1. Preparing for Probation:
Elaine Napier – Senior Education Officer
General Teaching Council for Scotland

2. Quick recap: Why does GTC Scotland matter?
By law, all teachers who wish to teach in publically funded schools must register with GTC Scotland.
From the 1st October 2017, all new teachers who take up employment in an Independent school will need to be GTCS registered.

3. Quick recap: What does GTC Scotland do?
accredits all teaching programmes and some professional learning programmes
regulates the profession by controlling access to the Register and removal from it using standards for competence and codes of conduct
promotes professionalism through the suite of professional standards, codes of conduct, professional recognition awards, and Professional Update.

4. Quick recap: What routes are there through Probation?
Two routes:
Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS)
Flexible Route

5. Dual Registration
Probationers who hold a teaching qualification in two subjects can elect to do their TIS year or FR, in both subjects, successfully gaining the Standard for Registration in both subjects

6. Combination of Subjects:
The combination of subjects for 2017/18 are:
Sciences – any 2 from Biology, Chemistry, Physics
Social subjects and Religious Education – any 2 from Geography, History, Modern Studies and RME
Modern Foreign Languages – any 2 from French, German, Spanish, Italian and Mandarin
Computing with Business Education or Mathematics
Drama with Music or English
Physics with Mathematics

7. Quick recap: What are the features of the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS)?
Funded by Scottish Government
Guaranteed employment by a local authority
Takes 190 days (1 continuous school year)
Reduced class contact time c. 80% to allow for extra professional learning
Support at school and LA levels
Time limit 3 years
Must meet The Standard for Full Registration

8. Quick recap: What’s the Flexible Route?
Can be employed by local authority or independent schools
Can choose own local authority
Can work part-time
BUT ...
It takes 270 days (about a year and a half)
No guaranteed work or support
Time span 3 to 5 years to complete
Must still meet The Standard for Full Registration

9. Quick recap: How do the preferences work?
Choosing preferences 1 to 5 or using the preference waiver
Primary Education
1st Choice
80%
2nd Choice 7%
3rd Choice
4th Choice 3%
5th Choice 2%
Secondary Education
1st Choice
66%
2nd Choice
18%
3rd Choice
10%
4th Choice 4%
5th Choice 3%
Matching rounds for 1st, 2nd, etc preferences
Preference Waiver: 10% Primary; 20% Secondary

10. Calendar - Now
Two “homework” tasks for you:
Check the welcome meeting dates and induction days for your allocated local authority before you book your summer holidays ( or info from LA)
(2) Complete your ITE Profile

11. Calendar – April to June 2017
ITE profile: Step 1 – access your ITE profile through your MyGTCS account:

12. Calendar – April to June 2017
ITE profile: Step 2 : select your programme, tutor’s name and university on the home page.
ITE profile: Step 3 - enter at least one strength for each area of the SPR (Values and Commitment, Knowledge and Understanding, Skills and Abilities).

13. Calendar – April to June 2017
ITE profile: Step 4 - enter at least one development need for each area of the SFR (Values and Commitment, Knowledge and Understanding, Skills and Abilities).

14. Calendar – April to June 2016
ITE profile: Step 5 - send it to your tutor.
Your tutor will confirm it or seek a discussion with you

15. - you may be invited to attend a welcome event and visit your school
Calendar – May 2017
May 2017:
- 19th : you should have received notification of your allocation by text alert telling you to log in to your MyGTCS account
- only contact the LA if there is something exceptional they need to know
June 2017:
- you may be invited to attend a welcome event and visit your school

16. Calendar – July / August 2017
your university will confirm to GTC Scotland that you have passed; there are options if you don’t complete.
July / August:
you complete the registration process (address, fee, PVG scheme) and get your certificate of provisional registration.
you may get the chance to prepare by visiting the school (with permission)
August:
you may have an induction day before the school session begins

17. Calendar - August 2016 to June 2017
The Probationer Journey on the TIS:
From newly qualified teacher (NQT) ...
through teaching, professional learning experiences, observed sessions and supporter meetings
... to fully registered teacher

