ABSTRACT
This chapter examines how the newly qualified teacher (NQT) is inducted, focusing on the progress from studentship to competent professional. It is widely recognised that induction concerns more than just the first year of teaching; thus, although this chapter focuses predominantly on the skills and practices needed to make this link as seamless as possible, it does so within the context of the teacher as lifelong learner in institutions that take the development of all their staff seriously. At a time when LEA funding and influence are waning, it is important for the profession that schools, as they become increasingly selfmanaging, identify and accept fully their responsibilities towards their new teachers. An induction project for newly qualified teachers in primary schools in Oxfordshire will be described, to illustrate how a productive partnership between LEA, schools and higher education can develop the processes needed to establish sound school-based induction. The project was evaluated carefully, which has enabled us to conclude the chapter with transferable lessons and to identify good practice. Before moving on to the project, we will first review briefly some of the principles of induction in the context of the changes that are currently taking place in education.
