Add working_pattern field for early career teachers
We’ve added a new optional field, working_pattern, to the GET participants endpoint for early career teachers (ECTs).
This change has been released ahead of the 2026 cohort opening so lead providers can access more accurate information when onboarding new ECTs to training.
What’s changed
The working_pattern field indicates whether an ECT is working:
full_timepart_timenull(if no working pattern has been provided)
The value shown in the API always reflects the most recent working pattern selected by a school for that ECT. If a school updates an ECT’s working pattern, the updated value will be returned automatically.
Who this applies to
The field is only available for early career teachers. It does not apply to mentors. The field is populated for newly registered ECTs, or ECTs who have been re‑registered by a new school due to a transfer.
For example, an ECT who started in 2023 may have a working pattern if they move to a new school. Most populated values are expected for 2025 and 2026 ECTs.
Why we’ve made this change
By exposing this data through the API, lead providers can:
- better understand whether an ECT is working part‑time or full‑time
- tailor training and support more effectively
- reduce manual follow‑up with schools
- improve data accuracy, the assignment of extended schedules and speed up onboarding to training
What you need to do
No action is required. This is a non‑breaking, optional field.
If your integration supports additional fields, you can start using working_pattern now.