Your Early Career Teacher (ECT) journey will get off to an exciting start with a new job that’s likely to be in a new place.
You’re likely to be a fresh university graduate with your degree in hand, or perhaps you’ve recently gained QTS through a post-graduate route. Either way, this is a new start and you’ll be ready to explore exciting possibilities.
It’s not a cliche to say, the sky's the limit!
And if you choose to come to Lambeth, then you’ll be in London, with its rich cultural landscape, which provides the perfect starting point for your teaching career. Here the irresistible spirit and people in all their diversity serve as your stage. You are in the world's capital of education.
This city, of course, provides employment, but you also get to use one of the planet’s most exciting and rewarding places to work as your springboard for your exciting new teaching career. Take a deep breath and be prepared for the journey ahead as it will be full of changes, challenges and dreams waiting to be made.
However, it can be easy to get dragged down by an excessive workload so that this new career begins to feel as though it’s not allowing you any time to have the new life it should enable.
If it seems that is happening then you need to address your ECT workload and to do that you need to know what is normal and reasonable and to know your rights to challenge what you’ve been asked to undertake.
In your first role as an ECT, it is critical to establish those rights and address complex workloads as soon as possible. Why is this point of great significance? Because being knowledgeable allows you to draw a line and be treated fairly.
At the same time, it ensures that you are a powerful contributor in your school. This will help make your workload manageable and will help you produce a harmonious teaching atmosphere for your students and pave the way for future success.
Having your QTS status is not the end, it's the beginning. For sure, you’ll face challenges. But try to find inspiration in your new position because you will sometimes be pushed to your limits when it feels like you’re coming up against brick walls.
But by understanding your rights, and finding support where it is available to you, you are laying the groundwork for a career which will provide growth as well as nourishment. Plus, you’ll discover opportunities in both personal terms and professionally for many years to come.
As you’re about to start your first teaching role in Lambeth, let me share some truths from the trenches of London's classrooms.
Understanding Your Rights As An ECT ... vs. Making An Example
In these early days, you will need to know your rights and understand what you're contractually entitled to. You’ll need to understand the complexities of your timetable, and understand what your non-contact hours mean as well as your planning, preparation and assessment (PPA) time.
Why? Well, being knowledgeable about this stuff is crucial to understanding your rights.
It’s true that many UK teachers face long working hours, with more demands made of them than any other profession. Workloads like this can send stress, anxiety and burnout through the proverbial roof.
Therefore, it’s vital to know exactly where you stand so your quality of teaching is not affected.
Yet, there's another dynamic to this juggling act. You need to show your willingness to be a team player. Within the thriving, fast-paced educational landscape of Lambeth, going the extra mile doesn’t just help put yourself on a good footing with your fellow teachers.
It also opens the door to invaluable learning opportunities. However, finding the optimum middle ground where you’re both guarded from burnout, but also showing you’re a strong team player can be tough.
Getting ready for the serious business of preparing for your first teaching role can be part-terrifying and part-electrifying. But every successful teacher that has graced this city's classrooms has been exactly where you are right now: feet to the starting blocks, heart pounding with trepidation and excitement.
How to navigate this critical time? Your induction period is the chance to acclimatise not just to your new school and syllabus but to the very essence of teaching in Lambeth.
This diverse and energetic community will stretch you in ways you've yet to fathom. It will ask everything of you and more. But you will also experience moments of total joy that will help you realise just what it was that moved you to reach out and educate young lives.
It’s always a good idea to proactively seek support from your Tutors, Mentors and ECT colleagues. Remember, you're never alone on this journey. So many have walked this road before you, and many are walking alongside you now. Their insights, stories, and advice will be like gold dust as you navigate the complex yet exciting world of teaching.
The start of your new teaching career will be as rewarding as it will be impactful. It asks you to stand strong and resolute and be prepared to nurture the appropriate skills to deliver rewarding lessons every single day.
Welcome to Lambeth, where your career starts, every difficulty is a lesson, and every classroom is a world of experience.
Timetable and PPA Time
Imagine your timetable as the compass guiding you through your first year teaching in Lambeth. This isn't just a schedule. It’s the blueprint of your professional life, carefully mapping out the balance between your teaching responsibilities and the precious moments for reflection, planning, and rejuvenation.
Your timetable is also more than a list of your classes. It's a carefully thought-out plan ensuring you have the time and space to bring your best self to every lesson.
