FAQs for new or returning ECTs

Provided that you have been registered in full by your school via the DfE service, account activation will take place between 1 September and 14 September, with further rolling activations taking place for anyone registered after those dates.

Please work through the following guidance to troubleshoot any log in issues.

If you are an Early career teacher (ECT) and you are unable to access the Teach First platforms / have not received login details, this is usually due to one of the following reasons: 

• Your account activation email is in your spam/junk folder or has been missed. 
• Your Department for Education (DfE) registered email address is incorrect or is a different address from the one you are expecting. 
• The registration process has not been fully completed. 
• Your registration and subsequent account activation is in progress. 

Step 1: Check for the Welcome / activation email:  

• Please ensure that you have checked your main Inbox, Spam, Junk, and Quarantine folders for the welcome/activation email. 
• Make sure you are checking the correct email address. This could be your work email, personal email, or another email address that your school has on record for you. 
• If you cannot find the email, try resetting your password using any email addresses that your school may have used to register you on the Programme. Click to reset your password.  

If you have completed these steps and are still unable to access your account, it is possible that: 

• There is a typo in the email address used during registration; or 
• Your registration has not yet been fully completed by your school. 

Step 2: Check your DfE Registered Email Address 

If you believe the wrong email address may have been used during registration, your school's Induction Tutor will need to update it through the DfE service. 

How to update an ECT's or mentor's email address in the DfE service 

1. Log in to the DfE service. 
2. Select Manage mentors and ECTs from the main dashboard. 
3. Select the relevant ECT or mentor. 
4. Click Change next to their email address. 
5. Enter the correct email address and select Continue to confirm the update. 

If your induction tutor experiences any difficulties using the DfE service, The DfE can provide support via the following options: 

• Online Help Portal: DfE Customer Help Portal (opens in a new tab) 
• DfE Helpline: 0370 000 2288 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm) 
• Email Support: continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk 

Any changes made on the DfE Service will take a maximum of 5 days to flow through to our systems but you will receive an automatic email when your email address is updated and your account becomes accessible. Alternatively, you can request a password reset here: https://my.teachfirst.org.uk/connect/password  

If you have not received access by 14^th September, you have worked through the steps in other entries on this page and 5 days have passed since you were registered with the DfE, please raise a case with us via the following link: https://my.teachfirst.org.uk/contact-us and provide a screenshot of what is visible on the DfE Service on your School induction tutor’s end relating to your registration. Providing screenshots will help us investigate the issue more quickly and identify any outstanding registration or account activation issues. 

Please check in with you School induction tutor too see if you have been registered via the DfE Service. Please note that our system information and therefore ability to grant access to our learning platforms is dependent on full registration with the DfE.

If your school induction tutor has confirmed that you have been registered with the DfE and 5 days have passed, please raise a case with us via the following link: https://my.teachfirst.org.uk/contact-us and provide a screenshot of what is visible on the DfE Service on your school induction tutor’s end relating to your registration. Providing screenshots will help us investigate the issue more quickly and identify any outstanding registration or account activation issues.  

The below guidance details the steps your school induction tutor would need to follow to register you with the DfE. 

Step 1: Register with a Teach First delivery partner 

Find your nearest delivery partner here: 

https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/knowledge-base/early-career-training-programme/delivery-partners 

Your chosen Delivery partner will support your school through onboarding and provide information on programme delivery, events, and key dates. 

Step 2: Register ECTs and mentors via the DfE Service 

The school must also register all relevant ECTs and mentors using the DfE service: 

https://www.register-early-career-teachers.education.gov.uk/ 

When registering, ensure that: 

• Teach First is selected as the Lead Provider. 
• All relevant ECTs and mentors are registered. 

If your school induction tutor experiences any difficulties using the DfE service, The DfE can provide support via the following options: 

• Online Help Portal: DfE Customer Help Portal (opens in a new tab) 
• DfE Helpline: 0370 000 2288 (Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:30pm) 
• Email Support: continuing-professional-development@digital.education.gov.uk 

Training events for the Early Career Training Programme (ECTP) are delivered by Teach First Delivery partners.

If you have not received information about an upcoming training event, or if you have any questions about an event, access, or attendance, please contact your Delivery partner directly via the contact details they have provided. Should you need to, you can find your Delivery partner's contact details using the link below: 

https://www.teachfirst.org.uk/early-career-training-programme/delivery-partners

Your modules will be made available on Brightspace within a maximum of 5 days from the date you received you My Teach First activation email. If over 5 days have passed and you have not received access to your modules please do let us know via our contact us form: https://my.teachfirst.org.uk/contact-us

If you need more information on the Diagnostic Activity and guidance on how to complete it, please refer to your Programme Guide, which can be found on My Teach First under the 'Programme Guides' section on the right-hand side of the screen.

Please also refer to the following video: 

I am a year 2 ECT and need guidance relating the diagnostic activity on Brightspace

If you need more information on the Diagnostic Activity and guidance on how to complete it, please refer to your Programme Guide, which can be found on My Teach First under the 'Programme Guides' section on the right-hand side of the screen.

Please also refer to the following video: 

For an overview on getting starting with Brightspace please see the following video guidance: