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Appropriate Body

We are pleased to offer appropriate body services to our hub communities. All schools must appoint an appropriate body to ensure that statutory entitlements for early career teachers (ECTs) are met. In addition to this, we are expected to check that ECTs are receiving a programme of effective support and evidence-informed professional development based on the Early Career Framework (ECF). The ECF clearly sets out what new teachers are expected to ‘learn about’ and ‘learn how to do’ based on expert guidance and the best available research evidence.

To teach is to learn twice over.

JOSEPH JOUBERT

Update

In line with DfE reforms, from September 2024, teaching school hubs become the main providers of appropriate body services and local authorities will no longer carry out this role. We are working closely with our local authority partners to ensure a smooth transition for schools in our hub communities. Wakefield and North Yorkshire local authorities have made the decision to cease offering appropriate body services early and therefore the transition will happen for September 2023.

Context

Transforming support for early career teachers (ECTs) is at the heart of the DfE’s Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy (2019), which recognises that the steepest learning curve occurs in the first few years of a teacher’s career. From September 2021, induction for teachers joining the profession has been extended to two years and, underpinned by the ECF, will provide them with a structured programme of development, support and professional dialogue. ECTs will also benefit from dedicated mentoring and a reduced timetable.

Our Offer

Our teaching school hubs build on the diligent and effective practice of our partnership from our collective work as appropriate bodies across Barnsley (Tykes Teaching Alliance), Doncaster (Partners in Learning), and Selby and Wakefield (Delta Academies Trust). We have drawn the very best elements from our respective practices, adapting these in line with the new statutory guidance to form our new, comprehensive handbook, available here.

Fidelity and induction checks

The appropriate body is not required to undertake fidelity checks for schools using the Early Career Framework full induction programme (FIP) from a lead provider, such as UCL Institute. Schools opting for the core induction programme (CIP) or a school’s own training and support programme based on the ECF will need to have their programme verified by the appropriate body. This service costs more because of the additional fidelity checking and time involved.

How does the Early Career Framework (ECF) fit with the appropriate body?

The two elements of ECT support work together: the ECF is the mentoring, developmental element of induction, whereas the AB manages the assessment, monitoring and support element of ECT induction.

Watch a walk through, designed for Headteachers and Induction Leads, explaining the Appropriate Body process relating to statutory ECT induction.

This video below shares information relating to our Appropriate Body, statutory entitlements, support processes, reports and formal assessments as well as sharing the AB resources and when they should be used.

We use ECT Manager to support ECT statutory AB services. The video below offers a demonstration of the platform and walks you through how to use the platform, demonstrates the elements that schools can update and highlights the helpdesk process for questions.

Please contact ECTInduction@exchangeteachinghub.org.uk for further information.
Alternatively call 0345 145 0075