A

• ATQ – Additional Teaching Qualification
• ASN – Additional Support Needs
• Academy – a term for a Secondary Education level school (also known as Secondary Schools and High Schools)

B

• BEd – Bachelor of Education (University Qualification)

C

• CfE – Curriculum for Excellence, the Scottish curriculum taught at all stages. More information on CfE can be found here.
• CTC – Catholic Teaching Certificate, a requirement to teach in a Catholic School. Read more about the CTC.
• Cancellation – An unsatisfactory probation period can lead to a Recommendation for Cancellation (or ‘Removal from the Register).
• CC – Cause for Concern. If your school believes your teaching is a Cause for Concern, they will inform you at the earliest point of your probation period. This will allow you to evidence improvements in their areas for concern and move towards a satisfactory recommendation. A case for concern can also be raised when you need further support due to health-related issues.

D

• DS – Disclosure Scotland, the organisation which administrated the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme. Membership of the PVG Scheme is required to work with children and vulnerable adults.
• Dual Subjects – A Secondary education student teacher can choose to complete their Initial Teacher Education in two related subjects, and complete probation in two subjects to become dual registered.

E

• ES – Education Scotland is a Scottish Government executive agency responsible for supporting quality and improvement in Scottish education.
• ECT – Early Career Team. This GTC Scotland team is dedicated to students, probationer teachers and post-probationers. ECT also support teachers who qualified outside Scotland and have provisional registration with GTC Scotland, and teachers with full registration who are adding a subject or sector to their existing registration.
• EPVG – Existing Protection of Vulnerable Groups. Each time you move to a new employer, you need to complete an EPVG application.
• E&D – Equality and Diversity, a key theme of the Professional Standards.
• Extension – A school may recommend that you are awarded an extension on health or competence grounds.
• EYC – Early Years Centre, also called a Nursery, are for 3-4-year-old children and can be attached to a primary school.

F

• FR – Flexible Route.
• FTE – Full-Time Equivalent.

G

• GIRFEC – Getting it right for every child is the Scottish Government’s approach to supporting children and young people. It is intended as a framework that will allow organisations that work on behalf of the country’s children and their families to provide a consistent, supportive approach for all.
• GTCS / GTC Scotland – The General Teaching Council for Scotland

H

• HEI – Higher Education Institution – universities and education providers who can certify higher education programmes.
• HWB – Health and Wellbeing.
• High School – A Secondary Education level school (also Academies and Secondary Schools)

I

• ITE – Initial Teacher Education – the university programmes taken prior to entering the teaching profession.
• IPDAP – Initial Professional Development Action Plan.
• IRF – Initial Registration Fee.

K

• KS & AfD – Key Strengths and Areas for Development.

L

• LA – Local Authority. There are 32 local authorities in Scotland. These are local government / public administration, responsible for a range of services, including education.
• LfS – Learning for Sustainability.
• LOPS – Letter of Professional Standing.

M

• MyGTCS – an online system where probationer teachers can access their profile and update their personal details.
• MEd – Masters in Education
• NQT – Newly Qualified Teacher, usually applies to probationer teacher, some local authorities have different definitions.

O

• Observation – every probationer teacher needs to have their teaching observed by their supporter. Observations also take place once fully qualified as part of school Quality Assurance processes. 

P

• PM – Probation Manager – every local authority has a dedicated officer who works with probationers, supporting their progress and providing local professional learning. 
• PLD – Professional Learning and Development – dedicated to supporting teachers working towards full registration either in their sector area or by adding additional subjects to registration. 
• PU – Professional Update – a five-yearly process that takes place to validate your ongoing professional learning once you have gained full registration. 
• PGDE – Postgraduate Diploma in Education – can be either in Primary or Secondary Education. 
• P1, P2, P3, etc. – Primary 1, Primary 2, etc., are names of primary classes offered by schools within Scotland. 
• PVG – Protection of Vulnerable Groups scheme 

Q

• QA – Quality Assurance of learning and teaching within a school.

R

• RAF – Registration Administration Fee 
• RTS – Record of Teaching Service 

S

• Satisfactory – recommendation made in support of full recommendation 
• SCES – The Scottish Catholic Education Service   
• SCIS – The Scottish Council of Independent Schools   
• SCIS TIS – Scottish Council of Independent Schools Teacher Induction Scheme 
• SCH – School 
• SFR – Standard for Full Registration  
• SPR – Standard for Provisional Registration   
• SQA – Scottish Qualification Authority  
• SSSC – Scottish Social Service Council  
• Student portal – Online system where students can access their application 
• SVQ – Scottish Vocational Qualification 

T

• TIS – Teacher Induction Scheme 
• TQ – Teaching Qualification