We have published our Annual Report 2024 to 2025, highlighting key achievements and strategic progress.
As the independent regulator for teachers in Scotland, we remain committed to focusing on expert delivery of our core regulatory functions.
Our planned work for the lifespan of this strategic plan is guided by 2 strategic themes: trust and impact.
Read the Annual Report 2024 to 2025
Omar Kettlewell, Convener of GTC Scotland Council, said:
“As a Council member, I was involved in the creation of GTC Scotland’s strategic plan: Trusted Teaching. This annual report reflects our ongoing progress towards the plan’s objectives and marks the second year of exploration into the broader meaning of Trusted Teaching. We are looking beyond our role in maintaining public trust in teaching to include political trust and considering what government and elected representatives know and think about our work.
“Towards the end of the 2024 to 2025 operating year, we developed 5 key themes that we launched formally as manifesto priorities on the 60th anniversary of GTC Scotland. We welcome the opportunity to share our expertise as the independent regulator for teachers in Scotland across a range of initiatives.“
Commenting on the publication of the report, Dr Pauline Stephen, GTC Scotland Chief Executive and Registrar, said:
“If last year – the first under our 2023 to 2028 strategic plan, Trusted Teaching – was about embracing change, this year has been about proving we can sustain and build. From commissioning a review of our fitness to teach conduct process, to modernising our digital services and influencing policy, we’ve built on strong foundations to drive forward improvements to how we deliver our core functions and advance our vision for Trusted Teaching.
“Throughout this and future strategic plans we will keep advocating for what teachers fought for over 60 years ago: high teaching standards that are championed and supported.”
Enhancing trust in teaching
Strategic outcome 1: trust in teaching is enhanced at an individual, group and system level, positively impacting learners and guiding educational change.
Work to achieve this outcome this year included:
conducting a comprehensive review of the Fitness to Teach rules and process to improve efficiency and effectiveness while aligning with best regulatory practice
- conducting a comprehensive review of the Fitness to Teach rules and process to improve efficiency and effectiveness while aligning with best regulatory practice
- publishing an updated Memorandum on Entry Requirements to Programmes of Initial Teacher Education
- publishing a refreshed digital version of the Code of Professionalism and Conduct, accompanied by a webinar on professional ethics
- collaborating with the Scottish Government on the Further Education Teaching Qualification (TQFE) accreditation arrangements to support the registration of college lecturers
- commissioning an independent review of teacher experiences of Professional Update to evaluate its impact
- preparing to review the policy and process for accrediting new and existing programmes of teacher education
- engaging in a project to improve the efficiency and sustainability of our digital infrastructure.
Improving performance and impact
Strategic outcome 2: Improve our performance and impact for the teaching profession and in the public interest.
Work to achieve this aim this year included:
- preparing to introduce a new MyGTCS platform to host provisional registration profiles and the functionality for recording professional learning and submitting Professional Update
- continuing a wide-reaching data review programme to enhance strategic use of data and improve organisational resilience
- developing a strategy to respond to the significant changes to the disclosure system in Scotland as a result of the implementation of the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020.
