Any candidate who has successfully completed the PGDE or MA Ed. will have reached the standard for provisional registration with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) and is a probationer teacher.
You should ensure before commencing any form of employment that Provisional Registration has been formally granted and a GTCS Registration Number provided accordingly.
As a probationer teacher, you will be working towards gaining full GTCS registration via either:
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the Teacher Induction Scheme with a guaranteed teaching post where you may be recommended for full registration at/towards the end of the academic session - 195 days’ teaching service required; or
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the Flexible Route - 270 days’ teaching service within a set timeframe determined by the GTCS - and, in the instance of the Flexible Route, the onus is on the teacher to source their own employment on a temporary basis/supply in order to meet the requirements.
Please see GTCS Professional Standards for comprehensive details of GTCS Standards for Registration.
It is essential also that all teachers have full awareness that they are obliged to adhere to the GTCS Code of Professionalism and Conduct (COPAC) as well as the standards outlined above. Please see GTCS Code of Professionalism and Conduct.
GTCS Teacher Induction Scheme versus Flexible Route
The Teacher Induction Scheme is a supported route to gaining full registration where a full one-year post is allocated (195 days’ teaching service) in one school.
To permit them to develop professionally, a probationer teacher has a right to a reduced timetable (equivalent to 0.82 FTE), an allocated mentor and weekly mentor meetings. The probationer teacher can be recommended for full registration towards the end of the academic session if that is appropriate, i.e. they have demonstrated that they are meeting all the standards
The Flexible Route has none of the built-in supports, e.g. no reduced timetable and no mentor allocation, requires a longer period of service of 270 days and has to source their own employment on supply. However, it is worth noting that should you work a full academic session in one school on the Flexible Route, you can seek to have the school recommend you for full registration if that is appropriate and submit this recommendation to the GTCS.
GTCS Profile
All probationer teachers will be provided with an online GTCS Profile to record their progress and demonstrate they are meeting the GTCS Standards. There are sections for recording CPD, Lesson Observation Feedback, Timetable Followed, Record of Mentor Meetings, etc.
Further information and support
If you have concerns about your induction arrangements or your service on the Flexible Route, please email the Scotland National Centre.
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