Professional Learning on the Flexible Route

There is a range of professional learning experiences, provisions and support available to you. Teachers engage in career-long professional learning to stimulate their thinking and professional knowledge, and to ensure that their practice is critically informed and current.

Please ensure that your headteacher is aware that you have a probationary period to complete so they can make arrangements to have relevant support put in place for you.

Professional Learning

As part of your probationary period, you are required to carry out a range of professional learning. A summary of this professional learning should be recorded within your profile. You will require a minimum of three entries recorded in each of the three main areas of the Standard for Full Registration.

Examples of professional learning

• Experiential, action or enquiry-based learning
• Professional dialogue with colleagues, other professionals, parents and learners
• Focused professional reading and research
• Leading or engaging in practitioner enquiry/action research
• Critical analysis of reading, learning andimpact on professional practice
• Classroom visits / peer observations / shadowing with related professional dialogue
• Online learning / blogs
• Co-operative or team teaching
• Leading or participating in a working party or task group
• Planning learning which is interdisciplinary or cross-sector
• Participation in activities relating to assessment and moderation
• Professional / academic conferences
• Self-evaluation and critical reflection processes

For more information about professional learning, see our pages on professional learning for teachers who hold Full Registration.

Recording your Professional Learning

You should record your professional learning through either:

• The online profile system (if you are completing your probation period in Scotland); or
• paper-based reports (if you are completing your probation period outside Scotland or completing probation in a second or subsequent subject)

You may also gather additional evidence of your professional learning, such as notes, course handouts, annotated texts or journal entries. These may be stored digitally or in paper form to suit your professional learning needs.