A vision for the teaching profession

Originally published in 2010, Teaching Scotland’s Future (TSF), set out a transformative vision for strengthening the teaching profession in Scotland. It focused on attracting, developing, and retaining high-quality educators through a culture of continuous professional learning and leadership development. Central to TSF was supporting the implementation of Curriculum for Excellence across all levels of education.

As we move through ongoing curriculum reform and engage with the Curriculum Improvement Cycle, access to innovative and high-quality professional learning continues to be as important now as when TSF was published. The following publications also reference the importance of professional learning:

• Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence (OECD)
• Putting Learners at the Centre (gov.scot)
• All Learners in Scotland Matter (gov.scot) 

Teachers and school leaders are key to driving meaningful change, and their continued growth is essential to delivering high-quality, equitable learning experiences for all learners.  

The role of GTC Scotland

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) is the independent regulator for teachers in Scotland. They work in the public interest to enhance trust in teachers by setting, upholding and promoting high standards.

Registration with GTC Scotland signifies that an individual has met, and continues to meet, the standards expected of the teaching profession in Scotland. 

Only GTC Scotland registered teachers can teach in Scotland’s schools. It is a legal requirement that they are employed in a role that aligns with their registration category. College lecturers are also required to register with GTC Scotland. 

Professional Update: supporting career-long learning

As a requirement of its founding legislation, GTC Scotland established a reaccreditation scheme called Professional Update (PU) to ensure it remains informed about the standards of education and training of teachers on its Register. 

PU is an ongoing process that includes:

• engaging in relevant professional learning
• self-evaluating against the Professional Standards
• maintaining a reflective professional learning record and 
• having a professional dialogue with a line manager acting as reviewer

To maintain Full (General) registration status with GTC Scotland, teachers and college lecturers must provide evidence of their engagement with the PU process every 5 years. 

Teachers engage in professional learning to stimulate their thinking and professional knowledge, enhance their expertise, and ensure that their practice is critically informed and up to date. You will find links from our professional learning resources to GTC Scotland’s Standards, throughout this website.

Teaching standards

GTC Scotland’s mandatory standards include:

• the Standard for Provisional Registration
• the Standard for Provisional Registration (Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges) 
• the Standard for Full Registration
• the Standards for Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges
• the Code of Professionalism and Conduct

In addition, the regulator has developed aspirational standards to support career-long professional growth:

• the Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning
• the Standard for Middle Leadership
• the Standard for Headship 

The Standard for Headship has had the additional purpose of being a legislative requirement for teachers who have become permanently employed in headteacher roles since August 2020.

Related links

General Teaching Council for Scotland

College Development Network