ITT MYTHS AND FAQS

MYTH - The increase in mentor training hours will be costly to schools to accommodate

This is not the case. The government have confirmed that from September 2024, as ITT providers are required to provide up to 20 hours of mentor training to all mentors, schools will receive a ‘General mentor training grant’ from the DfE.

The funding, which will apply to mentors working with ITT trainees between September 24 and May 25, will help with the cost of teachers being away from the classroom while they train and could include:

• paying for someone to take over lessons while a teacher is training
• paying for someone to teach if a teacher takes time off in lieu to train
• overtime payment to the teacher, if they are training outside of normal working hours (teacher workload should be carefully considered in such cases)
• paying for any costs that come from reducing a teacher’s other responsibilities so they have time to train

Find out what funding is available to your school here:

To find out more information about the General mentor training grant for your school, go to: Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Reform Funding Guidance (publishing.service.gov.uk)

MYTH: Experienced mentors need to complete 20 hours training, starting from scratch.

Absolutely not! Mentors prior learning will be taken into consideration before the mentor training begins. All mentors will be required to complete 6 hours of training and then after completing an audit of their current experience and knowledge, will select the most appropriate modules for them to support their trainees that year.

MYTH: Mentors will have to repeat their 20 hours of training of the school partners with more than one provider.

Not true.  Although ITT providers will require general mentors to complete the initial mentor training (which is specific to the provider), there will consideration over which additional modules a mentor has completed with other ITT providers so that this can be transferable between providers.

MYTH: If a mentor has completed ECF mentor training, they will not have to complete general mentor training for ITT.

Mentors for ITT do have to complete the ITT training, even if they are an ECF Mentor. Providers may consider the knowledge and understanding mentors have if they are an ECF mentor and have completed the programme. This will support the mentor audit being completed and the units of training it is suggested they complete, up to 20 hours maximum.