How we assess registration for individuals with qualifications from outside Scotland
The Register of Teachers is made up of over 80,000 individuals with over 93,000 registrations. Registration with GTC Scotland is about ensuring that teachers are suitable to teach. A recognised teaching qualification or equivalent is the foundation for registration, which is an essential part of ensuring and maintaining a trusted teaching profession in Scotland.
To help improve understanding about registration, we thought it would be helpful to explain the process for those who have qualified outside Scotland (QOS) and why it is vital to upholding teaching standards.
We receive 100s of QOS applications every year which we individually assess. Approximately 80% of the applicants who complete the full assessment process meet our criteria and are eligible to register with us.
Key statistics
Approximately 40% of all QOS applicants from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025 self-reported that they were from UK nations.
From 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025:
- 803 individuals with qualifications from outside of Scotland applied for registration
- 1,247 applications were individually assessed to analyse their suitability for joining the Register (this number includes those who applied outwith the reporting period, but were assessed within it)
- 679 successfully registered
- 421 chose not to register. This is because some individuals choose not to complete the assessment process, some choose not to register after registration is offered and some are offered a registration category that they were not expecting.
- 147 were refused registration
Registration assessment
As well as carrying out background checks, we assess each applicant’s qualifications and teaching experience against our Registration and Standards Rules 2015 (the Rules). These rules also set out the requirements an individual who has qualified in Scotland must meet in order to register with us.
In Scotland, initial teacher education programmes are accredited by us to ensure that they meet the Standard for Provisional Registration, which is the minimum entry point to the Register.
Just like for those who qualified in Scotland, we rely on the qualifications that an applicant who qualified outside Scotland has obtained as an assurance that they have met our standards.
Eligible teaching qualifications from outside Scotland must have been awarded by a higher education institution listed by the UKNational Information Centre (UK ENIC), and include the features outlined on the eligibility of teachers qualified outside Scotland page on our website. The UK ENIC offers impartial judgement in international qualifications to ensure that the skills and qualifications of people coming to work, study or settle in the UK are recognised at the right level.
Applicants must also have been awarded a UK degree or a degree deemed by the UK ENIC to be comparable to a UK degree. Secondary teachers must have completed relevant study of their teaching subject. You can find a list of all the qualifications which have led to registration since October 2022 on our website.
The possible outcomes of the assessment of an application are:
- full registration offered
- provisional registration offered
- provisional (conditional) registration offered
- registration refused
Prior to issuing a formal registration refused decision we provide applicants with an indicative decision. At this point, the applicant can provide any further details they may not have already shared with us and which may help inform our assessment.
Sometimes, applicants are unhappy with our decisions.
If we offer an applicant a different registration status (because of a shortfall in qualifications or associated teaching experience), or a different registration category than they expected, the applicant has the right to request a review of the decision on their application.
If we refuse an application for registration, this decision is appealable to the Court of Session.
Maintaining teaching standards
Like all our functions, the purpose of registration assessment is to maintain teaching standards. Assessment ensures individuals meet the Standard for Provisional Registration as a minimum at point of entry to the Register. It also aligns with what we require programmes of initial teacher education in Scotland to deliver, as ensured through our accreditation arrangements.
GTC Scotland was established in 1965 following calls from teachers for a body to ensure teaching standards. The Rules form one of our main policy pillars and are our legal position for registration. Essentially, they outline what it means to be a teacher in Scotland. It is only through ensuring compliance with the Rules that we can lawfully register and ensure trust in Scotland’s teaching profession.
