Education Minister has today announced a major
expansion of the early career teacher induction programme for the
2025/26 academic year.
This marks a key milestone in the Department of Education's
TransformED Strategy, aimed at strengthening teacher professional
learning and support across Northern Ireland.
said: “A high-quality
induction programme is essential to ensuring that our newest
teachers enter the profession with the confidence and the support
they need to thrive.
“This enhanced programme will help our early career
teachers to set high expectations and it will support them to
plan and deliver well-structured lessons, adapt their teaching to
meet the needs of all learners, and use assessment effectively to
inform practice.
“Today's announcement represents a clear commitment from
my Department to support teachers from the very beginning of
their careers and to ensure excellence in classrooms across
Northern Ireland.
“The 2025/26 programme is just the first stage. In the
coming years, we will build on this foundation with a bespoke
online training course and further professional development
opportunities.”
The expanded induction programme, co-ordinated by the Education
Authority (EA), will include a comprehensive mix of online and
face-to-face training sessions for newly qualified teachers. Key
areas of focus will include Special Educational Needs (SEN),
literacy and numeracy, behaviour management, and the science of
learning. The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) will also
deliver a series of improvement-focused sessions aimed at
empowering early-career teachers.
Teacher tutors will also benefit from increased support and
resources as part of the 2025/26 roll-out. Feedback from schools
will play a central role, with ETI leading an evaluation to
inform future developments of the induction model.
concluded: “I want to
express my sincere appreciation to all school leaders, teacher
tutors, and practitioners who continue to support the development
of our newest teachers. Your dedication is vital to the success
of our education system and the futures of our children and young
people.”
Notes to editors:
1. The enhanced induction programme is a key action under the
TransformED Strategy and Delivery Plan, which sets out a
long-term vision for excellence in teaching and learning from
Initial Teacher Education through to school leadership.
