Home > Regulation > Hearings schedule and decisions Fitness To Teach What is Fitness To Teach Process Make a Referral Criminal convictions The Investigation process About Hearings Rules and Policies Professional Update and Fitness to Teach Outcomes Hearings schedule and decisions Fitness to Teach Statistics Hearings schedule and decisions Our Fitness to Teach Publication Policy sets out how we communicate information about our fitness to teach cases to the public. You can view our scheduled Fitness to Teach Hearings up to 7 days in advance by clicking on highlighted dates on the Hearings calendar. Please note that you will find the hearing day start time but not timings for individual cases as this varies according to events on the day. Our Fitness to Teach hearing decisions and any consent orders (which are issued without the need for a hearing) are published below. Recent Decisions Hearing Date Teacher Type of Hearing Outcome Published 23/11/2020 Andrew Stavert Panel Consideration Decision Decision Removal with Consent Order 06/04/21 24, 25 and 26 February 2021 Kenneth McDonald Full Hearing Full Hearing Decision Panel Meeting Decision 09/04/21 10, 15, 16, 17 March 2021 Hazel McCourt Full Hearing Full Hearing Decision Panel Meeting Decision - Application for Virtual Hearing 09/04/21 Recent decisions remain in the table above for one month. Past decisions remain in the Decisions Archive below for a period of 3 months following the date the decision is published (see right hand column). Hearings are held at our offices and are open to the public. GTC Scotland Clerwood House 96 Clermiston Road Edinburgh EH12 6UT Location Map You can also find us using Google Maps Archive Previous decisions are archived monthly and can be viewed below. They are removed three months after the publishing date: Archive Archive Hearing Date Teacher Type of Hearing Outcome Published 18/02/21 Janice Ross Subsequent Registration Application Hearing Decision 08/03/21 25/01/21, 27/01/21 - 29/01/21 Iain Parkinson Full Hearing Decision 08/03/21 8-11/02/21 Richard Lucas Full Hearing Full Hearing Panel Meeting Panel Meeting 11/03/21 23-25/02/21 Scott Brown Full Hearing Full Hearing Decision 26/03/21 Upcoming Hearings Hearing notices will be added here up to 7 days in advance. 4, 5, 6 May 2021 Full Hearing (Conduct) Date of hearing: 4, 5, 6 May 2021 Location: Remotely (via Microsoft Teams) Type of hearing: Full Hearing (Conduct) Allegation When employed as Head of Art at School A, you did: Allow Pupil A to stay at your home during the half-term holiday in or around April 2017; On or around 27 June 2017, during a discussion with [name redacted], HR Consultant, say “If I make them cry then so be it. Crying isn’t necessarily a bad thing is it” or words to that effect; On 25 January 2018 state to [name redacted], Deputy Head Pastoral that you had a full GTC Scotland registration when you knew that your registration status was provisional; In or around March 2018, make inappropriate comments to Pupil B causing her to become upset, including: saying that she was “stupid” and an “idiot” or words to that effect; “you will never make as much money as me” or words to that effect; “all the teachers think you are dumb” or words to that effect; Between February and May 2017, fail to follow the Joint Council for Qualifications protocol by: painting on the examination of pupils; failing to follow examination timings; allowing pupils to possess mobile phones during examinations; your conduct at allegation 1(c) above was dishonest. Your conduct at allegation 1(e) lacked integrity. And in light of the above it is alleged that your fitness to teach is impaired and you are unfit to teach as a result of breaching Parts 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6 and 2.3 of the General Teaching Council for Scotland Code of Professionalism and Conduct. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic and Scottish Government guidance on social distancing, this hearing will take place virtually, by way of Microsoft Teams. Should any members of the public or press wish to attend the hearing (virtually), they must contact GTCS no less than 48 (working) hours prior to the start time of the hearing (i.e. by 10.00 am on Friday 30 April 2021) in order to request the link to the public hearing. Any requests to attend the hearing beyond this time cannot be facilitated. Attendees will require to have the Microsoft Teams application downloaded to their device. You can download Microsoft Teams from the Microsoft website, or from the Apple Store on Apple devices, or the Google Play Store on Android devices. When requesting a link to the public hearing, the following information will require to be provided: Your full name Date of hearing Email address to which we can send the Microsoft Teams link Contact number we can reach you on if there are any technical issues during the hearing Reason for wishing to observe (for example: press) As with hearings held in our office, members of the public and press in attendance are reminded not to interrupt proceedings and it is strictly prohibited for an observer to audio or video record, screen shot, photograph, copy or share our hearing proceedings. Under Rule 1.7.10, a Panel may decide to exclude any person where the Panel is of the opinion that his/her presence is disruptive or otherwise detrimental to proceedings being conducted in line with the general objectives. Furthermore, members of the public and press will not be permitted access to the private discussions of the Panel. Read the media guidelines 11-12 May 2021 Full Hearing (Conduct) Date of hearing: 11-12 May 2021 Location: Remotely (via Microsoft Teams) Type of hearing: Full Hearing (Conduct) Allegation On 21st December 2017, whilst employed as a teacher by Aberdeenshire Council at School A, you did share National 5 RMPS estimate exam questions with your S4 pupils in advance of the RMPS estimate prelim which took place on 31 January 2018. And in light of the above it is alleged that your fitness to teach is impaired and you are unfit to teach as a result of breaching Parts 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.6 and 2.3 of the General Teaching Council for Scotland Code of Professionalism and Conduct. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic and Scottish Government guidance on social distancing, this hearing will take place virtually, by way of Microsoft Teams. Should any members of the public or press wish to attend the hearing (virtually), they must contact GTCS no less than 48 (working) hours prior to the start time of the hearing (i.e. by 10.00 am on 9 May 2021) in order to request the link to the public hearing. Any requests to attend the hearing beyond this time cannot be facilitated. Attendees will require to have the Microsoft Teams application downloaded to their device. You can download Microsoft Teams from the Microsoft website, or from the Apple Store on Apple devices, or the Google Play Store on Android devices. When requesting a link to the public hearing, the following information will require to be provided: Your full name Date of hearing Email address to which we can send the Microsoft Teams link Contact number we can reach you on if there are any technical issues during the hearing Reason for wishing to observe (for example: press) As with hearings held in our office, members of the public and press in attendance are reminded not to interrupt proceedings and it is strictly prohibited for an observer to audio or video record, screen shot, photograph, copy or share our hearing proceedings. Under Rule 1.7.10, a Panel may decide to exclude any person where the Panel is of the opinion that his/her presence is disruptive or otherwise detrimental to proceedings being conducted in line with the general objectives. Furthermore, members of the public and press will not be permitted access to the private discussions of the Panel. Read the media guidelines Contacts For any media enquiries, please contact: T: +44 (0) 131 314 6077 Media guidelines Downloads Fitness to Teach Publication Policy Privacy and Anonymity Practice Statement