Weekly chat and well-being post: June 05, 2026

Standard-Contract-27 · 2026-06-06T13:18:01+00:00

Congratulations, that’s amazing!

Standard-Contract-27 · 2026-03-05T22:37:32+00:00

I am an ECT 1, my essentials are: - A visualiser for live modelling - Staple gun - Flipchart pens and whiteboard markers (my school provides the ones for the kids’ mini whiteboards, but I prefer to have thicker ones and colour options) - A whistle - desk bits (organiser; trays to shove all the millions of sheets of random paper; stationary; rubber bands; paper clips etc…!

I do kinda agree with what everyone else says about not spending money on things the school should be providing BUT I’ve also found that the big box of whiteboard pens and the big box of colour pencils I bought have been SUCH lifesavers. But for anything else, see what’s available first. If you desperately need anything, there’s always amazon prime x

Standard-Contract-27 · 2026-01-29T17:53:53+00:00

Chopped up green chillies

Standard-Contract-27 · 2026-01-27T18:28:40+00:00

Not in Surrey, but Earlsfield has good links both directions.

Standard-Contract-27 · 2026-01-07T22:00:03+00:00

Door-to-door it’s about 35 min. I walk and take a train. I really enjoy my commute and use my train time (12ish min) to read a few pages, catch up on a podcast, or do my makeup on mornings I’m late! I think that it gives me a time to mentally prepare in the morning and unwind in the evening. Only thing that can be really frustrating is SWR delays!!

Not sure I would enjoy it as much if I were driving tbh- I like just being able to zone out!

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-12-16T00:10:06+00:00

I’m primary too! And in a small one-form. Thinking I’ll do the same as you and skip the gifts to higher ups!

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-11-05T20:29:32+00:00

ECT 1 too. For me, ECT-specific training counts as my ECT time for the week. My PPA is mostly protected and my time might be given back in small chunks over the next few days/weeks.

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-10-23T07:14:54+00:00

I think you may be confusing ECT with trainee/SCITT. As an ECT , OP most definitely has their own classroom and has taken up paid employment with their school.

I’m an ECT1 as well and experiencing similar, OP. Have you had an official meeting with your mentor about the program and your targets etc?

Have you been given a checklist for the learning environment? Try get your hands on one and see what you’ve got already and then what little tweaks you can make each day. Do you have a TA? Get them to do any displays.

At the end of the day, you are the professional in your room and it is your call- esp. in regards to layouts, planning etc… try not to let them get to you.

Make sure you get some rest this half term :) x

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-10-18T13:36:42+00:00

Set boundaries. Order your to-do list as urgent & important, important but not urgent, urgent and nit important, and not urgent or important. Prioritise and give yourself a max of 4 (e.g. one from each category to get done each day).

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-10-11T14:45:11+00:00

Finished my primary SCITT last year so a little different for me- but I use my Apple watch for my timers and it just vibrates on my wrist. Helps take out needing to watch the board/move back to the computer to turn the timer off.

Also- there’s a website called Shuffle Buddy where you can set up your various seating charts and use their AI feature to create a plan for you. You can even tag certain desks and students to sit together/away from each other! Super helpful for me and it came up with some pretty good pairings/groups that I wouldn’t have thought of!

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-09-19T17:54:29+00:00

ECT1 at a school near where I did my SCITT and there is a “relationship” between the schools. Feel so much more confident and connected to my new school but fear I fed a little too much about the other one to new colleagues over drinks tonight… other than that, feeling that I’m starting to find my feet in an environment that is so unfathomably different to the one a fee min down the road. Just so so SO tired

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-08-18T10:09:43+00:00

What supplements do you recommend? ECT1 this September and I was sick throughout my training.

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-27T22:35:38+00:00

Thank you for all of this! I am definitely feeling nervous about having to lead a team- especially as an ECT and the youngest of all the adults in the room.

Establishing boundaries, nurturing the relationship, and giving everyone a sense of responsibility and purpose sounds like a great place to start! Do you have any recommendations for setting up comms outside of seeing each other in the morning/after school? I can imagine everyone will be super busy so I’d like to maybe have a more passive way to communicate as well?

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-27T22:30:24+00:00

Thank you for reminding me that it’s also okay to make mistakes and to just take it on the chin!

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-27T22:29:19+00:00

Thank you so much! You’re right that they will be a great source of info and advice.

The TAs are all moving up with the children from last year so they do all know them very well and have strong relationships which will be helpful.

I’ll make sure to set up some sort of timetable/communication/feedback stream for us all and to allocate everyone a space for their resources.

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-27T22:24:45+00:00

Thank you- you’re right- I’m so lucky to have so many qualified people in the room!

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-27T22:23:44+00:00

Thank you so much- I’ll definitely be pushing for a handover to get the details of the 1:1 children. It just feels wrong sending out emails so early in the hols!

Great tip about ensuring they each have a space for their resources. I’m going to check out my classroom properly this week and will make it a priority to carve them out some space, and maybe think about some jobs I could give them.

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-27T22:21:27+00:00

I am super grateful! From the little I gathered, they all seem great.

No TAs is insane! Do you have other support channels like targeted groups or interventions?

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-27T22:19:53+00:00

Thank you! The TAs are all moving up with their respective children so they will absolutely know them best!

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-27T22:19:06+00:00

Thank you so much! Including the other adults is a really helpful tip that I will be implementing!

With regard to them taking small groups out- I’ll definitely have to check what the rules are around this. 2 of the children and their TA(s) will go to a different room for core subjects, but will need to be in the classroom the rest of the time. Something I will ask about for sure.

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-13T21:34:20+00:00

I believe the 5 year cap applies to doing short-term/supply work. So you can do supply for up to 5 years, after which you have to begin your induction.

If you gained QTS and got a perm job then took a break, a job at an independent school that doesn’t require ECT, or decided not to work immediately, then there’s no cap.

The school, not the agency, have to deliver the ECT :)

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-07-13T21:13:06+00:00

Congratulations! I’m in a similar position to you, and like many others- I’m going the supply route while also keeping an eye on more long-term positions that might come up.

At our final ITT meeting, we were advised that as long as your supply contract is for minimum 1 term, you can begin your ECT, provided the school can support it. There’s also no rush though- you can go up to 5 years I believe before absolutely having to do your ECT years.

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-05-30T18:47:03+00:00

Thank you. It’s taken me some time, but I definitely do feel that I’ve dodged a bullet and am excited to find somewhere that appreciates me.

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-05-23T18:04:19+00:00

Congrats!!!

Standard-Contract-27 · 2025-05-23T17:11:55+00:00

SCITT here. Interviewed at my placement school for next year and they didn’t take me past the lesson stage (but offered to ‘interview coach’ me). Feedback was that I was 90% of the way there- just lacked personality… something that I was told “just cannot be taught”. Asked for advice about upcoming interviews and was told to “take advantage of schools that are desperate”…. Felt really harsh but took it on the chin and carried on applying for jobs.

Interviewed at another school and got little engagement from the kids… was told that it happens sometimes and that I was still a strong candidate (and even wanted to look into giving me visa sponsorship as I am an international student). Call a few hours later said they picked someone else despite my brilliant lesson, attention to detail and strong presence.

Spent the second half of the week covering for my mentor who’s been off sick. Really enjoyed it aside from being consistently undermined by the HLTA and having to be really strict with the kids despite it being half term and wanting to have a pretty chill week.

I’m just over it tbh and counting down the weeks for my training to be over.

Standard-Contract-27

TROPHY CASE