Best Practice: How to welcome a new teacher into school

To ensure a good start for both the newly recruited teacher and the school, the school leader (and/or mentor/senior teacher) may:

Select a mentor to guide the new teacher. This could be the school leader, head of department or a senior teacher. The mentor will also manage the probation and induction programme with the school leader.

In secondary schools the Head of Departments (Science, Arts and Commercial) have special obligation for mentoring new teachers in their subject.

Welcome the new teacher appropriately and introduce them to their new colleagues, either in a group or one by one.

Show the new teacher around the school premises and introduces facilities, teaching materials and tools the new teacher will need.

Explain the basic duties of a teacher in the school making sure the new teacher understands.

The school leader, mentor and new teacher should prepare a systematic plan for probation, mentoring and induction.

Observe the new teacher in a friendly and unobtrusive way and guide them constructively without negative criticism.