18. Calendar – Aug / Sept 2017 Know your own responsibilities:
Set up and maintain your profile and portfolio
Use the Standard for Full Registration (SFR) to guide you
Know and follow the probation process
Seek advice and guidance
Know the school’s policies, improvement plan and calendar
Use the regular meetings with the supporter
Review and reflect on teaching and learning using observations
Engage in professional learning and maintain records

19. Calendar – Aug / Sept 2017 Know your supporter’s responsibilities:
Get to know you
Create a climate for professional dialogue based on support and challenge
Facilitate your professional learning
Meet you weekly and observe you 3-weekly
Provide pastoral support, when appropriate
Oversee action plans and portfolio
Encourage you to reflect
Profile completion
Liaise with the local authority

20. Calendar – Aug / Sept 2017
Through your MyGTCS account at
Set up Profile and Initial Professional Development Action Plan (your ITE profile becomes your IPDAP after any necessary changes are made):
Timetable – 18 to 18.5 hours contact weekly
Record of Meetings with Supporter
Record of Observed Sessions
Plan and record your professional learning and impact from local authority programme, school and personal activities
Reflection on the impact your professional learning has had
(Profile released to you after LA has entered their details)

21. Calendar – Aug / Sept 2017
Get to know the Standard for Full Registration
Setting the bar - a clear and concise description of the values, knowledge and understanding, and professional skills and abilities that probationer teachers are expected to have to help you identify strengths and areas for development
Fair assessment - A professional standard against which reliable and consistent recommendations and decisions can be made on the fitness of new teachers for full registration with GTC Scotland
A baseline standard – benchmarks the level of professional competence which applies to teachers throughout their careers

22. Calendar – Aug / Sept 2017
The Standards for Registration* (comprising the SPR - Standard for Provisional Registration - and the SFR)
The Standard for Career-long Professional Learning
The Standards for Leadership and Management (for middle leaders and Head Teachers)
* Mandatory standards
Professional Knowledge and Understanding
Professional Skills and Abilities / Professional Actions
Professional Values and Personal Commitment

23. Calendar – Aug / Oct 2017
Aug onwards:
start weekly supporter meetings
start 3-weekly observations
keep profile up-to-date
October:
possible LA checkpoint in October

24. Recommendations by the HT in December for your Interim Profile:
Calendar – December 2017
December 2017:
Recommendations by the HT in December for your Interim Profile:
S: Satisfactory
CC: Cause for Concern (on health or com-petence grounds)
U: Unsatisfactory

25. What the Interim Profile recommendations mean:
Calendar – January 2018
What the Interim Profile recommendations mean:
S – proceed to Final Profile in June based on a revised action plan
CC or U – proceed to a 2nd Interim profile based on revised action plan (March); targeted support plan to be agreed

26. Calendar – Jan to Mar 2018
January to March 2018:
Establish new Professional Development Action Plan (for 2nd Interim Profile or Final Profile)
Continue with weekly supporter meetings, 3-weekly observations and updating profile
If 2nd Interim Profile applies, HT will make 2nd recommendation in March (S, CC or U)
Start applying for jobs openly advertised by local authorities. (Can only get permanent job after gaining the SFR.)

27. Calendar – April to July 2018
May / June: HT makes final recommendation:
Full Registration
Extension (60 days for competence issues, or equal to absence on health grounds)
Cancellation
(Recommendation can be challenged for extensions and cancellations.)
July 2018:
GTC will issue Certificates of Full Registration
- and then it’s up to you!

28. After the Induction Year: Professional Update
After full registration you will need to be part of the Professional Update process:
continue to engage in professional learning
engage in the staff review scheme
record your professional learning and its impact
use the appropriate Standard
update MyGTCS details annually
Sign off every 5 years (first time in session 2022/23)

29. What support is there for Probationers?
Local support available through: supporter, department / faculty, school and local authority
National support from GTC Scotland:
(1) Education Administration Team:
Call:
(2) In2Teaching Website:
Using EBSCO and EducationHub

30. What support is there for partners?
Partnership with local authorities and universities
Seminars to share good practice

31. ... grab the opportunity! And finally . . . Elaine.Napier@gtcs.org.uk