The Management of the Induction of Newly Qualified Teachers in Primary Schools

This study is based on two years of empirical work with new teachers employed in the primary schools of five local education authorities (LEAs) in England. Interviews with all those with a stake in the management of probation and induction of newly qualified teachers in primary schools were analysed in terms of patterns and dilemmas to create a proposal for effective induction support and probation management. The article examines the role of LEAs and schools in structured induction. Case studies of pairs of inductees in the same schools are examined for reasons for their relative levels of success. The conclusion points to the linked importance of appropriate placement, affective human relationships and the new teachers’ attitudes in achieving success in the induction year—and finds that the headteacher is the most significant figure in the web of relationships.