Induction for Early Career Teachers

Induction is the first stage of your teacher professional development and is ideally completed in the first year of teaching. It may take longer if you are supply teaching.

Aim of Induction

'The overall aim of Induction is to continue to address the Core Values and Teacher Competences and encourage early career teachers to develop their critical reflective practice to continue to improve their teaching and the quality of pupil learning.’ (Teacher Education Partnership Handbook, Section 4.1)  It is also a starting point of a process with engagement with the DE Learning Leaders Strategy Document.

Induction normally takes one school year to complete.  During this stage, you are required to engage in competence based professional development and present evidence of this in a portfolio.  

1. Liaise with your Teacher Tutor in school
2. Download and get to know:
   • Induction Portfolio
   • GTCNI Competences
   • DE Teacher Education Partnership Handbook
3. Access professional learning via the EA Early Career Teachers Registration which will reopen on Friday 22 August 2025.  

Teacher Tutor

Each school has a designated Teacher Tutor to support you and you should make contact with them as soon as possible. 

Professional Development

A programme of professional development is also provided by the EA Professional Learning and Teaching Team aimed at supporting the successful completion of the core requirements of Induction. 

Registration for Early Career Teachers (Induction and EPD) will reopen on Friday 21 August 2026.  

Once you have registered, you will receive a link and a password to access full details of webinars/events, including dates, times and objectives. 

Please remember to register your Early Career Teacher status online with EA each academic year.

The Department of Education Teacher Education Partnership Handbook, outlines the role of the Board of Governors of a school in confirming, on the recommendation of the Principal, when you have successfully completed the core requirements of Induction and may commence Early Professional Development. The designated Teacher Tutor in each school will support you in the process.

Signed letters of completion of induction should be on school headed paper and signed by the school Principal and Chairperson of the Board of Governors.

These should be uploaded onto the GTCNI Online Portal.

One copy of the signed letter of completion of induction should be: 

• Given to you and retained in your Portfolio
• Retained by your school