Standards and Regulations

Professional Standards

The Professional Standards cover the various stages of teachers' careers from initial teacher education, through provisional registration to full registration and on to Chartered Teacher and Headship. These include:

• Guidelines and Standards (December 2006)
• The Standard for Initial Teacher Education (ITE)
• Guidelines for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Courses in Scotland
• The Standard for Full Registration
• The Standard for Chartered Teacher
• The Standard for Headship
• Accreditation of Programmes of Initial Teacher Education in Scotland

Rules

We have a number of rules which govern how we carry out our functions:  These include:

• Statement of Principles and Practice Governing Registration relating to Service Provision on a Temporary and Occasional Basis
• Standard for Headship Alternative Route (Pilot) Rules
• Teachers' Registration (Scotland) Rules
• Provisional Registration and Probationary Service Rules
• Statement of Principles and Practice Governing Professional Recognition/Registration for Fully Registered Teachers
• Statement of Principles and Practice governing Exceptional Admissions to the Register
• Conduct, Competence and Disciplinary Rules
• The Teaching Council (Scotland) (Legal Assessor) Rules 2006
• Chartered Teacher Accreditation Route Rules

Standing Orders

Our Standing Orders govern how our Council, Committees and sub-committees are constituted and how they conduct their proceedings. These include:

• Standing Orders of the Standard for Headship Professional Interview Panel
• Standing Orders of Council September 2005
• Standing Orders of the Committee on Exceptional Admissions to the Register
• Standing Orders of the Appeals Board
• Standing Orders of the Professional Standards Committee and Panels
• Standing Orders of the National Assessment Panel

Policies

We have a number of policies relating to areas covered by the rules and standing orders. These include:

• Policy Governing Deferral Requests Prior to and Following Commencement of a TIS Post
• Policy Governing Provisional Registration and Probationary Service
• Policy Governing Registration with GTC Scotland
• Re-admission to the Register for Teachers whose Registration has been withdrawn following Unsatisfactory Probationary Service Policy and Procedure
• Time Limit for Obtaining Full Registration by Provisionally Registered Teachers Policy and Procedure
• Attending a Hearing as an Observer leaflet
• Attending a Hearing as Press leaflet
• Attending a Hearing as a Witness leaflet

Protocols

We also have a number of protocols relating to areas covered by the rules and standing orders. These include:

• Temporary Suspension Protocol relating to the Investigating Sub-Committee
• Temporary Suspension Protocol relating to the Disciplinary Sub-Committee
• Protocol for managing the business of Council in the event of an emergency or other exceptional situation (pdf)

Practice Notes

As part of GTC Scotland's commitment to seeking to ensure consistency of practice, openness and transparency in the carrying out of its functions, we have started to develop Practice Notes to help explain how our committees and panels operate and the policies and procedures that they apply:

• Professional Standards Committee
• Practice Notes relating to Disciplinary and Investigating Sub-Committees

Codes of Practice

Our codes of practice explain how we carry out our functions and the processes relating to our functions. These include:

• General Code of Practice
• Code of Practice on the Exercise of the Council's Disciplinary Functions
• Code of Practice on Teacher Competence

Codes of Conduct

We have a Code of Conduct which applies to all members of Council and a Code of Professionalism and Conduct which sets the standard of conduct expected of all registered teachers in Scotland:

• Code of Conduct for members of GTC Scotland
• Code of Professionalism and Conduct