Appropriate Body Reforms and Consultation

In the ‘Opportunity for all’ white paper, published in March 2022, the department committed to reforming the role of the appropriate body (AB). In the induction guidance for ABs published in 2021 the department also committed to introducing stronger quality assurance of the AB sector.

In response, the department has, today, launched a consultation on ‘Appropriate body reform and induction assessment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)’. The consultation document announces the decision to move to a system in which teaching school hubs (TSHs) will become the main providers of AB services and Local Authorities will no longer carry out this role. This will enable quality assurance of AB services through existing contractual relationships with TSHs.

The department recognises this announcement will mean significant change for many ABs currently operating in both the TSH and LA sectors. It is consulting on a provisional transition end date of September 2023 and would like to invite ABs to feed back on the delivery implications for the current AB sector, to inform planning for capacity building and a timeframe that will enable a well-managed transition. 

To inform improvements to the AB role and to help policy development, the consultation is also seeking views on how the responsibilities of ABs can be improved as well as the value of the formal assessment process.

All ABs are encouraged to engage with this consultation to enable a successful transition and to help improve the quality of AB services and the induction experience for ECTs. Please read the ‘Appropriate body reform and induction assessment: Consultation document’ and provide responses to the consultation via the following link: https://consult.education.gov.uk/induction-regulations-and-appropriate-bodies-policy/appropriate-body-reform-and-induction-assessment/

The department asks that ABs also cascade links to this consultation to the schools, trusts and teachers they work with, to encourage them to share their experiences of induction so that we can work to ensure the regulatory system serves the needs of ECTs.

The consultation will run for eight weeks until 21 July 2022, the government is expected to publish its response to the consultation in Autumn 2022.

The department will provide opportunities for engagement on the consultation and will be in touch with details on how you can get involved in due course. 

If you are interested in applying to join the Hub's AB service, please click here