Appropriate Body
The appointment of an Appropriate Body is a statutory requirement for the ECT induction period. |
Appropriate Bodies independently quality assure statutory induction, ensuring that schools provide adequate support for their Early Career Teachers (ECTs); that their assessment is fair and consistent across all institutions; and that they are receiving a programme of support and training based on the Early Career Framework (ECF).
An ECT must be registered with an Appropriate Body (AB) in order for their induction period to be authorised. In order to be eligible for induction, an ECT must have a contract of at least one term for a suitable post in accordance with the statutory guidance. Please contact us for more advice if there is a concern about the suitability of a particular post.
With the closure of the Local Authority Appropriate Bodies at the end of the academic year 2023-24, from September 2024 all new ECTs and existing ECTs must be registered with a Teaching School Hub as their Appropriate Body.
An ECT cannot start their induction until they are registered with an Appropriate Body. |
You will need to either:
Register a new ECT with Saffron Appropriate Body
To register your school and/or new ECTs for the Saffron Appropriate Body service, please register on our online portal, Saffron ECT Manager. This is a paperless system for recording data securely, submitting assessments, accessing resources, raising alerts and managing ECTs during induction.
When you register on ECT Manager, please ensure that you have:
- Your ECT’s teacher reference number
- Their full name, date of birth and home address
- Initial teacher training details
- Previous school(s) employment history
- Full name of their induction tutor
- Full name of their mentor
Choose the scenario below that applies to you and follow the instructions.
Scenario 1 - your school has an existing login for Saffron ECT Manager
Log in to Saffron ECT Manager via the link below, using your existing login details, and register your new ECTs:
Scenario 2 - your school does not have a login for Saffron ECT Manager
To register your school with Saffron ECT Manager, follow the instructions below:
https://docs.ectmanager.com/induction-lead/how-to-register-your-school/
The Appropriate Body then needs to authorise your school. When this has been done, you can then register your ECT(s) and Induction Tutor(s) on ECT Manager:
Induction can only commence once we have checked that the information you provide matches data already registered nationally: in the busy summer months please be aware that checks may only be possible within the normal working day period.
Or:
Transfer an existing ECT from another AB to Saffron Appropriate Body
It is quick and easy to transfer your existing ECTs to Saffron Appropriate Body by completing the following steps. Please note, the transfer will not be processed until the current assessments and progress reviews have been completed at the end of term. Completing these steps before the end of the summer term will ensure there is the facility to resolve any anomalies before the outgoing AB closes on 31 August.
- Using your current ECT Manager login, open the overview page for the individual ECT.
- Scroll down to the bottom, until you reach the section ‘Transfer ECT to another Appropriate Body’.
- Click on the new Appropriate Body, 'Saffron Teaching School Hub Appropriate Body'.
- For the date of transfer, insert 1 July 2024. The transfer will not be processed until the current assessments and progress reviews are completed and approved by the original AB.
- Click transfer.
You will need to repeat these steps for each ECT you wish to transfer to Saffron Appropriate Body.
If you have any questions, please contact Angela Cass at angelacass@saffron.academy
And then:
Set up and manage your ECF-based training for your Early Career Teacher
Manage training for early career teachers (education.gov.uk)
To register ECTs for Saffron Teaching School Hub's Early Career Programme, visit our Early Career Programme page.
Saffron Appropriate Body - our service
Saffron Appropriate Body is the designated Appropriate Body within Braintree, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow and Uttlesford.
Before registering their ECTs with Saffron Appropriate Body, headteachers should read the 'Summary for Headteachers' document below. The 'Saffron AB Induction Handbook' document gives full details of our AB service.
- Saffron AB Service - A Summary for Headteachers - June 2023
- Saffron AB Induction Handbook - September 2023
Headteachers should also read this document:
Online AB training sessions for schools
At the beginning of each term and in July we run online training sessions for Induction Tutors who have ECTs registered with the Saffron AB service.
AB service fees and what we provide
Expand the headings below for more information about the fees for our AB service and what we provide.
Saffron AB Service fees
Service fees
Schools are invoiced annually in advance for services to be provided. The costs are as follows:
| ECF route chosen by the school | Cost payable to the Appropriate Body per ECT | ||
| Full 2-year induction period | Partial induction period: 1 year (transferring ECTs only) | Partial induction period: 1 term (must be agreed with Saffron AB) | |
| Early Career Framework (ECF) DfE-funded training provider | £490 (payable in two instalments of £245, invoiced in term 1 & term 4) * | £245 | £85 |
| DfE-accredited materials to deliver your own training | £800 Fidelity check + £490 for each ECT | £600 Fidelity check + £245 for each ECT | £300 Fidelity check + £85 for each ECT |
| Design and deliver your own ECF-based training | £1200 Fidelity check + £490 for each ECT | £900 Fidelity check + £245 for each ECT | £450 Fidelity check + £85 for each ECT |
Invoices will be sent to schools from the Saffron Academy Trust.
* For part-time ECTs, schools will be invoiced as follows:
- ECTs working 4 days per week: £245 in Term 1 and £245 in Term 4
- ECTs working 2 or 3 days per week: £170 in Term 1, £160 in Term 4, £160 in Term 7
If your part-time working pattern is different to those shown above or you have any questions, please contact Angela Cass angelacass@saffron.academy.
If an ECT resigns from their post partway through either year of induction, schools need to give notice to the AB. A refund will be considered for any whole term not completed.
What we provide
- Registration of the Early Career Teacher and returns to the Teaching Regulation Agency
- Fidelity checking of Early Career Programme route (there will be an additional fee for schools choosing the Core or School-Based Induction Programme)
- Induction Tutor training and Network meetings
- Quality-assuring the process of your in-school support
- Access to support materials directly from Saffron ECT Manager
- Providing termly progress check documents which are returned electronically
- Monitoring termly progress check reports to identify Early Career Teachers requiring additional support
- Monitoring visit and the equivalent of 2 days' Expert Practitioner support for Early Career Teachers requiring additional support
- Providing formal end of Year 1 and Year 2 assessment documents which are returned electronically
- Monitoring of all end of Year 1 and Year 2 reports for Early Career Teachers
- Making the final decision as to whether or not an Early Career Teacher's performance, against the relevant standards, is satisfactory, drawing on the recommendation of the headteacher
We require that all schools complete a Service Level Agreement with us before we authorise an ECT's induction. This will be sent to you when you register a new ECT on ECT Manager.
If you have any questions about the Saffron AB service, contact Angela Cass at angelacass@saffron.academy
AB Induction and the Early Career Framework
From 2021, Appropriate Bodies are required to ensure that Early Career Teachers receive their statutory ECF entitlement as well as making the final decision as to whether that teacher has met the Teachers' Standards.
Schools who choose the DfE funded Full Induction Programme (FIP) route, such as the Saffron Early Career Programme, do not have to have their ECF programme checked by their AB.
Where schools choose to follow the Core Induction Programme (CIP) using DfE Approved Materials, or a School-based Induction Programme, the Appropriate Bodies' role now includes 'fidelity checking' those ECF programmes. There is an additional charge for this service.