Elements of Professional Update

All registered teachers will be included in the process of Professional Update with the process adjusted to suit the needs of different types of teachers. For example, a teacher who is working abroad, supply teachers, teachers working in other public bodies or outwith the education sector altogether.

Routine elements of Professional Update will include:

• An annual update of information by registered teachers, involving the submission to GTCS of address and personal details, as appropriate;
• Continuing engagement in PRD and in general professional development, at establishment level;

A five yearly Professional Update which would involve sharing of evidence to confirm that a teacher has maintained professional skills and understanding.

1 a) As part of Professional Update do you think that teachers should provide an annual update of information?

1 b) Do you think that the proposed five year cycle for the completion of Professional Update is appropriate?

Self-Evaluation

Central to Professional Update is the engagement by teachers in ongoing self-evaluation of their professional knowledge and skills and any related development needs. A benefit of this self-evaluation approach will be a consequent entitlement to support in addressing identified needs.

2 a) Is ongoing self-evaluation the right basis for Professional Update?

Current practice in self-evaluation includes personal reflection against the relevant professional standard, feedback from colleagues and on-line evaluation tools.

2 b) Are these appropriate?

The Professional Update working group prepared two papers on Professional Review and Development, and Coaching and Mentoring. Both papers are available from the downloads section on this page.

A constructive and helpful programme of Professional Review and Development is a key feature of Professional Update. Professional Update will provide an opportunity for teachers to make more effective use of PRD to develop their expertise and professional skills. The success of this will depend on there being a partnership of responsibilities, including recognition of the rights of the teacher and confirmation of the support available from employers.

3) Do you agree with this approach?

Coaching and Mentoring

It is widely recognised that a coaching and mentoring approach is well suited to productive PRD meetings between line managers and their staff. Our paper on coaching and mentoring is available in the downloads section on this page.

4) Do you agree with this approach?

Recording of CPD

As part of our proposals for Professional Update we envisage the development of an online system for recording CPD through the existing MyGTCS portal operated by GTCS.

5) Do you agree with this approach?

Practising and Non-practising Teachers

We believe that there should be separate arrangements for Professional Update for those teachers who are currently practising in classrooms, and those who are 'non-practising', for example teachers working in a public body such as Education Scotland, at local authority level, or outwith teaching entirely.

6) Do you agree that we should develop different but complementary systems of Professional Update for practising and non-practising teachers?

Moving from Practising to Non-practising

It is straightforward for a teacher to move from practising to non-practising, but should GTC Scotland provide guidelines as to how an individual can move from non-practising back to practising?

7) Do you agree that GTC Scotland should provide guidelines?

New registration categories

There are a number of education professionals who are teachers but not teaching in schools, for example lecturers working in initial teacher education within universities or in Further Education Colleges. These individuals are trained teachers but using their skills in a different environment. As they are registered with the GTC Scotland they will take part in Professional Update but how should they be classified?

8) Should there be new registration categories created to cover groups of teachers who are not teaching in schools?

Name of Scheme

The Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011 which sets out the Government's plans for the granting of independent status to GTC Scotland from April 2012 placed the GTC Scotland under a duty to introduce a scheme of 're-accreditation' for teachers.

Professional Update is the working title for this scheme. We believe that this is the most appropriate title for the initiative.

9) Is this an appropriate title for the scheme?

Additional Comments

If you have any additional comments about the proposed scheme of Professional Update please include them below, or please feel free to note anything that you would want us to consider that can assist us to develop a high quality, constructive and effective scheme: