How to record your teaching service
There are two ways in which Flexible Route probationers can record their teaching service:
- Online profile system (if you are completing your probation period in Scotland)
- Document-based report (if you are completing your probation outside Scotland or completing probation in a second or subsequent subject (Professional (Additional) Registration)
You are required to complete a minimum of:
- 9 observations of your teaching practice
- 6 professional learning entries
- 2 entries for each area of the Standard for Full Registration.
Online profiles
You can access your online profile by logging in to MyGTCS.
Please note that you will not be able to enter records of teacher service outside the current academic session (August – July). If you wish to submit teaching service outside the current session, please complete a record of teaching service form and email this to gtcs@gtcs.org.uk with the subject line ‘Flexible Route – Record of Teaching Service’.
Document-based reports
If you are completing your probation outside Scotland or completing a probationary period for Professional Registration in an additional subject, you are required to complete a document-based Flexible Route Profile.
We recommend you update your final report regularly as you progress through your probationary period and share it with school staff as appropriate.
Before you start filling in your final report, we strongly advise that you read the following guidance.
Guidance on completing your reports
The Professional Standards for Teachers 2021 were enacted in 2 August 2021, and a refreshed Provisional Registration and Probationary Teaching Service Policy was enacted on 1 August 2023. If you gained provisional registration before 2 August 2021, please continue to use the 2012 Professional Standards and the related reports.
Gained provisional registration prior to 2 August 2021
Guidance on completing sections of the Interim and Final Reports.
Recommendation
It is essential that the recommendation boxes marked and is signed by your headteacher.
Final reports will have the recommendation “Recommend Full Registration”, “Recommend Extension to Provisional Registration” and “Recommend Cancellation of Registration”.
Timetable
Primary teachers
You should include the following information on your timetable:
- the class you taught
- the blocks each day when you taught
- the aspects of the curriculum taught
Secondary teachers
You should include the following information your timetable:
- the class and level of study in each period
- the length of time allocated to one period (provide an average length if necessary)
Record of teaching service
We must have a record of any periods of relevant teaching.
If you are employed in a full-time continuous post it will simply be a case of recording the details on a termly basis.
If you are employed in short-term contracts or supply posts you will need to record the details of all service you have carried out, so an additional record of teaching service may be required.
Record of supporter meetings
If you have had supporter meetings you should transfer the following information from your notes
- the date of the meetings
- a summary of the actions that you agreed to carry out following the meeting
- the focus of the meeting. There should be only one or two clear key areas identified for each meeting
Record of observed teaching sessions
You should only include details of planned observed sessions where the timing and focus have been agreed beforehand.
The following information should be transferred from feedback forms compiled at your observed teaching sessions:
- the date and time of the observed session (make sure that these sessions are not always occurring at the same time/period in the day)
- the focus of the session. There should be only one or two clear key areas identified for each session
- the class and subject/level of study for the observed session
- the strengths/areas for development which, although filled in by you, will consist of those comments that were identified by the observer of the session and passed to you
Both you and your supporter should sign to confirm that this is a true record of the observed sessions.
Record of Professional Learning
You should record a title and date for each Professional Learning experience.
Each Professional Learning experience should have only one key focus and, as such, will address only one area of the Standard.
You should aim to achieve a balance of experiences that cover all areas of the Standard for Full Registration.
There may be core Professional Learning that you are obliged to undertake. It’s also expected that your Professional Learning record details other experiences, many undertaken as a result of targets and actions identified in your Professional Development Action Plan (PDAP)
The record table can also be used as a framework for Professional Learning. You will be able to tell at a glance whether you are achieving a broad coverage of the areas of the Standard. It’s worth seeing how you can fully utilise Professional Learning experiences, for example following up in school a core Professional Learning experience carried out by a probation manager in local authorities.
The SFR, Key Strengths and Area for Development
This will be completed by your headteacher in collaboration with your supporter (if you have one). Both strengths and areas for development must be identified.
The areas for development should be of no surprise since they should have been identified in your observed teaching sessions.
Professional Development Action Plan (PDAP)
You should enter the agreed targets and actions that form the basis for your future development.
You will complete this by your headteacher or supporter (if allocated) in collaboration with you.
Signing off your reports
By signing off your report, you indicate that you have read the content, not that you agree with it.
If you do not agree with the content, you should write separately to us, detailing the reasons.
Primary
Primary education – interim report
Primary education – final report
Secondary
Secondary education – interim report
Secondary education – final report
Gained provisional registration after 2 August 2021
If you gained provisional registration after 2 August 2021, you will use the 2021 Professional Standards for Teachers in Scotland and the document-based Flexible Route profile.
Recommendation
It is essential that the recommendation boxes marked and is signed by your headteacher.
Final reports will have the recommendation “I recommend Full Registration” and “I recommend Removal of Registration”.
Record of teaching service
We must have a record of any periods of relevant teaching.
If you are employed in a full-time continuous post it will simply be a case of recording the details on a termly basis.
If you are employed in short-term contracts or supply posts you will need to record the details of all service you have carried out, so an additional record of teaching service may be required.
Record of supporter meetings
If you have had supporter meetings you should transfer the following information from your notes
- the date of the meetings
- a summary of the actions that you agreed to carry out following the meeting
- the focus of the meeting. There should be only one or two clear key areas identified for each meeting
Both you and supporter should sign that this is a true record of the meetings.
Record of observed teaching sessions
You should only include details of planned observed sessions where the timing and focus have been agreed beforehand.
The following information should be transferred from feedback forms compiled at your observed teaching sessions:
- the date and time of the observed session (make sure that these sessions are not always occurring at the same time/period in the day)
- the focus of the session. There should be only one or two clear key areas identified for each session
- the class and subject/level of study for the observed session
- the strengths/areas for development which, although filled in by you, will consist of those comments that were identified by the observer of the session and passed to you
Both you and your supporter should sign to confirm that this is a true record of the observed sessions.
Record of Professional Learning
You should record a title and date for each Professional Learning experience.
Each Professional Learning experience should have only one key focus and, as such, will address only one area of the Standard.
You should aim to achieve a balance of experiences that cover all areas of the Standard for Full Registration.
There may be core Professional Learning that you are obliged to undertake. It’s also expected that your Professional Learning record details other experiences, many undertaken as a result of targets and actions identified in your Professional Development Action Plan (PDAP)
The record table can also be used as a framework for Professional Learning. You will be able to tell at a glance whether you are achieving a broad coverage of the areas of the Standard. It’s worth seeing how you can fully utilise Professional Learning experiences, for example following up in school a core Professional Learning experience carried out by a probation manager in local authorities.
The SFR, Key Strengths and Area for Development
This will be completed by your headteacher in collaboration with your supporter (if you have one). Both strengths and areas for development must be identified.
The areas for development should be of no surprise since they should have been identified in your observed teaching sessions.
Professional Development Action Plan (PDAP)
You should enter the agreed targets and actions that form the basis for your future development.
You will complete this by your headteacher or supporter (if allocated) in collaboration with you.
Signing off your reports
By signing off your report, you indicate that you have read the content, not that you agree with it.
If you do not agree with the content, you should write separately to us, detailing the reasons.