Teaching in Scotland : Entry requirements

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.

Qualifications

Qualifications required for entry to teacher training courses are determined by the Scottish government. Details can be found on the Teach in Scotland website. The final decision on entry rests with each teacher education institution (TEI).

In brief, the entry requirements for primary courses are:

• three Highers (or equivalent) including English at grade C or above. Acceptable alternative qualifications include GCSE English language and literature at grade C or above;
• two Standard Grades (or equivalent) including mathematics at Credit level or Intermediate 2. Acceptable alternative qualifications include GCSE mathematics at Grade B and above;
• a degree from a UK university (or equivalent degree from outside of the UK).

You will also need to show evidence that you have studied at least two of the following: science; social studies; expressive arts; religious and moral education; technology; and modern languages.

For secondary courses you will need a Higher English qualification (or equivalent) as well as a degree from a UK university or an equivalent degree from outside the UK. Beyond this there is some variation in entry requirements between TEIs and the subjects of study. However in general your degree should normally contain a minimum of 80 credit points in a subject relevant to the teaching qualification you are studying for. (40 credit points must be at second year undergraduate level or above.)

See the Teach in Scotland  website for further details on required qualifications.

Work experience

In 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.