Teaching in Scotland: registration and the induction year

In Scotland, a newly qualified teacher is registered provisionally with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTC Scotland) and becomes fully registered after a period of assessed teaching, usually one school year or about 190 days. There are two routes: the Scottish Government’s Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) for eligible Scottish graduates, and the Flexible Route for everyone else. England works differently, with a two-year early career teacher induction, so a move across the border means learning a separate system.

Provisional registration

GTC Scotland describes teacher preparation as two phases: initial teacher education, then an induction period of assessed teaching practice. Provisionally registered teachers have a teaching qualification but have not yet done that induction. They fall into three groups: those qualified in Scotland, those with an equivalent qualification from outside Scotland, and fully registered teachers seeking registration in an additional category.

The aim of induction is to meet the Standard for Full Registration and receive a recommendation for full registration from a fully registered teacher, usually the headteacher. The standard has three parts: being a teacher in Scotland, professional knowledge and understanding, and professional skills and abilities.

The Teacher Induction Scheme

TIS gives every eligible graduate of a Scottish higher education institution a guaranteed one-year, full-time placement in a local authority. The Scottish Government decides who is eligible, and universities carry out the checks. Under the scheme, the provisionally registered teacher has:

• a maximum class contact time of 0.8 of a full-time post
• dedicated time for professional development
• a fully registered teacher as a supporter throughout the year

At the end, the reviewer can recommend full registration, an extension of TIS, or removal of registration. You can take part in TIS only once, and you can leave the scheme at any point and finish through the Flexible Route.

The Flexible Route

GTC Scotland requires teachers qualified outside Scotland, teachers who choose to work in the independent sector, and fully registered teachers adding another registration category to use the Flexible Route. Previous teaching experience can count towards the minimum if recorded in enough detail for a reviewer to assess it. A reviewer must observe at least one lesson in the category you are registered for.

What induction involves

For provisionally registered teachers with no previous teaching experience, GTC Scotland sets out these minimums:

• 1 academic year, about 190 days, of assessed teaching practice, within a maximum of three years
• nine observations by a fully registered teacher (ten where concerns have been raised), with five of the nine in the first teaching block on TIS
• recorded learning activities and development plans in MyGTCS, GTC Scotland’s online platform
• association with a reviewer, and with a supporter on TIS

If absence in the year is longer than around 20 days and you have not yet shown you meet the standard, you will need further assessed teaching to make up the days. On TIS, this would lead to a recommendation for an extension.

Pay, jobs and where to go next

Scottish teacher pay is set under separate arrangements: see the teacher pay in Scotland guide. The Scotland public sector guide covers the wider picture. For a comparison with England, the ECT induction guide explains the two-year framework there, and the QTS guide covers the English qualification.

Rules for people qualified elsewhere in the UK, class contact time for fully registered teachers and fees are not covered here. GTC Scotland’s knowledge base has the current details.

What to check

• Confirm with your university whether you are eligible for TIS, because the Scottish Government sets the criteria.
• If you trained outside Scotland, ask GTC Scotland which route and which registration category apply to you.
• Start recording your development plan in MyGTCS early. For TIS, GTC Scotland says to do it by week 3 of your first teaching block.
• Note the three-year limit from the date provisional registration was awarded.