All teachers in Scottish public sector schools must hold a teaching qualification (TQ) and be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS). Teachers in independent schools must also be registered with the GTCS. Teachers who have trained in the rest of the UK are normally eligible for registration. To become fully registered with the GTCS you must: - complete a course of initial teacher training (ITT);
- complete a probationary period, usually a year.
Teachers who qualify in Scotland should be able to apply for and obtain qualified teacher status (QTS) in England or Wales without further training or assessment. Contact the General Teaching Council of the appropriate country for more information. QualificationsQualifications for entry to courses are given in the Memorandum on Entry Requirements to Courses of Initial Teacher Education in Scotland 2005, available to view and download from the Scottish Government. The final decision on entry rests with each teacher education institution (TEI). In brief, the entry requirements are: - a degree from a UK higher education institution or a degree of equivalent standard from an institution outside the UK (for secondary courses, your degree should contain 80 credit points in a subject relevant to the subject you wish to teach, and at least 40 of these credits must be at level 2 or above);
- National Qualifications Course (NQC) award in English at level 6 or above (or an equivalent), equating to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) higher grade award in English (band C or above) and GCSE English language and English literature grade C or above.
Primary courses- Applicants also need to have obtained the NQC award in mathematics at level 5 (or an equivalent), equating to SQA standard grade credit level 1 or 2 and GCSE grade B or above.
- Institutions may prefer candidates whose study has given them a grounding in one of the primary curriculum areas (mathematics, English, science, social studies, expressive arts, religious and moral education, technology and modern languages).
Secondary courses- Some subjects, including modern studies and business education, have special entry requirements, and these can be clarified by the institution to which you are applying, or via the Memorandum.
Work experienceIn addition to academic qualifications, you should demonstrate a genuine interest in working with and educating children of the age you wish to teach. You will need good experience of working with children, preferably in a Scottish school environment. Other relevant experience such as Brownie or Cub leadership, after-school clubs, sports coaching, music tuition, student tutoring, sessional work in community education and youth organisations, mentoring schemes and working as a classroom assistant will all be useful, so refer to them in your application. See teacher training for further advice on gaining experience and current hot topics in education in the UK.
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