This research article examines the experiences of new teachers working with the Early Career Framework (ECF). It offers a critique of the ECF based on the findings from survey and interview data, suggesting that a core problem is the ‘one size fits all’ design of the framework. Early Career Teachers felt their creativity was stifled, they received too little support and had little agency, whilst coping with heavy workloads. The paper suggests that communities of practice can support more meaningful and bespoke provision that meets the individual needs of new teachers.