27 November 2025

Defer, withdraw, and resume endpoints endpoints added to the Register ECTs API with updated validation rules

Breaking change Sandbox release

We have updated the validation logic and participant status behaviour for the following existing endpoints on the Register ECTs API:

  • POST /participants/{id}/withdraw
  • POST /participants/{id}/defer
  • POST /participants/{id}/resume

What’s changed from the existing ‘Manage training for early career teachers’ API?

Withdraw endpoint

You can withdraw a participant as long as:

  • their participant_status isn’t joining
  • they’ve been training for at least one day
  • they’ve not already been withdrawn (unchanged from the ‘Manage training for ECTs’ API)

You will be presented with a validation error if you try to do any of these things.

When a participant is withdrawn, the service will also set participant_status to left if it is not already set to this.

If the participant never started training, please contact DfE to request deletion of the participant record instead of withdrawing them.

Defer endpoint

You can defer a participant as long as:

  • their participant_status isn’t joining
  • they’ve been training for at least one day
  • they’ve not already been withdrawn or deferred (unchanged from the ‘Manage training for ECTs’ API)

You will be presented with a validation error if you try to do any of these things.

When a participant is deferred, the service will also set participant_status to left if it is not already set to this.

Resume endpoint

You can resume a participant as long as:

  • their old school has not reported that they are leaving
  • their new school has not reported that they are joining with a different lead provider
  • the school has not changed them to school-led training
  • the school has not changed them to a different lead provider for training

You will be presented with a validation error if you try to do any of these things.

If the new school reports they are joining with the same lead provider, their participant_status will move back to joining or active, and resuming will then be permitted.

Why we’ve made these changes

They ensure that participant status and training status stay consistent when lead providers carry out withdraw, defer or resume actions.