Early Career Teacher
Programme
(ECTP) Gloucestershire
The Early Career Teacher Programme supports early career teachers (ECTs) with professional development throughout their two year induction period.
Early Career Teaching Programme (ECTP)
Nationally, schools have two options in how to provide the Early Career Training Programme:
Provider-led (DfE funded)
Schools can choose to partner with a Lead Provider and local Delivery Partners who will design and deliver a programme of face to face and online training to ECTs and their mentors.See below for detail of the ECTP for Gloucestershire
School-led (no funding)
Schools can choose to develop and deliver their own training programme based on the ITTECF, fully covering all aspects of the framework. For more information click here.
Our Provider Led ECT Programme
Working in conjunction with Balcarras Teaching School Hub, we have partnered with UCL Institute of Education to deliver the ECTP for Gloucestershire and surrounding areas.
UCL is the highest rated university in the world for education and the UK’s largest university-based centre for research, teaching, development and innovation in education leadership.
We choose to work with UCL Institute of Education to provide our schools with a programme from an institution that is ranked number one globally for Education in the QS World University Rankings, and that was judged as Outstanding by Ofsted for the Early Career Programme.
Funded by the Department for Education and free to schools, by choosing our programme your school will benefit from:
Research-informed training programme that supports ECTs, building foundational knowledge, reflective practice and inquiry-led professional development.
Locally-based, expert facilitators who understand the Gloucestershire education landscape
Face-to-face training, reinforcing peer collaboration and networking
Personalised, contextually relevant support to ensure ECTs thrive within their school settings
Through the programme, UCL provide:
High-quality professional development informed by research.
Flexible learning options tailored to individual and school needs.
Proven impact on professional growth, and classroom practice.
90% of ECTs say the programme has helped them to develop high quality practices and working habits that they van apply to their context.
During their visit to UCL in 2025, Ofsted stated:
“ECTs benefit from an exceptionally high-quality programme. They are extremely well prepared for successful, long-term careers in teaching. ECTs value the highly personalised programme, which considers their prior knowledge well and precisely meets their phase and subject needs.”
“As a result of this exceptional ECF programme, underpinned by research and driven by contextualised practice, ECTs become strong, highly reflective teachers who have a genuine sense of professional and social responsibility.” Ofsted 2025
If your school is new to Odyssey, please email admin@odysseytsh.org and we will get in touch.
Working with us
By working with us, schools can be confident that their ECTs and mentors are receiving consistent, high-quality professional learning experiences, while benefiting from local expertise. Schools that engage with the UCL ECT Programme year-on-year report higher retention rates and greater ECT satisfaction. By ensuring that ECTs develop strong professional identities, reflective capacities, and confidence in their teaching, the programme equips them to succeed in the long term.
Further information/support
For DfE guidance:
If you have an ECT or Mentor who was registered before September 2025, please click here – pdf on how it works and actions to take.
ECTE changes at a glance
Key changes for ECTs:
Diagnostic tools to help tailor topics teachers need the most support with.
More content on adaptive teaching and SEND to help teachers support the needs of their pupils.
More examples for different phases, settings and subjects
An enhanced focus on literacy and oracy
A focus on translating research into practice and application of theory in the classroom.