New chartered status for school-based teacher mentors

Teachers who also mentor school staff will be able to gain chartered status from next academic year, the Chartered College of Teaching has announced today. 

The college says the move will give school-based mentors, such as those guiding early career teachers, a “real sense of professional recognition”.

It follows greater emphasis on mentoring in the early career framework and the initial teacher training reforms announced in recent years.

Cat Scutt, CCT’s director of education and research, said they felt that while there were “huge expectations” of mentors, there is “not necessarily recognition for them”.

Chartered Teacher (Mentor) status will be made up of four assessment units, including exams on teaching and effective mentoring. Upon successful completion, mentors would receive CTeach (Mentor) as their postnominal.

Mentors with two years of ECF experience would be exempt from one exam, while those who have completed the new National Professional Qualifications will be exempt from one assessment unit. 

ECF mentors have complained of heavy workloads under the new programme, with some working at the weekends to complete training. 

Scutt said they are mindful not to duplicate work and aim to build on training “they will be doing anyway”. 

The college will consult with the profession over the summer on the design of the new accreditation. Registration is expected to open in the 2022-23 academic year. 

In 2021, the college launched Chartered Teacher (Leadership) Status – for school leaders with whole-school or cross-school responsibility. 

Across that route and its original chartered status for teachers, over 1,600 people have begun the qualifications. 

Dame Alison Peacock, CCT’s CEO, said school-based mentors are “so important” to help trainee teachers who have “experienced tremendous disruption” during the pandemic.

“We want to recognise mentors for their crucial role and provide them with the knowledge and expertise to deliver the best possible support to those entering the profession.

“We hope mentors will feed into the development of this new path to our sought-after Chartered Status so that expert teaching is at the heart of our profession.”