Support service for teachers and trainers new to FE

A new support service for practitioners new to the FE sector has been launched by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF). Via a telephone helpline or email, the new service will support FE teachers and trainers by providing a place to ask questions or discuss issues that they may not wish to raise in the workplace. The service – which will be known as the New FE Teacher Supportline – is entirely confidential.

Launching the service, Howard Pilott, the ETF’s Head of ITE Development and Advice, said:

“Teaching in the FE and Training Sector is incredibly rewarding and makes a huge difference to the lives of individuals, communities and the nation as a whole, but starting a new career is not without its challenges.

“Some are resolved easily with the help of colleagues or managers, but there may be things new teachers feel nervous about asking. They may feel they should know things they don’t, that lots of different things are coming at them all at the same time, or that they are out of their depth. The New FE Teacher Supportline is a safe place to ask those questions and seek advice. It is a totally confidential service staffed by individuals who have themselves met and overcome the kind of challenges new teachers face. They will provide non-judgmental advice and help resolve concerns.”

The telephone line, which is open between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday, is 0333 103 8401.

The email address is: newfeteacher@etfoundation.co.uk.

The launch of the new service follows the publication by the Department for Education in September 2020 of the College Staff Survey 2019 follow-up Research report. That research found that more than a quarter (27 per cent) of those who left their main college did so within a year of starting work there. A further 19 per cent had left before completing three years’ service.