Information for Probationer teachers - Communities and Local ...

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The General Teaching Council for Scotland
Information for
Probationer Teachers
following the Alternative Route

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The General Teaching Council for Scotland
The General Teaching Council for Scotland ("the
Council") was set up under the Teaching Council
(Scotland) Act 1965. It was the first such body for
teachers in the United Kingdom and, indeed, one
of the first teaching councils in the world. One
of the fundamental principles underlying the
work of the Council is that of professional
self-government.
The public interest is represented on the Council.
Its membership of 50 consists of 26 elected
registered teacher members; 18 appointed
members representing local authorities, directors
of education, directors of social work, further and
higher education institutions, the churches and the
Scottish Council of Independent Schools; and 6
members nominated by Scottish Ministers.
The Council is an advisory non-departmental
public body (NDPB), but differs from other NDPBs
in that it is funded from the annual registration
fees paid by registered teachers and not from the
public purse. With regard to the public interest,
policy statements and general advice issued by the
Council are made available to the public and
Minutes of meetings of the Council are made
available to the press and on the Internet, subject
to confidentiality in the Council’s case work.
The Standards in Scotland’s Schools etc Act
2000 made a number of important changes to the
functions of the Council. In the light of these
changes this Code of Practice on Teacher
Competence is intended to illustrate how the
Council defines teacher competence and the
proposed procedures for dealing with cases of
under-performance.
The principal aims of the General Teaching Council
for Scotland are:
■ To contribute to improving the quality of
teaching and learning;
■ To maintain and to enhance professional
standards in schools and colleges in
collaboration with partners including teachers,
employing authorities, teacher education
institutions, parents and the Scottish Executive
Education Department;
■ To be recognised as a voice and advocate for the
teaching profession;
■ To contribute to the development of a
world-class educational system in Scotland.
The Council's key functions are:
■ To maintain and enhance the quality of teaching
in Scotland;
■ To maintain standards of professional conduct
and competence in teaching;
■ To provide advice on the entry requirements for
initial teacher education and the supply of
teachers;
■ To enhance the status and standing of teaching
and the teaching profession;
■ To develop the strengths of Council staff;
■ To run an effective and cost-efficient
organisation.
1 PROBATION EXPLAINED
What is probationary service?
Probationary service is the period of time in which,
as a new teacher, you develop your teaching skills
and benefit from the support of your colleagues.
That support will help you become integrated into
the life of the school and achieve the Standard for
Full Registration. During this period your teaching
will be monitored so that the most appropriate
form of support is offered. GTC Scotland have
developed a guidance document ‘Achieving the
Standard for Full Registration, Guidance for Schools
and New Teachers – Alternative Route’ which
provides detailed advice about the probation
period. The guidance can be accessed in the
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Alternative Route part of the Probation section of
our website (www.gtcs.org.uk).
three years from the date of initial
provisional registration with the Council.
Why is it necessary?
It is necessary to ensure that you are able to take
on all the demands and responsibilities of
teaching. During the probationary period you are
entitled to additional support to enable you to
develop your skills and demonstrate your
competence to teach.
How long is the probationary period?
You are normally required to complete four school
terms of successful probationary service, ie 270
days.
Does a period of service need to be continuous?
No, it is not necessary for periods of probationary
service to be continuous. However you will remain
provisionally registered until the successful
completion of probation and on the
recommendation of your headteacher.
Are there time limits for completion of the
probationary period?
Yes, there are time limits within which probationer
teachers must obtain full registration.
What are the time limits?
(1) For teachers provisionally registered with
the Council prior to 1 September 2003:
Full registration must be obtained no later
than five years with effect from 1 January
2005 (i.e. 1 January 2010).
(2) For teachers provisionally registered with
the Council from 1 September 2003
onwards:
(a) If you participated in, and withdrew from,
the Teacher Induction Scheme – Full
registration is to be obtained no later than
(b) If you are not participating in the Teacher
Induction Scheme and following
the alternative probation route – Full
registration is to be obtained no later than
five years from the date of initial
provisional registration with the Council.
