Fitness to Teach data

Introduction

The data below provides an insight into our work investigating conduct and professional competence concerns raised with us about teachers since 2018.

The information on this page is accurate as of 31 March 2025.

Fitness to Teach insight report

In 2024, we published a five-year insight report on our Fitness to Teach work. This report offers additional context for the data below, providing insights into our Fitness to Teach process, our Register, and data for the period of 2018 to 2023.

Fitness to Teach insight report

Open cases

Total open cases at the start of each year
	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Total	208	222	237	180	164	142	141

Referrals

Number of referrals

Number of referrals
	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Total	220	192	196	230	161	228	193
Percentage of the Register	0.271%	0.234%	0.239%	0.285%	0.208%	0.297%	0.254%

Source of referrals

Chart 1: 2024/25

Chart 2: 2023/24

Chart showing source of referrals for 2023-24: Employer = 71, Member of the public = 58, Self-referral = 29, Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme Certificate = 9, Disclosure Scotland = 10, Other (GTC Scotland, other regulator or criminal justice agency) = 15

Chart 3: 2022/23

Chart showing source of referrals for 2022-23: Employer = 75, Member of the public = 49, Self-referral = 19, Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme Certificate = 33, Disclosure Scotland = 6, Other (GTC Scotland, colleague, other regulator or criminal justice agency) = 15

Chart 4: 2021/22

Chart showing source of referrals for 2021-22: Employer = 51, Member of the public = 54, Self-referral = 85, Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme Certificate = 31, Disclosure Scotland = 8, Other (GTC Scotland, colleague, other regulator or criminal justice agency) = 1

Chart 5: 2020/21

Chart showing source of referrals for 2021-20: Employer = 51, Member of the public = 54, Self-referral = 85, Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme Certificate = 31, Disclosure Scotland = 0, Other (GTC Scotland, colleague, other regulator or criminal justice agency) = 1

Chart 6: 2019/20

Chart 7: 2018/19

Chart showing source of referrals for 2018/19: Employer = 66, Member of the public = 54, Self-referral = 36, Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme Certificate = 16, Disclosure Scotland = 10, Other (GTC Scotland, colleague, other regulator or criminal justice agency) = 14

Temporary restriction orders

Number of temporary restriction orders
	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Total	30	29	31	12	16	30	20

Outcomes

Officer outcomes - conduct cases
	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Screened out at initial consideration	136	79	75	91	71	97	77
No further action following investigations	47	62	61	36	39	54	58
Total	183	141	136	127	110	151	135

Final hearing and meeting outcomes - conduct cases
	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
No further action - Panel meeting	6	1	2	0	2	4	6
Reprimand with consent order	1	2	1	1	2	2	1
Conditional registration consent order	0	0	1	0	0	2	0
Reprimand and conditional registration consent order	1	1	0	0	1	0	0
Removal with consent order	6	4	4	3	5	3	9
Facts not found proved at full hearing	0	4	4	2	0	4	5
No impairment found at full hearing	3	3	3	2	0	1	4
Reprimand - full hearing	0	0	3	3	1	3	2
Conditional registration order - full hearing	0	1	1	0	1	2	1
Reprimand and conditional registration order - full hearing	0	1	1	0	0	3	3
Removal or refusal of registration - full hearing	2	6	10	6	1	4	11
Cancelled/application withdrawn	5	3	2	4	3	5	5
Barred from regulated work under the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme	7	1	9	5	0	0	4
Total	31	27	41	26	16	33	51

Professional competence case outcomes - fully registered teachers
	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Not challenged - removal	1	1	1	1	2	3
Not challenged - conditional registration order	0	0	1	0	0	0
Challenged and upheld - removal	0	2	0	0	2	0
Challenged and upheld - conditional registration order	0	1	0	0	0	0
Challenged and overturned	0	0	0	0	1*	0
Case cancelled - recommendation or extension challenge withdrawn	1	0	0	0	0	0
Facts found not proved	0	0	1	0	0	0
Total	2	4	3	1	5	3

*conditional registration

Professional competence case outcomes - provisionally registered teachers
	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Not challenged - removal	8	8	7	4	3	3	5
Challenged and upheld - removal	1	3	5	4	1	3	2
Challenged and overturned - extension of probationary service	0	1	2	0	0	2	1
Case cancelled - Recommendation or extension challenge withdrawn	0	0	2	2	2	0	0
Facts found not proved	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Total	9	12	17	10	6	8	8

Existing version

New version

Introduction

The data below provides an insight into our work investigating conduct and professional competence concerns raised with us about teachers since 2018.

The information on this page is accurate as of 31 March 2026.

Fitness to Teach insight report

Open cases

Total open cases at the start of each year
	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Total	208	222	237	180	164	142	141

Referrals

Number of referrals

	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Total	220	192	196	230	161	228	193
Percentage of the Register	0.271%	0.234%	0.239%	0.285%	0.208%	0.297%	0.254%

Source of referrals

	2025/26	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Employer	82	65	71	196	51	57	58	64
Member of the public	157	100	58	52	54	40	71	55
Self-referral	11	25	18	21	81	37	36	34
PVG Scheme Certificate	11	6	9	32	31	15	36	16
Disclosure Scotland	13	16	10	6	8	0	15	10
Other	5	7	14	4	2	9	8	12
Total	279	219	180	194	227	158	224	191

Temporary restriction orders

Number of temporary restriction orders

	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Total	30	29	31	12	16	30	20

Outcomes

Officer outcomes - conduct cases

	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Screened out at initial consideration	136	79	75	91	71	97	77
No further action following investigations	47	62	61	36	39	54	58
Total	183	141	136	127	110	151	135

Final hearing and meeting outcomes - conduct cases

	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
No further action - Panel meeting	6	1	2	0	2	4	6
Reprimand with consent order	1	2	1	1	2	2	1
Conditional registration consent order	0	0	1	0	0	2	0
Reprimand and conditional registration consent order	1	1	0	0	1	0	0
Removal with consent order	6	4	4	3	5	3	9
Facts not found proved at full hearing	0	4	4	2	0	4	5
No impairment found at full hearing	3	3	3	2	0	1	4
Reprimand - full hearing	0	0	3	3	1	3	2
Conditional registration order - full hearing	0	1	1	0	1	2	1
Reprimand and conditional registration order - full hearing	0	1	1	0	0	3	3
Removal or refusal of registration - full hearing	2	6	10	6	1	4	11
Cancelled/application withdrawn	5	3	2	4	3	5	5
Barred from regulated work under the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme	7	1	9	5	0	0	4
Total	31	27	41	26	16	33	51

Professional competence case outcomes - fully registered teachers

	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Not challenged - removal	1	1	1	1	2	3
Not challenged - conditional registration order	0	0	1	0	0	0
Challenged and upheld - removal	0	2	0	0	2	0
Challenged and upheld - conditional registration order	0	1	0	0	0	0
Challenged and overturned	0	0	0	0	1*	0
Case cancelled - recommendation or extension challenge withdrawn	1	0	0	0	0	0
Facts found not proved	0	0	1	0	0	0
Total	2	4	3	1	5	3

*conditional registration

Professional competence case outcomes - provisionally registered teachers

	2024/25	2023/24	2022/23	2021/22	2020/21	2019/20	2018/19
Not challenged - removal	8	8	7	4	3	3	5
Challenged and upheld - removal	1	3	5	4	1	3	2
Challenged and overturned - extension of probationary service	0	1	2	0	0	2	1
Case cancelled - Recommendation or extension challenge withdrawn	0	0	2	2	2	0	0
Facts found not proved	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Total	9	12	17	10	6	8	8