Additional information
Professional Recognition
GTC Scotland’s Professional Recognition is an award that recognises the enhanced, significant, sustained and reflective enquiry a teacher has undertaken and the development of their professional learning in a particular area. Professional Recognition aligns with the Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning. The Standard is closely aligned to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 11. It describes the advanced professional knowledge and pedagogical expertise that registered teachers develop and maintain as they continue to progress in teaching and across the education profession. Registered teachers may also choose to reflect against aspects of the Standard for Middle Leadership, the Standard for Headship and, for college lecturers, the Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges.
The award was open to all registered teachers who have completed 1 year of professional practice after gaining Full Registration. From April 2025 GTC Scotland paused activities relating to the Professional Recognition accreditation for new programmes and individuals. Registrants who already hold this award will not be impacted but no new Professional Recognition awards are currently being awarded.
Data as at 31 March 2025 shows 2,658 teachers holding the Professional Recognition Award (3.28% of registrants on the Register) with a total of 2,887 awards given in the last 5 years. Data as at 31 March 2024 shows 2,693 teachers holding the Professional Recognition award (3.3% of all registrants on the Register) with a total of 2,916 awards given in the last 5 years. Data at 31 March 2023 shows 2,953 teachers holding the Professional Recognition award (3.6% of Registrants on the Register) with a total of 3,225 awards given in the last 5 years.
There is a decrease of 1.30% in the number of registrants holding Professional Recognition over registration year 2024-25. There was a decrease of 8.80% in the number of registrants holding Professional Recognition over registration year 2023-24.
Standard for Headship
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As at 31 March 2025, Table 22 shows that 3,413 teachers on the Register hold the Standard for Headship which is achieved following successful completion of the GTC Scotland accredited ‘Into Headship’ qualification or an assessed equivalent qualification. GTC Scotland gathers information from registered teachers about their employment status. This information is self-declared and is therefore dependent on individuals maintaining up to date records. When this information was explored, it was found that approximately 90% of registrants who hold the Standard for Headship tell us that they are employed by a local authority employer. The remaining approximately 10% who share their employment information with us tell us they are employed in: independent schools; national education organisations; higher education institutes; grant aided schools, further education; GTC Scotland; a supply teaching role; are employed in the UK (not Scotland); or that they are not currently working or are working outside Scotland.
Data at 31 March 2025 shows 3,413 teachers holding the Standard for Headship compared to 3,379 teachers who held the Standard for Headship on 31 March 2024 and 3,503 teachers who held the Standard for Headship on 31 March 2023.
This is an increase of 1.01% in the number of registrants holding the Standard for Headship over registration year 2024-25. However, over the registration years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, there is a 2.57% decrease in number of registrants holding the Standard for Headship.
Registrants holding the Standard for Headship self- declare that they are employed as follows:
- 3,052 (89.42%) listed their employer as a local authority
- <5 (<1%) listed their employer as in the Further Education sector
- 44 (1.29%) listed their employer as an Independent School
The remaining 315 (9.23%) were grouped into:
- Other/not known (Non-UK Schools)
- Not Currently Working
- Other
- Supply Teaching
- UK (Not Scotland)
- Higher Education Institution; or
- Blank
The Local Authorities that employ the most individuals holding the Standard for Headship award are:
- Glasgow City Council (255)
- Aberdeenshire Council (213)
- Fife Council (208)
- North Lanarkshire Council (206)
- South Lanarkshire Council (202)
Chart 10 shows the number of Standard for Headship award holders by local authority. The data is in descending order of number of Standard for Headship award holders.
Tables 23 to 26 provide demographic drilldowns into Standard for Headship award holders.
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{{fs-regreport-table26="/section-components"}}
Professional Update
In March 2011, the Scottish Parliament approved the Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011. As part of this legislation (Article 31), the Scottish Government placed GTC Scotland under a duty to introduce a scheme ‘setting out measures to be undertaken for the purposes of allowing it to keep itself informed about the standards of education and training of registered teachers’. Following a consultation exercise, and in discussions with national partners, GTC Scotland adopted the title ‘Professional Update’ for this process.
Professional Update (PU) is premised on the impact of a registrants professional learning and how this contributes to the future quality of the education profession. PU confirms that a registrant has maintained high standards and helps to ensure the future quality of professional learning and teaching skills across Scotland’s schools, colleges and more widely across the education profession. Engagement in the PU process has been a legislative requirement of registration for fully registered teachers and lecturers since August 2014.
Every teacher on the Register with the status of Full Registration (General) must confirm their commitment to the standards through ongoing learning every 5 years. These registrants are placed in PU confirmation group and are required to confirm as part of a 5-year rolling programme.
The 2023-24 PU group were required to sign off their PU within registration year 2024-25. PU data extracted at the deadline date for the group showed there were 13,839 teachers within this PU group. 10,402 (75.16%) confirmed their commitment to learning and the standards by the deadline of 1 July, leaving 3,437 (24.84%) remaining.
The 2022-23 PU group were required to sign off their PU within registration year 2023-24. PU data extracted at the deadline date for the group showed there were 15,466 teachers within this PU group. 9,012 (58.27%) confirmed their commitment to learning and the standards by the deadline of 1 July, leaving 6,454 (41.73%) remaining.
Completing professional update is a requirement for maintaining Full Registration (General) status.
