Pre-application FAQs for teachers qualified outside Scotland

No, we are unable to confirm whether you are eligible for registration until you submit a formal application for registration with all the required documentation.

This is because each case is different and a number of factors are taken into consideration.  

The table below outlines the number of successful and unsuccessful applications for registration with GTC Scotland between 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022.

The total cost of registering with GTC Scotland is currently £189.  This breaks down as:

Find out more about the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme.

No, our Registration and Standards Rules do not permit registration of applicants who do not hold an appropriate teaching qualification.

Please visit Teach in Scotland for further information on the Initial Teacher Education programmes available in Scotland and their entry requirements.

You will have to complete your teacher education qualification before you can apply for registration.

Holding QTS will not make you eligible to teach in Scottish schools.

It is a legal requirement for any teacher teaching in a Scottish school to be registered with GTC Scotland.

Visit the Education Scotland website.

There are also short courses available at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Strathclyde which are designed for teachers who are new to the Scottish education system.

The listed qualifications were accepted as meeting requirements for Provisional, Provisional (Conditional) and Full Registration with GTC Scotland. The qualifications listed are those that have been submitted for assessment from October 2022 onwards.

This list will be expanded over time when other qualifications are assessed as meeting the requirements for registration.

Please note that having one of these qualifications does not guarantee successful registration with us. You must also meet all the requirements for registration as laid out in the pre-application checklist.

Primary

TESOL 3 – 18

Secondary

Further Education – College Lecturers

We cannot guarantee a timeframe as all applications are assessed on an individual basis.

Delays are often experienced because referees do not submit a report. We advise you to contact your nominated referee(s) to ensure they are willing to support your application. The reference form will be sent to your nominated referee(s) via email, therefore, it is crucial that you provide their correct work email address.

There may also be delays if you submit incorrect documentation. Please read the information provided in the check list to reduce the chances of this happening.

There are four possible outcomes of the assessment of your application.

You will be considered for registration in the category/subject(s) that you have covered in your teacher education qualification provided this matches a category or subject offered on the GTC Scotland Register.

GTC Scotland offers registration to teachers in:

Primary Education – covers the 3 – 12 years age range.

Secondary Education– is specific to one or more subject areas and covers the 12 – 18 years age range. 

Secondary Education Subjects

We offer registration in the following subjects in Secondary Education:

Subjects with standard academic entry requirements:

• Biology with Science
• Chemistry with Science
• Classical Studies: Classics
• Dance
• Economics
• Geography
• Geology
• History
• Mathematics
• Philosophy
• Physics with Science
• Philosophy
• Psychology
• Sociology.

Subjects with specific academic entry requirements (for full details of these requirements, see our Memorandum on Entry Requirements):

• Art and Design
• Business Education
• Greek and Latin
• Computing
• Drama
• English
• Gaelic
• Home Economics
• Modern Foreign Languages
• Modern Studies
• Music
• Physical Education
• Religious Education
• Technological Education.

Subjects in the 3-18 years age range with specific academic entry requirements (for full details of these requirements, see our Memorandum on Entry Requirements):

• Community Languages (Urdu and Polish)
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
• Additional Support Needs (ASN).

Once we have completed our assessment of your case, you will receive a decision by email.

If GTC Scotland has awarded you registration but not to the extent you wished (e.g. you have not been awarded full registration or you have not been awarded registration in all of the categories that you believe you are eligible to be registered in) you have the right to ask for that decision to be reviewed by a Registration Panel. You must do this within 28 days of the date that you receive your decision letter from the Registration department.

Find out more about your Right of Review

If you have been refused registration, you have the right to appeal to the Court of Session. You must do this within 28 days of the date that you receive your decision letter from the GTC Scotland Registration department. Information about this will be included in your decision email.

GTC Scotland has no remit over pay scales and terms and conditions.

Any decision on salary will be made by your employer in line with the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. View the SNCT Salary Tables.

Your position on the salary scale could be affected by the registration type you are offered by GTC Scotland (please see Assessment Process/ Decision Outcomes section above for details). You should discuss options directly with your employer.

Yes. It is a legal requirement for any teacher teaching in a Scottish school to be registered with GTC Scotland. 

You should contact employers (local authorities and independent schools) directly to check whether they would be willing to accept an application from you before you are registered with GTC Scotland.

The majority of vacancies are advertised through myjobscotland, Scottish Council for Independent Schools, and the Times Education Supplement for Scotland (TESS).

Yes. You must submit scanned copies of this documentation in the original language and certified English translations. This does not apply to your passport.

You will not be able to complete your online submission unless the mandatory documentation is uploaded at the time of applying.   

Yes. Your case assessor will contact you if any other documentation is required to reach a decision.

It is important that you provide any additional documentation within the timescale given by your assessor. 

Teaching in Scotland is a graduate profession and GTC Scotland assesses applications from teachers who have qualified outside Scotland using the criteria for teachers qualified in Scotland.

We need to ensure that applicants have the correct degree level academic credit in the subject that they are qualified to teach, and their teaching qualification is comparable to a Scottish Initial Teacher Education programme.

For more information on our eligibility criteria, please see Eligibility criteria and Memorandum on Entry Requirements (PDF 490 KB).

Teachers in Scotland are required to complete a minimum of 190 days full-time equivalent teaching service in order to meet the Professional Standard for Full Registration.

Full details of probationary service can be found here.

If you have already completed satisfactory teaching service in your sector/subject area, we may be able waive the probationary service requirements, provided we can obtain a satisfactory reference from your nominated referee(s). 

The number of days’ satisfactory teaching service that you have completed will be deducted from the probationary service requirement, which is a minimum of 190 days. We can only consider paid teaching employment after you qualified as a teacher.

We are unable to consider the following types of service towards the probationary period:

• voluntary service;
• teaching assistant/language assistant posts;
• nursery/early years practitioner posts;
• private tutoring;
• after school classes/clubs;
• service given as part of your student teaching practice;
• service given before you qualified as a teacher.

Yes, we will consider all teaching service provided we obtain satisfactory referee reports.

 Yes, although this service would only count as 45% of any probation period.

If you have not taught since you qualified as a teacher, we will consider your application for registration.

However, you will be considered for Provisional or Provisional (Conditional) Registration and you will be required to complete a period of probationary service.

You should provide an official statement from the awarding institution giving the following information:

• the title of the qualification
• the date on which you passed the qualification
• that you are not subject to any appeals process
• that there are no known impediments to you being issued with your teaching qualification certificate at graduation.

You will be required to upload this document with your application for registration.

If you recently qualified and have not yet started out on your teaching career you can still apply for registration. You will be considered for Provisional Registration and, if successful, will be required to complete a probationary period.