If a probationer teacher’s provisional registration
with the Council lapses, what happens to the
time limit?
If a teacher’s provisional registration lapses, the
time limit ‘clock’ keeps on ticking for the duration
of the period of time when the provisional
registration is lapsed.
If a teacher later renews his/her provisional
registration, he/she must obtain full registration
within the time remaining from the commencement
date of the original time limit.
Does a time limit apply to the probationary
period for a teacher adding a second or
subsequent teaching qualification to his/her
portfolio?
There is no time limit for the probationary period
relating to a second or subsequent teaching
qualification.
What happens if personal or other
circumstances affect a probationer teacher’s
ability to complete the probationary period
within the required time?
In exceptional circumstances the Council can
consider extending the period of provisional
registration. You should write to the Probation
Department stating your circumstances.
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2 ACHIEVING THE STANDARD FOR FULL
REGISTRATION
What does the Council want to know?
It is important that the Council has a record of any
periods of relevant teaching. A portfolio of your
experiences should be kept so that you can
complete your GTC Scotland interim and final
reports and it will enable you to monitor your
progress. An interim report should be completed
after two terms full time continuous and relevant
service. A final report should be completed at the
end of four terms. Where service is not continuous,
an interim report should be submitted for periods
of three to four weeks’ (or more) service. Where
your teaching has been of a shorter time,
confirmation of dates of service (as recorded on
the Record of Teaching Service table) will suffice. A
final report should be completed by you and your
headteacher at the end of your probationary
period. Report forms can be downloaded from the
Alternative Route part of the Probation section of
our website.
Remember that the GTC Scotland is here to
support and advise you on issues relating to your
probationary period and if you require additional
information it can be accessed from our website or
by contacting the Probation Department
(probation@gtcs.org.uk).
Who writes the reports?
You complete the majority of the report but you
will also need to ask your headteacher to complete
the appropriate parts of the document(s).
of the report. Your signature does not necessarily
indicate your agreement with the content.
Who is responsible for ensuring that reports are
submitted to the Council?
You are. If reports are not forwarded, it is
impossible to record and credit the probationary
service completed. Please ensure that reports are
submitted at the end of each period of service.
What support and professional development can
I access to help achieve the Standard for Full
Registration?
Meetings with a probation supporter/mentor and
observed teaching sessions are also essential as
part of your ongoing development. Invite
observers to provide feedback. Check with your
authority on the support which is available and
make sure you record all additional training
undertaken in your Portfolio. Maintain your
Portfolio at all times; it is easier to do this as you
develop. Take advantage of informal support
offered by colleagues.
What is a Portfolio?
A Portfolio is evidence of your journey from
provisional registration to full registration and is a
live record of your ongoing development.
What happens if the report on my teaching
service is adverse?
If, at the end of the probationary period, your
report is adverse, your probationary service may be
extended or your registration cancelled.
Can I comment on my report?
Yes. Interim and final report forms invite you to
submit comments to the Council separately, in
writing, if you wish. You are asked to sign the form
to confirm that you have read and received a copy
3 DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROBATIONARY
EXPERIENCE
Can I teach in a nursery school or class?
Providing you hold a teaching qualification in
primary education, the probation period may be
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completed in the nursery sector. It is important
that your probation period is monitored and all
reports completed by a fully registered primary
teacher. However you are strongly recommended
to also gain experience in the primary sector.
Can I teach in Special Education?
The probation period may be completed in special
education (moderate learning difficulties)
providing the service is satisfactory and relevant to
your teaching qualification. An exception to this
rule is service in schools/classes for pupils with
profound and/or complex learning difficulties
where only two terms’ credit may be considered.
For full registration you will be expected to
complete two terms of full-time (or the equivalent
in part-time) satisfactory and relevant service in a
mainstream school situation.
