Appropriate Body

Appropriate Body

The Five Counties Teaching School Hub Alliance (TSHA) is an Appropriate Body for Early Career Teachers based in the Five Counties hub area. We offer three different levels of Appropriate Body Service depending on which Early Career Framework programme you have chosen.

An Appropriate Body has the main independent and impartial quality assurance role within the statutory induction process.

ECTs cannot start their induction until the Appropriate Body has been agreed.

Service Benefits & Options

  • A high quality and highly regarded service provided by dedicated Early Career Teacher specialists with significant experience operating as an Appropriate Body
  • A standardised and rigorous approach across the Five Counties Hub area that is consistent and personalised to meet the needs of your school and its teachers
  • Seamless liaison between the work of the AB and the wider Five Counties team who deliver the Early Career Framework programmes to ensure the full picture of support for ECTs and schools
  • Expert support and intervention for schools and ECTs when you need it most
  • A friendly, professional and rapid response to queries and questions through our dedicated support team and a dedicated email address: AB@fivecountiesalliance.co.uk
  • Registration with the teacher regulation agency (TRA) / Department for Education (DfE)
  • Access to the online AB system – ECT manager – to seamlessly manage your ECTs induction paperwork online and liaison with our team

  • Appropriate Body - Option 1

    £225
    Per year per ECT from September 2024
    The school uses a lead provider, such as EDT or Ambition’s full induction programme and signs up to register ECTs with the AB service – the DfE funded provider route.
    • Registration of ECTs on TRA system.
    • Statutory induction training for ECT Lead in school
    • Assessment of ECT at 2 formal assessment points – end of Yr1 and end of Yr2
    • Support for ECT Lead to manage ECTs not on track at mid-point/end-point of statutory induction (and their mentor)
    • Quality assurance of school’s ECT programme to ensure entitlement of ECT to have ECF programme

  • Appropriate Body - Option 2

    £750
    School level + £225 per year per ECT from September 2024
    The school uses its own ECF programme using some of the lead provider’s published resources and signs up to register ECTs with the AB service – the school delivers their own programme.
    • Registration of ECTs on TRA system.
    • Statutory induction training for ECT Lead in school
    • Assessment of ECT at 2 formal assessment points – end of Yr1 and end of Yr2
    • Support for ECT Lead to manage ECTs not on track at mid-point/end-point of statutory induction (and their mentor)
    • Check of programme for fidelity to published core ECF programme materials
    • QA required by AB to ensure ECTs’ entitlement to ECF and DfE programme for ECTs.

  • Appropriate Body - Option 3

    £995
    School level + £225 per year per ECT from September 2024
    The school designs and delivers its own ECF programme for its ECTs and signs up to register ECTs with the AB service – the school designs and delivers their own programme route.
    • Registration of ECTs on TRA system.
    • Statutory induction training for ECT Lead in school
    • Assessment of ECT at 2 formal assessment points – end of Yr1 and end of Yr2
    • Support for ECT Lead to manage ECTs not on track at mid-point/end-point of statutory induction (and their mentor)
    • Check of programme before start of induction period to ensure it covers all elements of the ECF
    • Ensure regular and fair assessment of ECTs in addition to formal assessment points
    • Additional observation(s)/quality assurance of ECF core induction programme throughout.

    Important changes to Appropriate Body services from September 2023.

    From September 2023, local authorities and the NTA will no longer be able to register new ECTs with their AB services. Instead, any new ECTs will need to be registered with the Appropriate Body Services through a teaching school hub, like the Five Counites Teaching School Hubs Alliance. However, Local Authorities / NTA will be able to complete the cycle of induction and support for any existing ECTs registered with them until the end of August 2024. We have been working closely with local authority partners to ensure a smooth transition while we all understand these changes, however, please note no new ECTs will be able to register with National or LA AB services such as those from Integra in South Glos, Somerset LA or Bristol LA

    If you are having any issues, do contact the team here via email at AB@fivecountiesalliance.co.uk so we can help and advise on next steps.

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