Mentor Training Participation Affects ECTPM Grant Funding

The Department for Education published the conditions of grant for the Early Career Training Programme for Mentors (ECTPM) and the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) Year 2 time-off timetable and mentor support in July 2025:

Grant funding for early career training programme for mentors (ECTPM) – GOV.UK
Grant funding for early career teacher entitlement (ECTE) year 2 time off timetable and mentor support – GOV.UK

Under the grant arrangements for the ECTPM backfill funding, payments are based on evidence of mentor participation in the required training. Lead Providers must confirm that each mentor has engaged with at least 75% of the programme. This threshold was introduced to reinforce the department’s expectations of meaningful engagement and to improve the overall quality and impact of the training.

The grant is paid based on:

20% for evidence that the mentor has started the programme
80% for the evidence that the mentor has completed the programme, which requires meeting the 75% engagement criterion.

If a mentor does not meet the 75% engagement requirement, the school will not be eligible for receive 80% of the grant payment. This ensures that public funding is allocated fairly and in line with actual participation in the training.

If an early career teacher leaves their programme for any reason, or has any period of leave, their mentor can still continue training, and the school would receive payment, provided they engage.

The full terms and conditions of the grant, including funding amounts and payment timetable, can be found at the link above.

The department recognises that changes to funding arrangements can create challenges for schools. However, this approach ensures accountability, value for money, and continued support for schools and mentors who actively participate, alongside recent programme improvements such as shorter training duration and enhanced materials to support mentor workload.

Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) September 2025 Onwards

Participant	Who is eligible?	Total Funding	Breakdown	When will this be paid?	Criteria for Payment	Additional Information
ECT	All registered under guidance criteria	£1,800	£1100 per ECT Year Two ONLY 5% ECT Time £700 for their Mentor 20 hours Year Two Mentor Meeting Time	Autumn 2027 One single payment in arrears LA Maintained Schools Paid late November Paid through the LA Academies Paid early December Paid directly to schools	For payment to be made, participants must engage fully in the programme. Lead Providers will share engagement data with the DfE.	Year One funding is part of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) as previously. Year Two funding is additional to account for the extended induction period under the new framework.
Mentor	All registered under guidance criteria	£721.68	20% for programme commencement 80% on programme completion	Autumn 2026 One single payment in arrears LA Maintained Schools Paid late November Paid through the LA Academies Paid early December Paid directly to schools	For payment to be made, participants must engage fully in the programme. Lead Providers will share engagement data with the DfE.	Mentors can continue training even if the ECT leaves or is absent.
Non-standard Participants (NSPs)	All registered under guidance criteria	As above	As above	Pro rata for PT or late starters	For payment to be made, participants must engage fully in the programme. Lead Providers will share engagement data with the DfE.	Funding follows the ECT if they move school. If deferred (after one term), full funding still paid. PT or late starters may receive mixed payments. There is no extra funding for extended induction.

Early Career Framework (ECF) Final Cohort 2024-2026

Participant	Who is eligible?	Total Funding	Breakdown	When will this be paid?	Criteria for Payment	Additional Information
ECT	All registered under guidance criteria	£2,400	£1400 per ECT Year Two ONLY 5% ECT Time £1000 for their Mentor 20 hours Year Two Mentor Meeting Time	In arrears over two payments. LA Maintained Schools Paid late November Paid through the LA Academies Paid early December Paid directly to schools	For payment to be made, participants must engage fully in the programme. Lead Providers will share engagement data with the DfE.	Year One funding is part of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) as previously. Year Two funding is additional to account for the extended induction period under the new framework.
Mentor	All registered under guidance criteria	£1,713.86	Year One \| £856.93 Year Two \| £856.93	Autumn 2026 One single payment in arrears LA Maintained Schools Paid late November Paid through the LA Academies Paid early December Paid directly to schools	For payment to be made, participants must engage fully in the programme. Lead Providers will share engagement data with the DfE. Year Two funding for time off timetable paid on pro rata for each term of mentor participated in training.	Mentors can continue training even if the ECT leaves or is absent.
Non-standard Participants (NSPs)	All registered under guidance criteria	As above	As above	Payments will be made as a combination of arrears and advance payments, after the end of the academic year if the eligibility criteria are met.	For payment to be made, participants must engage fully in the programme. Lead Providers will share engagement data with the DfE.	Funding follows the ECT if they move school. If deferred (after one term), full funding still paid. PT or late starters may receive mixed payments. There is no extra funding for extended induction.

Further Information

Funding may be:

Split between arrears and advance
Can be used beyond the academic year if needed
Schools decide how funding is managed

To ensure ALL funding is paid, please ensure:

ECTs and mentors are accurately registered on the DfE portal
ECTs and mentors meet the eligibility criteria
ECTs and mentors engage fully in their programme

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