EPD Frequently Asked Questions

Teachers are asked to register online with the Education Authority for EPD Year 1 and again for EPD Year 2 at Early Career Teachers Induction and Early Professional Development. This enables the EA’s Professional Learning & Teaching Team to track EPD teachers, especially as teachers move between schools, and to keep in touch with them about EPD information seminars and any other support needs relating to their successful completion of the EPD stage of their CLPD.

All teachers who have successfully completed the Induction stage of their CLPD are required to take part in EPD. This includes teachers who return immediately to Northern Ireland having completed the equivalent of Induction in Great Britain.

The two year EPD programme cannot normally be shortened to one year.  It is designed to support teachers to build upon and show evidence in a portfolio of their progressive development as competent practitioners over a 2 year period within their individual school contexts. Core to this, is the completion of two discrete professional development activities (PDAs), one in EPD Year 1 and one in EPD Year 2.

Each aspect requires sufficient time to build up progression, experience and learning. Induction/EPD1/EPD2 must be completed in separate academic or calendar years. If it is separate calendar year it is a minimum of 2 terms.

In each instance, have a discussion with your teacher tutor and retain evidence of your teaching. It is possible for example, to complete induction/EPD1/EPD2 in 2 full terms.

The EPD teacher compiles a portfolio of evidence of their reflective practice including two Professional Development Activities (PDAs) over two years of full-time teaching. The PDAs will enable the EPD Teacher to engage in the ‘plan, teach, review and reflect cycle’. It is essential that EPD supports the teacher and remains manageable. EPD should focus specifically on the professional development needs of the individual teacher within the context of the school.

The EPD Portfolio (Year 1 and Year 2) should act as a bridge to PRSD. Areas for development highlighted in the EPD quality assurance process may be used to develop personal targets for PRSD on a continuing basis.

ECTs are required to complete EPD2 and 2 cycles of PRSD before the end of MS6 before progression to the upper pay scale. It is possible to continue teaching on MS6.

There is no timeline, but it is recommended that you complete induction and EPD to progress through the main scale in teaching. You should discuss your situation with your teacher tutor and retain evidence of your teaching thus far for discussion with them.

The integrated approach to Teacher Education aims to provide Early Career Teachers with a more holistic experience in order that they may continue to develop as critical reflective practitioners, improve their teaching and the quality of pupil learning, and may see their ongoing professional development as part of a lifelong learning process. The integrated approach also enhances the collaborative partnership between the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), the Education Authority and the schools. The GTCNI competences which underpin all three stages are framed to encourage teachers to focus appropriately on aspects of their practice through the key stages of their career.

A professional partnership exists between the schools, the Teacher Professional Learning & Teaching Team of the Education Authority, the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and, where appropriate, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS), the Controlled Schools Support Council (CSSC), the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) and Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (CnaG). All partners contribute in a flexible and collaborative way to the provision of an integrated programme of teacher education with the aim of providing professional support to Early Career Teachers. While all partners are involved at each of the 3 stages

• the HEIs are the lead body at the Initial Teacher Education stage
• the Teacher Professional Learning & Teaching Team of the Education Authority is the lead body at the Induction stage
• the schools are the lead body at the EPD stage.

The teacher competence model, described in the GTCNI’s publication, ‘Teaching: The Reflective Profession’, underpins all 3 stages of teacher education and career-long professional development (CLPD). This document sets out the competences, which student teachers and qualified teachers develop throughout their careers, under 5 areas of professional practice:

1. Professional Values & Practices
2. Professional Knowledge and Understanding
3. Professional Skills and Application in Planning & Leading
4. Professional Skills and Application in Teaching & Learning
5. Professional Skills and Application in Assessment

• Liaise with the school’s Teacher Tutor. 
• Draw up, in consultation with your Teacher Tutor, a Professional Development Activity (PDA) in EPD Year 1. If your contract with the school extends to 2 terms in EPD Year 2, then draw up your second PDA.  Please note that you are required to complete one PDA in EPD Year 1 and a second PDA in EPD Year 2.  Each PDA should be linked to identified learning and teaching needs and relevant teacher competences. 
• Implement your PDA(s). 
• Collect evidence of increasing professional competence and reflective practice in your EPD portfolio for presentation to the Teacher Tutor, Principal and the Chair of the Board of Governors.

