For witnesses

Witnesses are an important part of our Fitness to Teach process. Their evidence helps us investigate concerns about teachers and college lecturers.

There are many ways witnesses take part in the process. Choose the options below that best represents what you have been asked to do.

Supporting a referral

When someone fills out a referral form about a teacher or college lecturer’s conduct (how they behave), they are asked to include contact details of people who witnessed the alleged behaviour.

The person who is filling out the form should ask you if you are happy for your details to be included.

We then read the form and decide if we will investigate.

If we decide to investigate, the teacher or college lecturer will receive a notice of investigation and you may be asked to provide a statement.

You can find information about how GTC Scotland uses your personal data in our privacy notice for witnesses and referrers to Fitness to Teach:

Giving a witness statement

We have asked you to give a statement as we think you may be able to provide information to help us investigate a Fitness to Teach case.

We will usually take your statement over video conferencing (Microsoft Teams). We may, however, ask to meet with you or we can take your statement over the phone if you do not have access to Microsoft Teams.

To give a statement, please find a quiet area where you will not be interrupted. No one else should be there while you are giving your statement.

You must provide us with a true and accurate account of the events to the best of your knowledge. You must not say anything that you know is untrue or inaccurate.

We will send you the first draft of your statement by email, allowing you to make any changes.

Once you have made the changes, we will check and amend the statement. We will send you a final draft and ask you to sign this by hand, scan it, and send it back to us.

Please delete or destroy draft and final copies of your statement or ensure that you store them securely. Do not show them to anyone else. Sharing your statement could seriously impact the Fitness to Teach case.

What happens next?

We will give the teacher or college lecturer and their representative, a copy of your statement to allow them to respond to the allegations.

We will also submit your statement to a Panel to consider what should happen next with the case.

The Panel may decide to proceed to a hearing. Your statement will form part of the hearing papers, which everyone involved in the hearing can read.

We may ask you to attend a hearing to give evidence. The Panel will ask you to read out your statement. We do this so the Panel can ask questions.

Support

We aim to support witnesses through the Fitness to Teach process. Please raise any concerns you have directly with the regulation officer assigned to the case.

Frequently asked questions

Giving evidence at a Fitness to Teach hearing

We will ask you to come to a Fitness to Teach hearing because we think you should give your evidence in person.

We need you to be there so you can answer questions. Your answers will help the Panel with the information it needs to decide the case.

We will give you at least 28 days’ notice that you are required to attend a hearing.

Hearings are held in person at our office in Edinburgh or virtually via Microsoft Teams.

Giving evidence

If you are attending an in-person hearing, you will be shown to the witness desk.

If you are attending a virtual hearing, you will be held in a virtual lobby and admitted into the hearing.

The Convener chairs the hearing. They will introduce the Panel and explain the proceedings.

If you have new evidence you think would be helpful for the Panel, let us know immediately.

The Convener will ask you if you wish to take the Oath or the Affirmation:

• Oath: I swear by almighty God that I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
• Affirmation: I do solemnly and sincerely declare that I will tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

The Convener may ask you to read out the statement you provided.

We may have redacted parts of your statement. Please be assured that there will be a reason for this. We will tell you about this in advance.

The Presenting Officer, the teacher or college lecturer (or their representative) and the Panel may ask you questions.

If you are a vulnerable witness, the teacher or college lecturer may not be allowed to question you directly.

Giving evidence can be hard. Please take your time and speak clearly. If there is anything that you do not understand, of if you need a break, please let the Convener know.

You should provide your evidence openly and honestly. If you do not know the answer to a question or cannot remember something, say so.

Once you have answered all questions, you will be free to leave. If the hearing is public, you may stay to watch the remainder of the proceedings. Do not talk to anyone in the hearing about your evidence or the case.

What happens next?

The Panel’s decision will be published on this website. View recent decisions.

The decision may be published a while after you have given evidence, especially if it is a multiple-day hearing.

Witnesses will not be named in the decision and are referred to by a pseudonym, for example, ‘Witness 1’.

Journalists may include your evidence in articles or news stories about the hearing.

Frequently asked questions