Backfill payments for time off timetable for early career framework (ECF) mentor training (national roll-out) conditions of grant for academic years 2021 to 2022 and 2022 to 2023
Updated 25 November 2024
Applies to England
The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) closed on 31 March 2025. All activity has moved to the Department for Education (DfE). You should continue to follow this guidance.
1. Introduction
Schools using one of the Department for Education (DfE)-funded training providers to deliver early career framework (ECF) mentor training will receive backfill payments to cover 36 hours of mentor time off timetable for training per mentor, over 2 years. Year 1 and year 2 refer respectively to the first year and second year of induction for a mentor.
This funding will be made in arrears over 2 payments. The first payment will be made in the summer of year 1, following the start of ECF mentor training, covering 18 hours of mentor time off timetable for training. The second payment for the remaining 18 hours of mentor time off timetable will be made in the summer of year 2 where there has been sustained engagement with the mentor training.
2. Proportionate funding
Funding for eligible mentors working part-time, or for those who commence DfE funded mentor training slightly later in the academic year, for example January, will be paid in full over 2 payments during the summer of year 1 and the summer of year 2. Funding may be used to support these eligible mentors beyond the 2 academic years. It is for the school to decide how this funding is managed.
Funding for eligible mentors who start their training late in the academic year and are not registered and validated on DfE鈥檚 by 31 May, will receive their payment the following summer.
3. Eligibility
All state-funded schools and establishments where induction can be served and have a mentor signed up and completing DfE funded provider-led ECF based mentor training will be eligible for the funding.
4. Lead providers
You can view the list of national roll-out ECF lead providers.
5. 贬辞飞听DfE聽checks the eligibility of聽mentors
If a school uses a DfE funded training provider to deliver ECF based mentor training, we have to make sure that all mentors taking part are eligible for funding. We do this by checking mentors鈥� details in the Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) records.
When school induction tutors register mentors with聽DfE听耻蝉颈苍驳 DfE鈥檚 we:
- send each mentor an email (so it鈥檚 important the addresses provided are for active email accounts)
- ask them to sign into our service and tell us their teacher reference number (TRN) or National Insurance number, name and date of birth
We check that the mentor:
- does not have any prohibitions, sanctions or restrictions on their record
- has not previously received funding for聽ECF based mentor training
The school induction tutor can sign in to the to see the status of these eligibility checks.
6. Funding
Eligible schools and establishments will receive 2 payments to enable mentors to have time-off timetable to complete the 36 hours ECF based mentor training. This will be paid over 2 payments in arrears for the majority of mentors who are supporting early career teachers (ECTs) with standard 2-year ECF based induction.
The first payment will be in the summer of year 1. This payment will be based on evidence lead providers share with DfE that the mentor has commenced training. It will fund 18 hours of mentor time off timetable for training.
The second payment for the remaining 18 hours of mentor time off-timetable (36 hours in total) for mentor training will be made in the summer of year 2. This payment will be based on evidence that lead providers share with DfE that there has been sustained engagement with the mentor training.
For mentors who are supporting ECTs following a non-standard ECF based induction, payments will be made over 2 years as above. The payments will be a combination of arrears and advance payment to have time off timetable.
DfE makes backfill payments directly to schools and establishments or to local authorities to pay maintained schools.
The funding amount is calculated using the average hourly rate for mentors and will differ by region:
Mentor time off timetable for training | England (excluding the London area) | Inner London area | Outer London area | Fringe area |
---|---|---|---|---|
Payment 1- 18 hours (1 year of training) | 拢856.93 | 拢1,048.80 | 拢944.42 | 拢882.53 |
Payment 2- 18 hours (1 year of training) | 拢856.93 | 拢1,048.80 | 拢944.42 | 拢882.53 |
Total (36 hours) | 拢1,713.86 | 拢2,097.60 | 拢1,888.84 | 拢1,765.05 |
We collect data on mentors through DfE鈥檚 to minimise the administrative burden on schools.
7. Payments
The two payments will be made in arrears in the summer of year 1, and the summer of year 2. These payments are based on evidence that lead providers share with DfE and eligible mentors recorded through DfE鈥檚 , therefore it鈥檚 essential that your school submits accurate and up to date information about ECTs to the service to ensure payments are received.
Schools can find more information about how to submit and update mentor information.
Schools do not need to do anything else to receive this payment. Schools and local authorities will receive this funding as part of their normal payments from Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). For local authority maintained schools the funding must be made available by the local authority to the school irrespective of the existence of any deficit relating to the expenditure of the school鈥檚 budget share. The funding is not part of schools鈥� budget shares and is not part of the individual school鈥檚 budget. It is not to be counted for the purpose of calculating the minimum funding guarantee.
If you think that your school should have received this payment and has not, email [email protected] to let us know.
8. Variation
These conditions of grant may be altered at any time. Participating schools and establishments will be notified of this through existing channels.
9. Recovery of funding
This funding is being provided under sections 14 to 16 of the Education Act 2002 and we reserve the right to audit the expenditure.
We may seek to recover funding that has been paid in error or has not been used for the intended purpose.
Recoveries will be made by invoice or by offsetting the amount against subsequent payments due from DfE.
The recipient must notify DfE immediately through the if it becomes aware of any instance of error, suspected fraud or financial irregularity in the use of the funds.
10. Assurance
We have a responsibility to make sure that public funds are properly managed in line with these grant conditions. As payment will be made in arrears, we reserve the right to ask schools to confirm that the money has been or will be spent in the way intended. Acceptance of the funding will be taken as confirmation.
Schools should keep some record of this expenditure such as a receipt for classroom cover, or a timetable for the聽mentor(s) involved, but we will not mandate what form this record should take, and trust school leaders to use their judgement.
We reserve the right to conduct light-touch, proportionate assurance such as spot checks with individual schools, asking for sight of such records.