Service Level Agreement with City of Wolverhampton Local Authority, ConnectEd Partnership and Lindens Primary School for Appropriate Body Services

The City of Wolverhampton and ConnectEd Partnership are delighted to be able to offer a full Appropriate Body (AB) service to all schools and providers with new teachers, known as Early Career Teachers (ECTs)

We recognise that teachers are the foundation of the education system: there are no great schools without great teachers.

In our capacity as an AB service, we aim to work with schools to ensure that, together, we provide a gateway into a successful teaching career, with a strong foundation that will equip ECTs with the tools to become effective and successful teachers.

We have the benefit of extensive experience in offering Appropriate Body support to schools and ECTs over decades, combined with the support of school improvement advisors and highly effective teachers in schools, across the City, to plan subject specific training and offer personalised support that will complement the ECF based training our ECTs will be receiving.

While we are able to offer AB only services to schools who might be registered with another organisation for their Full Induction Programme, we are also aligned with Best Practice Network (BPN) as facilitators for the delivery of a Full Induction Programme(FIP).

The City of Wolverhampton and ConnectEd Partnership appropriate body service includes:

  • registration of ECTs and transitional NQTs with the Teacher Regulation Agency (TRA);
  • regular communication with ECTs and induction tutors to support completion of induction, via a newsletter and virtual network meetings;
  • free access to a Welcome Event in September for all new ECTs;
  • free access to a day conference and a programme of networks offering subject specific training
  • support for all ECT Induction Tutors, including bespoke support for those new in post.
  • free access to a password protected ECT portal with a bank of resources covering a wide range of subjects and resources (under construction)
  • providing advice, guidance and training on the induction of ECTs including induction tutor network meetings
  • monitoring the progress of ECTs throughout induction, through regular communication with schools and by receiving, reading and following up any concerns on progress review and assessment forms
  • supporting ECTs who are not making satisfactory progress
  • advising induction tutors and headteachers on appropriate support packages for ECTs
  • quality assurance of assessment forms, against the Teacher Standards
  • access to up-to-date guidance documents
  • undertaking school visits as appropriate to support and quality assure the provision across the region
  • making decisions about the reduction or extension of induction
  • making decisions on the outcome of statutory induction for ECTs;
  • offering a dedicated point of contact within the City of Wolverhampton and ConnectEd Partnership collaboration for all AB and ECT needs;
  • ensuring easy access to online, assessment documentation;
  • undertaking fidelity checks for schools which do not choose the Full Induction Programme approach to the ECF.

Fidelity checks

Appropriate bodies are expected to check that an ECT’s induction covers the evidence-based statements in the ECF, and that, subsequently, they have received all planned elements of the programme. The level of fidelity checking will vary depending on the induction approach a school has chosen:

  1. The Full Induction Programme, such as the programme delivered by teaching staff and senior leaders in the City of Wolverhampton, on behalf of Best Practice Network, for ConnectEd Partnership will not require the AB to
    carry out ECF fidelity checks. This is because the providers will already be subject to separate quality assurance through Ofsted to ensure their training provides fidelity to the ECF.
  2. Schools who choose the Core Induction Programme or design their own school-based induction programme using the Early Career Framework:With these options, additional quality assurance will be necessary in order to safeguard ECTs’ entitlement to an ECF-based induction. Schools delivering their own induction programmes will require an appropriate body to check these have been designed and delivered with fidelity to the ECF.

ECF fidelity checks are expected to take place for those schools which do not opt for the Full Induction Programme. Full details of the role of the AB in fidelity checking can be accessed in the Guidance for Appropriate Bodies.

Cost of AB services

All costs are set out below. The cost is per Early Career Teacher per year.

Not for Profit

We are committed to ensuring value for money and high levels of expertise. We will not charge more than the cost of providing the service. Therefore, the charges for this service will be revised annually and any profits made, due to uptake, will be invested into the further development of the provision or given back to schools.