Can I work as a Support for Learning Teacher?
Credit of up to two terms only can be considered.
To be eligible to apply for full registration you
would normally be required to complete two terms
of full-time (or the equivalent in part-time)
satisfactory service in sole charge of a primary
class or, in the case of secondary teachers, be
responsible for delivering your subject
specialism(s) across a range of secondary classes.
Can I teach in residential schools?
Probationary service is accepted in full providing it
is satisfactory and relevant to your teaching
qualification, subject to the terms above.
Can I teach in other non-mainstream
establishments?
Probationary service in establishments such as
assessment centres, children’s resource centres etc
is generally accepted providing it is satisfactory
and relevant to teaching qualifications.
What if I am involved in team/flexibility
teaching?
Many forms of team/flexibility teaching may be
considered for probationary service. You are
advised to submit details of teaching and
timetable to enable an assessment to be made.
The Council will be looking for service which
includes a broad spectrum of the curriculum
and/or your own subject along with experience of
planning, assessing and recording.
Can the probationary period be completed in
Further Education?
Teachers in possession of a teaching qualification
in secondary education sometimes accept an
appointment in further education. In such
circumstances, probationers, if they complete four
terms of satisfactory relevant service, may be
eligible to apply for full registration in respect of
further education only. If they subsequently wish
to obtain full registration in secondary education,
they will be required to complete two terms of
satisfactory and relevant service in a secondary
school.
If I hold a secondary qualification, can I teach in
the primary sector?
As a Secondary teacher provisionally registered to
teach one of the expressive arts subjects and then
appointed to primary schools to teach your own
secondary subject, you will be eligible to apply for
full registration after four terms of successful
primary service but only in respect of teaching
your subject in the primary sector. In order to be
eligible for full registration in respect of secondary,
a further two terms of successful relevant
secondary school service will be required.
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Does teaching service in other parts of the
United Kingdom count for probationary
purposes?
Subject to the conditions outlined in this leaflet,
service in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is
acceptable. You should also register with the
appropriate GTC and submit reports to GTC
Scotland in the normal manner.
Does teaching service overseas count for
probationary purposes?
Providing the service abroad is satisfactory and
relevant to your teaching qualification, and the
medium of instruction is English. However, to be
eligible to apply for full registration you may be
required to obtain a report and recommendation
from the headteacher of a school within the UK in
which you are subsequently employed. You may
also be required to provide an official statement
confirming that you have no criminal record in the
country concerned.
If I hold a dual qualification, what percentage of
my timetable would I be required to teach in
each subject?
The Council always tries to be flexible. However,
you will be required to teach at least 20% of a
timetable in any one subject for it to be
recognized. It is important that the proportion and
nature of teaching time devoted to each subject is
indicated in the reports. It is possible to become
fully registered in one subject, while remaining
provisional in another. A further (reduced) period
of probation for a second or subsequent subject is
required.
Contacts
If you require further information and/or guidance
please contact the Probation Department:
E-mail: probation@gtcs.org.uk
Tel: 0131 314 6042/6043/6039/6088
Fax: 0131 314 6001
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If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the Council’s service or work and wish to make a complaint, the Council has a
complaints procedure for this purpose.
The procedure is outlined in the Guide to the General Teaching Council for Scotland Complaints Procedure which can be
accessed via the Council’s website at www.gtcs.org.uk or from the Council Secretary, e-mail: complaints@gtcs.org.uk
Once your complaint has gone through all the stages of the Council’s procedure, if you are not satisfied with the
Council’s response, the Guide indicates your right to take up your complaint with the Scottish Public Services
Ombudsman and the process for doing so.
You can obtain this leaflet in large print from our website
www.gtcs.org.uk or contact us on 0131 314 6000
The General Teaching Council for Scotland
Clerwood House
96 Clermiston Road
Edinburgh EH12 6UT
Tel: 0131 314 6000
12/05
www.gtcs.org.uk/probation