LA communications to schools

Title: / Summer Term 2017 Update 3 NQT Induction
Summary: / Induction briefing 27 June; summer NQT assessment deadline; final NQT report prep; 2017-18 NQT registration
Target school(s): / All with registered NQTs and those who will have NQTs in 2017-18
Specific schools
For attention of: / Heads, CPD and Induction Co-ordinators, SBMs
Author: / Julie Shaw and Linda Crichton
Contact: / Julie Shaw and Linda Crichton
Email: / and
Telephone: / 020 7598 4804 and 020 7641 3364
Newsletter date: / 19 July 2017
Action required/
due date: / Please share with relevant colleagues and action as appropriate

1 2017-18 induction briefing – 27 June, 2-4pm at Lilla Huset

(For those schools who will have NQTs in the new academic year. Audience - Induction Tutors, Coordinators and interested senior leaders).

This briefing will cover the NQT induction process, deadlines, statutory responsibilities, expectations and highlight key NQT induction issues, common misconceptions, signposting to further guidance and advice, and provide an opportunity to ask any questions. Please contact Julie Shaw or Linda Crichton at if you and/or colleagues wish to attend.

Induction Tutor training will also be held on the 27th September, or 5 October, 2-4.30pm. These sessions will cover the same issues but be more workshop in style with more focus on assessments, target setting and action plans. Suitable for new NQT Induction Tutors and Coordinators, or those who have not attended training for the past 3 years.

2 Summer term NQT Assessment deadlines

The summer term NQT report due date is Friday 7th July 2016 which is just two weeks before the term and academic year ends officially for Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

Please ensure that statutory formal observations, professional reviews and reports are completed in sufficient time for reports to be submitted via NQT Manager by the 7 July (this includes sign off by the headteacher. This date is set to allow panel review and enough time for queries, amendments or re-submissions, a second review if necessary, statutory processes to be followed in the event of extensions (which must be pre-agreed) or failures, and submission of outcomes data to NCTL. Consequently, it is a very tight timescale, and reports must be submitted by the due date (unless otherwise agreed due to exceptional circumstances).

This will be the final term of induction for most NQTs, and if so, it is imperative that all standards are fully and consistently met to the required level, and fully evidenced within the report for the school’s decision to be upheld by the Appropriate Body. The final report will indicate that standards are met, or not met, there will be no grading, just the final decision. Any extension to the induction period will need to be agreed in advance with the LA, and only be agreed in exceptional circumstances, according to statutory guidance.

N.B. Please note that any late assessments may not be able to be reviewed until after the summer thus delaying completion of NQT induction. Charges are also highly likely to apply.

3 Preparation for final term assessments

The final term of the academic year is now drawing to a close, and for most NQTs it will be the final term of their induction period. There are a number of things which if considered in good time and planned for appropriately can help to ensure that the induction period is successfully concluded.

Please find below some of those things which I would encourage you to consider and discuss in school, and implement as appropriate:

1  Plan and diarise each NQT’s final formal observation, final professional review meeting where evidence from across the whole year should be looked at, building in sufficient report writing time so that the final version is complete and signed by all and submitted on the revised due date – now Friday 7 July (was Wednesday, 5 July)

SUGGESTION NQTs undertake self-review against Teachers Standards (useful template with prompts in Resources section of NQT Manager) and discuss any remaining development needs with Tutor and agree prompt support to be provided. The self-review is a helpful document for you to take to the final prof review meeting.

2  NQTs should be very clear at all stages about the school’s view of their progress towards meeting the Teachers Standards successfully by the end of induction. Co-ordinators and senior leaders, if you feel an LA quality assurance visit would help to review progress and support, and provide any guidance to assist schools in making a secure induction judgement, please do let me know. Alternatively, a conversation might be preferable. In either case, Linda or I would be happy to advise.

SUGGESTION all involved in induction to review the evidence base for making a secure decision, and agree the state of progress at this point of the term. If an objective, external view might help to validate the findings or make appropriate recommendations please advise your main LA NQT contact (Julie Shaw in LBHF & RBKC, Linda Crichton in WCC).

3  Registration of NQTs for 2017-18

Choice - there are increasingly varied options available to schools for both the Appropriate Body function, to quality assure and manage the formal induction process, and to access NQT CPD courses.

Appropriate Body for statutory induction - The Education Service remains confident that it is best placed to offer a thorough and robust service in terms of quality assurance arrangements, impartiality and experience in dealing with NQT induction and the many associated and sometimes challenging issues that schools can experience when supporting induction.

NQT CPD - In terms of the Primary and Early Years NQT CPD offer, we are also confident that our very comprehensive and flexible programmes are high quality, and relevant to the needs of NQTs, demonstrating positive impact on NQTs’ practice.

External quality assurance - The detailed UCL-IoE external evaluation of both the courses and schools’ and NQTs’ perceptions of suitability and impact of our NQT CPD programme continues, and has found consistently high standards and approval ratings. The NQT service is reflective and responsive, and where the need for improvements are identified, these are addressed and kept under review.

The NQT service will remain accessible to all schools within the three authorities despite any changes in local authority partnership arrangements.

If your school has appointed NQTs you wish to register for induction this September, we welcome and look forward to working with your school. Please find attached an SLA booking form. Please complete and return to Julie or Linda. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Julie Shaw and Linda Crichton

Tri-borough NQT Coordinators