Our Register in numbers
On 31 March 2026, the Register of Teachers in Scotland consisted of:
- 80,560 individuals with
- 92,419 registrations
There are more registrations than registrants because some teachers are registered in more than one category of registration. Categories of registration matter as they inform teacher employment.
Table 2 in the 'Registrants and registrations' section shows the total number of registrants along with the number of registrations held by them.
There has been a 0.72% decrease in the number of registrants over the period 31 March 2025 to 31 March 2026. Overall, there has been a 1.64% decrease in registrants over the period 31 March 2023 to 31 March 2026.
Qualified in Scotland
In registration year 2025 to 2026, 2,910 registration applications were received from individuals who qualified in Scotland. Of these, 2,459 were registration applications for school education and 451 for further education.
This compares with 3,006 registration applications received in registration year 2024-25 from individuals qualified in Scotland. Of these, 2,671 were registration applications for school education and 335 for further education. This is a reduction of 8% in applications for school education.
Qualified outside Scotland
In 2025-26, 793 individuals qualified outside Scotland applied to join the Register and 787 applications were assessed.
Assessed applications fell from 1,248 in 2024-25, 1,227 in 2023-24 and 1,437 in 2022-23, as expected following changes to the application fee.
Of the 787 applications assessed, 505 applicants registered with GTC Scotland (64.17%). This is broadly comparable with previous years.
Differences between assessed and registered applications arise where individuals do not complete the process, choose not to register after an offer, or are refused registration.
In 2025-26, 131 applications were refused and 151 were closed because applicants did not register or complete the process.
Of those who completed the full process, 80% were offered registration. The most common reasons for refusal were unchanged from 2024-25:
- the qualification is not comparable to a Scottish teaching qualification
- the qualification does not meet the required SCQF level; and/or
- the applicant does not have sufficient subject related credits at the required SCQF level.
Refusal decisions are appealable to the Court of Session.
Table 1 shows Qualified Outside Scotland applications fully assessed in 2025-26 by country of qualification. The top 10 countries of qualification are shown with a percentage breakdown of those offered registration and those refused registration.
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When considering applications from Rest of UK and Ireland, of the 17 fully assessed applications from Wales (8), Northern Ireland (4) and the Republic of Ireland (5), 100% were offered registration. This compares to 81.75% of applications from England.
Most of our qualified outside Scotland applications come from England with approximately 8 out of 10 meeting our requirements for registration. Our decisions in these cases often attract additional scrutiny, partly because of geographical considerations and assumptions that programmes delivered in neighbouring jurisdictions are comparable as well as confusion over the application of the phrase ‘qualified teacher status’. Changes made to initial teacher training (ITT) in England together with the availability of non-credit bearing experiential routes to qualified teacher status, mean that programmes do not always meet the requirements for registration in Scotland.
On 31 March 2026, the Register of Teachers in Scotland consisted of:
- 80,560 individuals with
- 92,419 registrations
There are more registrations than registrants because some teachers are registered in more than one category of registration. Categories of registration matter as they inform teacher employment.
Table 2 in the 'Registrants and registrations' section shows the total number of registrants along with the number of registrations held by them.
There has been a 0.72% decrease in the number of registrants over the period 31 March 2025 to 31 March 2026. Overall, there has been a 1.64% decrease in registrants over the period 31 March 2023 to 31 March 2026.
Qualified in Scotland
In registration year 2025 to 2026, 2,910 registration applications were received from individuals who qualified in Scotland. Of these, 2,459 were registration applications for school education and 451 for further education.
This compares with 3,006 registration applications received in registration year 2024-25 from individuals qualified in Scotland. Of these, 2,671 were registration applications for school education and 335 for further education. This is a reduction of 8% in applications for school education.
Qualified outside Scotland
In 2025-26, 793 individuals qualified outside Scotland applied to join the Register and 787 applications were assessed.
Assessed applications fell from 1,248 in 2024-25, 1,227 in 2023-24 and 1,437 in 2022-23, as expected following changes to the application fee.
Of the 787 applications assessed, 505 applicants registered with GTC Scotland (64.17%). This is broadly comparable with previous years.
Differences between assessed and registered applications arise where individuals do not complete the process, choose not to register after an offer, or are refused registration.
In 2025-26, 131 applications were refused and 151 were closed because applicants did not register or complete the process.
Of those who completed the full process, 80% were offered registration. The most common reasons for refusal were unchanged from 2024-25:
- the qualification is not comparable to a Scottish teaching qualification
- the qualification does not meet the required SCQF level; and/or
- the applicant does not have sufficient subject related credits at the required SCQF level.
Refusal decisions are appealable to the Court of Session.
Table 1 shows Qualified Outside Scotland applications fully assessed in 2025-26 by country of qualification. The top 10 countries of qualification are shown with a percentage breakdown of those offered registration and those refused registration.
{{fs-regreport26-table1="/section-components"}}
When considering applications from Rest of UK and Ireland, of the 17 fully assessed applications from Wales (8), Northern Ireland (4) and the Republic of Ireland (5), 100% were offered registration. This compares to 81.75% of applications from England.
Most of our qualified outside Scotland applications come from England with approximately 8 out of 10 meeting our requirements for registration. Our decisions in these cases often attract additional scrutiny, partly because of geographical considerations and assumptions that programmes delivered in neighbouring jurisdictions are comparable as well as confusion over the application of the phrase ‘qualified teacher status’. Changes made to initial teacher training (ITT) in England together with the availability of non-credit bearing experiential routes to qualified teacher status, mean that programmes do not always meet the requirements for registration in Scotland.
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