GTC Scotland publishes registration report

GTC Scotland, the independent regulator for teachers in Scotland, has published a snapshot of the data on the Register of Teachers, covering the registration year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.

The snapshot report also features the results of an equality survey of provisionally registered teachers and a survey taken by individuals leaving the Register.

The Register of Teachers in numbers

The report includes information on registrant sex and age; registration categories and statuses, the Standard for Headship and Professional Update.

This is the first time GTC Scotland has gathered and shared the information in this way, with plans to make it an annual publication.

The Register updates in real time and GTC Scotland is the only source of comprehensive data about all registered teachers in Scotland.

Key data from the report

On 31 March 2024, there were:

• 81,806 individual registrants on the Register
• 94,175 individual category registrations on the Register. Some individuals hold registration in more than one category, for example Secondary subject teachers who are also registered in the Primary and/or Further Education Category, and teachers of languages who are registered in Secondary French and Secondary German. These registration categories break down as follows:
  • 41,809 registrations in Primary Education
  • 37,867 registrations in Secondary (Subject) Education
  • 693 registrations in Additional Support Needs
  • 3,615 registrations in Further Education
  • 272 registrations in historical registration categories that are valid but no longer in active use

Victoria Smith, Strategic Director, GTC Scotland, said:

“Gathering and analysing our data helps us to analyse patterns within the profession, as well as learn more about the career-long teacher experience. It also helps us with our statutory function of making recommendations to Scottish Ministers about matters relating to teachers’ education, training, career development and fitness to teach, and the supply of teachers.  

“What we learn from our work allows us to influence. We share intelligence from our activities and work with our partners to support strategic policy and decision making, and speak up for high standards, in the interests of trusted teaching.”

Survey results reveal diversity of provisionally registered teachers

Last December GTC Scotland asked teachers with provisional registration, via an anonymised survey, about certain characteristics such as their age, ethnicity, disability and religion. GTC Scotland also asked about their personal experience of being a provisionally registered teacher.  

Provisionally registered teachers have met GTC Scotland’s Standard for Provisional Registration and are working towards the Standard for Full Registration by completing assessed teaching practice through the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) or Flexible Route (FR).

Key findings 

• Over a quarter (28.4%) of respondents said they had a disability or health condition. This includes both physical and mental disabilities and conditions
• Around a quarter of respondents (23.4%) had caring responsibilities
• Around one in 10 respondents had experienced bullying and harassment, racism or discrimination in their work as a teacher 
  • 27.5% of respondents on FR answered ‘yes’ to this question 
  • 31.1% of black and minority ethnic respondents to this question answered ‘yes’ to this question 

Those on FR had a much higher rate of diversity across age, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, religion and caring responsibilities. 

Read more about the equality and diversity survey

The probation experience: ‘rewarding’, ‘exciting’ and ‘challenging’

GTC Scotland asked respondents to choose three words to describe their personal probation experience. The most frequently chosen words were ‘rewarding’, ‘challenging’ and ‘exciting’, showing a commonality across the various groups of respondents. Read the most frequently used words by all respondents and for a variety of sub-groups. 

Teaching Education and Standards Officer and former Scottish Government National Race Diversity Lead Asif Chishti commented, “this has been our first significant step to extend the range of equality data we gather from registrants. We are now using the results to reflect on our work as the independent regulator of teachers in Scotland and how we use data to influence change in the education sector.”

Teachers share the reasons they leave the Register

GTC Scotland asks everyone who leaves the Register why they have chosen to do so. The survey questions collect information on reasons for leaving the Register, age and stage of career at time of leaving; registration status and registration category. The results shared in the report are from a 19-month period between 16 August 2022 and 31 March 2024.

Key findings from leavers survey

• 58% of those who responded left the Register due to retirement
• The next largest group (24%) noted other reasons with the most common being: problems with securing a post; lack of support; the effect of workload or unnecessary bureaucracy; pupil behaviour; violence; additional support needs and bullying from colleagues or leadership which had led to their choice

Read more about the leavers survey