Professional Recognition
GTC Scotland’s Professional Recognition is an award that recognises the enhanced, significant, sustained and reflective enquiry a teacher has undertaken and the development of their professional learning in a particular area. Professional Recognition aligns with the Standard for Career-Long Professional Learning. The Standard is closely aligned to the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) Level 11. It describes the advanced professional knowledge and pedagogical expertise that registered teachers develop and maintain as they continue to progress in teaching and across the education profession. Registered teachers may also choose to reflect against aspects of the Standard for Middle Leadership, the Standard for Headship and, for college lecturers, the Professional Standards for Lecturers in Scotland’s Colleges.
The award was open to all registered teachers who have completed 1 year of professional practice after gaining Full Registration. From April 2025 GTC Scotland paused activities relating to the Professional Recognition accreditation for new programmes and individuals. Registrants who already hold this award will not be impacted but no new Professional Recognition awards are currently being awarded.
Data as at 31 March 2025 shows 2,658 teachers holding the Professional Recognition Award (3.28% of registrants on the Register) with a total of 2,887 awards given in the last 5 years. Data as at 31 March 2024 shows 2,693 teachers holding the Professional Recognition award (3.3% of all registrants on the Register) with a total of 2,916 awards given in the last 5 years. Data at 31 March 2023 shows 2,953 teachers holding the Professional Recognition award (3.6% of Registrants on the Register) with a total of 3,225 awards given in the last 5 years.
There is a decrease of 1.30% in the number of registrants holding Professional Recognition over registration year 2024-25. There was a decrease of 8.80% in the number of registrants holding Professional Recognition over registration year 2023-24.
Standard for Headship
{{fs-regreport-table22="/section-components"}}
As at 31 March 2025, Table 22 shows that 3,413 teachers on the Register hold the Standard for Headship which is achieved following successful completion of the GTC Scotland accredited ‘Into Headship’ qualification or an assessed equivalent qualification. GTC Scotland gathers information from registered teachers about their employment status. This information is self-declared and is therefore dependent on individuals maintaining up to date records. When this information was explored, it was found that approximately 90% of registrants who hold the Standard for Headship tell us that they are employed by a local authority employer. The remaining approximately 10% who share their employment information with us tell us they are employed in: independent schools; national education organisations; higher education institutes; grant aided schools, further education; GTC Scotland; a supply teaching role; are employed in the UK (not Scotland); or that they are not currently working or are working outside Scotland.
Data at 31 March 2025 shows 3,413 teachers holding the Standard for Headship compared to 3,379 teachers who held the Standard for Headship on 31 March 2024 and 3,503 teachers who held the Standard for Headship on 31 March 2023.
This is an increase of 1.01% in the number of registrants holding the Standard for Headship over registration year 2024-25. However, over the registration years 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25, there is a 2.57% decrease in number of registrants holding the Standard for Headship.
Registrants holding the Standard for Headship self- declare that they are employed as follows:
- 3,052 (89.42%) listed their employer as a local authority
- <5 (<1%) listed their employer as in the Further Education sector
- 44 (1.29%) listed their employer as an Independent School
The remaining 315 (9.23%) were grouped into:
- Other/not known (Non-UK Schools)
- Not Currently Working
- Other
- Supply Teaching
- UK (Not Scotland)
- Higher Education Institution; or
- Blank
The Local Authorities that employ the most individuals holding the Standard for Headship award are:
- Glasgow City Council (255)
- Aberdeenshire Council (213)
- Fife Council (208)
- North Lanarkshire Council (206)
- South Lanarkshire Council (202)
Chart 10 shows the number of Standard for Headship award holders by local authority. The data is in descending order of number of Standard for Headship award holders.
Tables 23 to 26 provide demographic drilldowns into Standard for Headship award holders.
{{fs-regreport-table23="/section-components"}}
{{fs-regreport-table24="/section-components"}}
{{fs-regreport-table25="/section-components"}}
{{fs-regreport-table26="/section-components"}}
Professional Update
In March 2011, the Scottish Parliament approved the Public Services Reform (General Teaching Council for Scotland) Order 2011. As part of this legislation (Article 31), the Scottish Government placed GTC Scotland under a duty to introduce a scheme ‘setting out measures to be undertaken for the purposes of allowing it to keep itself informed about the standards of education and training of registered teachers’. Following a consultation exercise, and in discussions with national partners, GTC Scotland adopted the title ‘Professional Update’ for this process.
Professional Update (PU) is premised on the impact of a registrants professional learning and how this contributes to the future quality of the education profession. PU confirms that a registrant has maintained high standards and helps to ensure the future quality of professional learning and teaching skills across Scotland’s schools, colleges and more widely across the education profession. Engagement in the PU process has been a legislative requirement of registration for fully registered teachers and lecturers since August 2014.
Every teacher on the Register with the status of Full Registration (General) must confirm their commitment to the standards through ongoing learning every 5 years. These registrants are placed in PU confirmation group and are required to confirm as part of a 5-year rolling programme.
The 2023-24 PU group were required to sign off their PU within registration year 2024-25. PU data extracted at the deadline date for the group showed there were 13,839 teachers within this PU group. 10,402 (75.16%) confirmed their commitment to learning and the standards by the deadline of 1 July, leaving 3,437 (24.84%) remaining.
The 2022-23 PU group were required to sign off their PU within registration year 2023-24. PU data extracted at the deadline date for the group showed there were 15,466 teachers within this PU group. 9,012 (58.27%) confirmed their commitment to learning and the standards by the deadline of 1 July, leaving 6,454 (41.73%) remaining.
Completing professional update is a requirement for maintaining Full Registration (General) status.
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