The Scottish Standards and teacher
professional learning and development
Tom Hamilton
Director of Education and Professional
Learning
ICET Conference
Glasgow July 2011
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
The General Teaching Council for
Scotland: Background

Set up by Act of UK Parliament in 1965

Powers extended by Act of Scottish Parliament
in 2000

Powers further extended by Statutory
Instrument, summer 2006 - competence

Announcement of independent status for the
GTCS January 2008

GTCS becomes independent April 2012
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Traditional Role
Guardian/Gatekeeper:
 Initial Teacher Education
 Probation
 Exceptional Admissions
Protector:
 Conduct
 Discipline
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
21st Century Role
As above plus:

Standards:

Continuing Professional Development

Teacher Induction System

Chartered Teacher Programme

Framework for Professional Recognition

Disciplinary Issues: Child Protection
The internet
Competence
Professional Update

Standard for
Standard for
Standard for
Standard for
Initial Teacher Education
Full Registration
Chartered Teacher
Headship
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Standards




The Standard
Education
The Standard
The Standard
Teacher
The Standard
for Initial Teacher
for Full Registration
for Chartered
for Headship
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Aspects of Professional
Development
Professional Values &
Personal Commitment
Professional Skills &
Abilities
Professional Knowledge &
Understanding
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
The Standard for Initial Teacher
Education
The Standard for Initial Teacher Education
(SITE) specifies what is expected of a
student teacher at the end of Initial
Teacher Education, seeking provisional
registration with the General Teaching
Council for Scotland.
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
The Standard for Full Registration
The Standard for Full Registration (SFR) specifies what is
expected of a teacher seeking full registration with the General
Teaching Council for Scotland.
The SFR needs to serve three main purposes. It has to provide:

a clear and concise description of the professional qualities
and capabilities teachers are expected to develop in the course
of induction;

a professional standard against which reliable and consistent
decisions can be made on the fitness of new teachers for full
registration with GTC Scotland;

a baseline professional standard which will apply to all
teachers throughout their careers.
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Standard for Chartered Teacher
Professional Values &
Personal Commitment
Professional Skills &
Abilities
Professional Knowledge &
Understanding
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
The Standard for Headship
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Review of Teacher
Education in Scotland
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Teaching Scotland’s Future
Recommendation 36
A new ‘Standard for active registration’
should be developed to clarify
expectations of how fully registered
teachers are expected to continue to
develop their skills and competences.
This standard should be challenging and
aspirational, fully embracing enhanced
professionalism for teachers in Scotland.
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
GTCS Independence
Article 31 of the Public Services
Reform (General Teaching Council
for Scotland) Order 2011 places the
GTCS under a duty to bring forward
a system of re-accreditation for all
registered teachers.
Professional Update
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Professional Update
Attaining  Maintaining the Standard
35 hours contractual CPD each year
Annual Professional Review and Development
Interview
Standard for Full Registration
Code of Professionalism and Conduct
Five yearly signing off to GTCS
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Criticisms of Standards Models 1




Standards as commonsense (control
mechanisms?)
Standards as quality assurance and
accountability
Standards as quality improvement
Standards for certification
Treat with ‘Scepticism and caution’
Judyth Sachs (2003)
Teacher Professional Standards: controlling or
developing teaching?
Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice
Vol 9 No 2
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Criticisms of Standards Models 2

Mechanistic and technicist approach which restricts
reflective practice and encourages conformity

Encourages competence and stifles excellence
Yet…

Professional values and personal commitment
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK
Contact
Web:
www.gtcs.org.uk
e-mail: [email protected]
WWW.GTCS.ORG.UK