What support and development will mentors need to deliver the Early Career Framework optimally?

Katie Jump, Author and Lecturer, Fareham & Gosport SCITT, UK The comprehensive review of initial teacher training and the introduction of the early career framework (DfE, 2020a) has the potential to have a significant positive impact on the confidence and capabilities of newly qualified teachers. A robust framework of expectations alongside clear guidance regarding what specifically should be learned by trainees will help trainees to select an institution in the knowledge that all ITT providers offer comparable experiences. But a major variable is, and will always be, the school-based mentor with whom a trainee works. Parker et al.’s (2021) research highlights the complexity and increasing demands of this role in the new ITT landscape, where mentors are taking on a role of significant importance to a trainee. They describe a project to upskill the school-based mentor to become an expert educator of trainees in the field. The exponential increase in workload and pressures can mak