access high quality professional development that supports them to deliver the best teaching for all pupils, including those with SEND. We are considering how we can improve professional development for all teachers, from Initial Teacher training and early career support through to leadership. In September 2025, building on the support available to early career teachers, we introduced the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE). The ECTE revised and improved the delivery of what we formerly referred to as the ECF programme. Changes were introduced including moving to a combined framework to create a joined-up programme of development, which covers the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. The ECTE is underpinned by the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) which contains new and enhanced framework statements relating to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND. We have also committed to providing targeted support and further resources for ECTs in special schools. This will ensure that the ECTE will help to create a more supportive and effective environment for ECTs teaching pupils with SEND, ultimately leading to better outcomes for those pupils. We recognise that continuous improvement is essential in order to transform the training and support for all new teachers, and to review the experiences and needs of ECTs as well as trainees. That’s why we are committing to a full review of the delivery of the ECTE, including the content of the ITTECF, in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs based on the most up to date evidence. We know that it’s crucial that ECTs feel supported in teaching pupils with SEND which is why we will also review our approach to SEND, and the support we provide ECTs in teaching pupils with SEND.