Among its lines and numbers lies your Planning, Preparation, and Assessment (PPA) time, a golden 10% of your teaching hours dedicated entirely to crafting lessons that will ignite curiosity and inspire your students’ minds. This isn't just administrative jargon.
It's the acknowledgement of the art and science of teaching—a recognition that great education springs from great preparation.
PPA time is something that all teachers have allocated, but because it is where the foundation of education happens, it is perhaps most important when you are in your ECT years.
Whether you're poring over resources, weaving together interactive lesson plans, or assessing your students' work, this time is crucial.
It's your opportunity to reflect, adapt, and innovate, ensuring that each lesson is not just a transfer of knowledge but a memorable experience for your students.
But let's remember, this time is vital for a reason. It should be prominently marked in your timetable. This will ensure you can craft lessons amidst the vibrant energy of the school and not encroach upon your personal time.
This is all about providing you with the quality time needed to become the best teacher possible.
As you navigate your first two years, remember that your timetable is a living document requiring your attention.
Ensuring your PPA time is protected and productive is not just about adhering to guidelines; it's about setting the foundation for a teaching practice that is sustainable, joyful, and impactful.
In Lambeth, amidst the flurry of activity and the multitude of demands on your time, let your timetable be your guide, ensuring that you never losing sight of your mission to educate, inspire, and transform.
Non-Contact Time and Lunch Breaks
As you navigate your new role, understanding the nuances of your schedule, beyond just your classroom hours, becomes crucial. Non-contact time, those moments outside of direct teaching, should not be seen as mere gaps in your day but as opportunities.
This is the time for diving deep into curriculum planning, student assessments, and personal development.
Yet, they are separate from your designated PPA time, reserved for lesson preparation and assessment. This is designed to safeguard your time so you can create and reflect without the pressures of immediate teaching duties.
Then there's the matter of lunch breaks. Make no mistake, schools are hectic. But these breaks are your sanctuaries of calm.
Regardless of how hectic the days become, every teacher is entitled to this uninterrupted time. It's not just a pause to grab a bite to eat but a critical period for mental and physical rejuvenation.
Embrace these moments fully. Allow yourself to step away from the educational battleground, even if just for a while. Then replenish your energy and return to your students with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.
Teacher Availability and Directed Hours
Your teaching year is set by a structure that defines not just when you teach but also how your professional time is allocated. According to the School Teachers’ Pay and Conditions Document (STPCD), your presence is expected for 195 days annually, of which 190 are dedicated to teaching.
The concept of 'directed time', encompassing 1,265 hours each year, frames your engagement with the school community through teaching, meetings, or professional development sessions.
This framework is about more than just fulfilling your obligations to the school. It's a boundary within which modern teaching should operate. It's essential to engage fully with these commitments while mindfully maintaining balance.
Unfortunately, many schools have excessive meetings and give new teachers additional duties that stretch beyond the scope of directed time. This can affect the quality of your teaching and well-being.
Parent-Teacher Meetings and ECT Administrative Tasks
Parent-teacher meetings build a bridge between school and home. I'm sure you remember the dread we all felt as our parents returned home after talking with our teachers. I certainly do.
Although essential, such interactions should harmonise with the broader scope of the hours you're directed to work so that your commitment to your students' families isn't at odds with your professional life but complements it.
Similarly, those administrative tasks that keep the school's heart beating should be approached with a level of discretion. Tasks that do not require the unique skills and insights you bring as a teacher should be allocated elsewhere.
This lets you concentrate on what you do best: inspiring and educating the next generation.
In addition, those tasks sometimes refered to as the ’23 tasks’ – a list of administrative tasks that were specifically listed in the STPCD until about 2010 as not for a teacher to do – look likely to be aded back into the STPCD this year – which will make these tasks something that you shouldn’t be asked to perform.
Best Practices For ECT Workload and Final Thoughts
Your journey as an ECT in Lambeth is one of growth, challenge, and the joy of impacting lives. The path of an ECT is rich and rewarding but a journey where dedication to your students and your love of teaching isn't always enough.
An ECT must have strong self-management skills, never shy to ask for help, and smart about protecting your well-being while still being a team player.
As you gain teaching experience in Lambeth, you’ll have difficult demo lessons and OFSTED inspections to deal with.
But always remember that asking for help and getting the support you need is not a sign of weakness but a sign of your desire to be the best you can be.
Your induction to teaching is far more than just a professional milestone. It’s a coming of age for you and for the students who stand to learn from you.
The privilege of standing up for what’s wrong… and right, the power of reaching out for support, the difference you will make to your students in the years to come.