• Make contact with the school’s Teacher Tutor. 
• Draw up, in consultation with the Teacher Tutor, either PDA 1 if you are registered for EPD Year 1 or PDA 2 if you are registered for EPD Year 2.  Ensure that your PDA is linked to identified learning and teaching needs and relevant teacher competences. 
• Implement your PDA. 
• Collect evidence of increasing professional competence and reflective practice in one or more schools in your EPD portfolio for presentation to the Teacher Tutor, Principal and the Chair of the Board of Governors.

• Make contact with the school’s Teacher Tutor. 
• Draw up, in consultation with the Teacher Tutor, either PDA 1 if you are registered for EPD Year 1 or PDA 2 if you are registered for EPD Year 2. Ensure that your PDA is linked to identified learning and teaching needs and relevant teacher competences. 
• Implement your PDA. 
• Collect evidence of increasing professional competence and reflective practice in one or more schools in your EPD portfolio for presentation to the Teacher Tutor, Principal and the Chair of the Board of Governors.

• Alert the Principal and/or Teacher Tutor to your position and to the need to discuss the EPD Year 1 or EPD Year 2 requirements. 
• Start or continue to build your EPD portfolio by keeping a record of the range of teaching experiences gained as a supply teacher as well as any participation in professional development opportunities.

It is challenging for EPD Teachers who are not in post or employed sporadically on a daily supply teaching basis to participate fully in the EPD programme and to engage with the breadth of the teacher competence framework. However, in this situation you should: 

• Start to build your EPD portfolio by keeping a record of the range of teaching experiences gained as a supply teacher and as a result of participation in professional development opportunities.

All Early Career Teachers who have successfully completed Induction and who are not in regular employment can register for and engage in EPD. The Education Authority’s Professional Learning & Teaching Team will be able to provide further specific advice and support to teachers who do not have full-time/long-term employment on how best to engage with the EPD process.

If a teacher has completed the equivalent of Induction in England, Scotland or Wales and has verifiable evidence of having taught for at least two further years, he/she should not normally be required to take part in EPD1 upon coming to teach in Northern Ireland.  However, the school may require the teacher to engage in its own short ‘induction programme’ to familiarise him/her with school procedures and the Northern Ireland Curriculum.  In all instances teachers should discuss the evidence they have obtained thus far with their teacher tutors.

If a teacher has completed the equivalent of Induction in the Republic of Ireland and has verifiable evidence of having taught for at least two further years, they would not normally be required to take part in EPD1 upon coming to teach in Northern Ireland.  However, the school may require the teacher to engage in its own short ‘induction programme’ to familiarise themselves with school procedures and the Northern Ireland Curriculum.  In all instances teachers should discuss the evidence they have obtained thus far with their teacher tutors.

GTCNI are the registrar, they receive the letters of completion of induction and EPD2 so can be contacted for confirmation of receipt of these. In the case of EPD1, the school and the teacher retain a copy so the school can be contacted.

If a teacher in Northern Ireland wishes to teach in the Republic of Ireland they register with the TCI (Teaching Council Ireland).

Your salary progresses incrementally each year as long as you teach a set amount of days per academic year, set by DE, regardless of whether you have completed induction/EPD. However, to progress from MS6 to UPS1 you need to have completed EPD2 and 2 cycles of PRSD.

Contact DE Teachers’ Pay Team. 

As this query is beyond induction and EPD stages which the EA Teacher Professional Learning & Teaching Team support, teachers are advised to speak directly with the school.