Education Personnel Services

The ’16 month supply rule’ and other posts which cannot be counted towards Induction

To avoid NQTs teaching for an indefinite time without undergoing or completing induction, DCSF regulations state that an NQT may only do short-term or casual supply work for a maximum of 16 months before beginning or continuing induction.  The ‘clock starts ticking’ from the first day of supply teaching and the allowable time runs out 16 months from that date, regardless of any periods of non-employment.  The NQT is then not allowed to teach in a maintained school or non-maintained special school until he/she takes a post that will count towards induction.

If an NQT takes a post for the equivalent of a term or more which involves regularly teaching the same class(es), teaching the whole primary curriculum (if in a primary school) and planning for, reporting on and assessing those classes, even if part-time and even if through an agency, the school must commence induction.  

Even if the contract is for the equivalent of a term or more, this employment cannot always count towards induction.  To be appropriate for induction, a post must not  involve only day to day cover of absent teachers, must involve whole-class teaching of regular classes and in primary schools must involve teaching the whole curriculum. However, some  schools are employing NQTs for posts that do not meet these criteria (e.g. to provide PPA cover) if no non-NQT teacher is available.  The ’16 month supply rule’ applies to these posts, meaning that they are included in the calculation of the 16 allowable months before the NQT must begin or continue induction.

A Local Authority may agree to extend the NQT’s entitlement to short-term supply or inappropriate work due to exceptional circumstances which prevent them from securing a post where induction can be undertaken.  Examples of such circumstances might be:

• being unable to secure a post that can offer induction due to there being a shortage of such posts in the region

• personal circumstances, e.g. childcare or other care commitments, that mean the NQT is unable to move to another area in search of posts that can offer induction or is unable to work full-time and so cannot obtain a post

• serious illness preventing the NQT from securing a post with a school that will last at least one school term

The Local Authority makes these decisions on a case-by-case basis and has discretion to extend the supply period by a maximum of 12 months.

The NQT should write to Verity Reynolds, NQT Co-ordinator at the address below, after the beginning of the fourth term of supply or other ‘non-inductible’ teaching, stating:

• the date that they first undertook supply work

• the posts they have applied for and the results

• the interviews they have attended

• feedback from interviews

• any reasons they are aware of explaining why they have been unable to secure employment

• the efforts they have made and are still making to find employment

• any exceptional circumstances such as long-term sickness or other personal reasons, giving covering dates of the time when you were unable to apply for work

• If apply via email please supply a postal address

The Local Authority’s NQT Induction Co-ordinator will inform the NQT in writing of the decision on an extension.  If an extension is given, its start and end dates will be stated.  Any such extension will apply only to the schools for which the LA has responsibility; thus NQTs who wish to undertake supply work in another LA will also have to apply to that LA, but in all cases the maximum extension after the initial 16 months will still be 12 months.

Verity Reynolds

NQT Induction Co-ordinator
Education Personnel Services
Hampshire House
84-98 Southampton Road
Eastleigh SO50 5PA

verity.reynolds@hants.gov.uk