SLE support is commissioned by individual schools, groups of schools, EIPs (primary) or Area Groups (secondary) and is funded from schools’ devolved budget or EIP/Area Group resources.

The recruitment and training of SLEs is overseen by the ESLCN. The collaborative processes we have developed for deploying SLEs ensures that we draw on a range of system leaders across the county and identify the best person to provide the required support.

For Primary schools the deployment process follows 6 steps:

1. Headteachers identify the teacher standard(s) with which the member(s) of staff need support.

2. The headteacher then liaises with their alliance lead who works with the LCP school to identify the source of funding (school’s devolved budget or EIP funding) and arrange the deployment of an SLE who is available and matches the school’s requirements.

3. The Headteacher of the receiving school(s) confirms the choice with the LCP school who then contacts the SLE’s Headteacher to agree the deployment.

4. The SLE makes contact with the receiving school within 7 days to arrange to visit to the receiving school(s). They are inducted into the school by the Headteacher or senior leader and meet the teacher(s) to clarify the areas of support, the time and pattern of support  and to draw up an action plan.

5. The SLE updates the plan as they work through the deployment.

6. On completion of the deployment, the SLE submits their final report to the LCP school to bring to the EIP’s executive group for evaluation and sign off.

For Secondary schools wishing to deploy an SLE, we ask that the headteacher liaises with their external advisor in the first instance.

In some circumstances the Primary and Secondary Boards may identify a school or a department within a school that would benefit from SLE support to improve its performance. This identification and prioritisation is based on pupil outcomes data, local knowledge of school context, Ofsted outcomes and the capacity to capitalise on support. The programme of support might involve a single visit, a series of short visits spread over a term, or even long-term deployments in areas of greater need. The Boards have some financial resource set aside to support targeted SLE deployment which may subsidise the cost to receiving schools.   

Once we have received the request for support, and it has been initially agreed, we ask you to complete a Deployment Request and Agreement Form. This enables us to capture and identify priorities, set expectations and timescales and agree the required measures and outcomes that will support our quality assurance and evaluation.

We then identify a system leader from our directory who is best matched to the work and to your school, and who is available to meet your specific needs within your time frame.  We approach the SLE and their home school to establish their availability and to secure their commitment to the deployment.  We then require signed agreements from both the SLE and their school’s senior leadership, as well as the headteacher of the receiving school. You can find the conditions of the agreement here. (link to open SLE pdf document)

We then identify a system leader from our directory who is best matched to the work and to your school, and who is available to meet your specific needs within your time frame.  We approach the SLE and their home school to establish their availability and to secure their commitment to the deployment.  We then require signed agreements from both the SLE and their school’s senior leadership, as well as the headteacher of the receiving school.

At the outset of any deployment a clear plan including intended outcomes is drawn up using the agreed East Sussex Learning Collaborative Network agreed Deployment Request and Agreement Form. This is a live document, provided by ESLCN, which serves as a record of the work undertaken and identifies the next steps. The system leader and supported staff member can then agree the actions to be taken between visits.  

There is a final evaluation of the impact of the deployment at the end of any piece of work with a school for quality assurance and for ensuring that the impact of the support is fed back to the ESLCN and to the Primary, or Secondary, Boards as appropriate.

The nationally agreed rate for SLE support is £350 a day.  This rate covers all work, planning, preparation, report writing and travel. It is designed to contribute towards supply cover for the release of the SLE from their classroom duties and allow the SLE’s home school to plan for that release time.

All charges are agreed in advance of a deployment and set out in the initial action plan. In most cases funds are paid following deployment rather than in advance.

Where the Primary and Secondary Boards agree to subsidise a targeted deployment, the cost is shared with the receiving school as follows. The Boards may consider further concession on a case by case basis. 

SLE costs per day: £350

Grant to home school per day: £200

Cost to receiving school per day: £150

Should an SLE be unable to complete the deployment, all outstanding funds are returned to receiving school and respective Board.