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Scotland is an amazing place to develop your teaching career. The good news is that there are opportunities for teachers within the Scottish education system. If you are already a qualified teacher you should contact the General Teaching Council for Scotland to discuss if your qualification meets their Registration Rules. They will guide you on what to do next if anything further is required. For more information, take a look at options for teachers qualified outside of Scotland.

The minimum entry requirement for PGDE is an undergraduate degree however the universities usually look for Honours level due to the amount of competition for places.

All PGDE students are entitled to a one-year teaching placement on the Teacher Induction Scheme. For the last 8 years, over 80% of post-probationers have gained employment straight from completing their probation year. If you are prepared to move further afield for employment your permanent job prospects may be greater. You can find out more at The General Teaching Council for Scotland website.

Most schools are still accepting requests for work experience, so make sure to get in contact with as many as possible to try and secure time within a classroom. If this has not been possible, particular attention will be made to your personal statement to ensure your suitability to work with children. Also, have a think about local groups such as Guides, Scouts, sports clubs or any online groups. You can also use this time to reflect on transferable skills from any interests, hobbies and experience you have that may be relevant to teaching.

The reference on your application should be one that best reflects on you as a person and how you would be as a teacher. Both a previous employer or an individual who you have gained experience with in a school are accepted. The main thing is to concentrate on which person would be able to provide the strongest reference for you.

If you have school experience or experience working with young people, this is a key reflection that the admissions team will be looking for. Try not to repeat any information that is shared elsewhere in your application, such as previous course content which can be found in your transcript.

Yes, all probationers are provided with a mentor and have a reduced class contact time. You will be assessed against the standards contained in the GTCS Standard for Full Registration. You can find out more at The General Teaching Council for Scotland website.

Depending on the size of the school, you may have more non-contact time. You would be allocated a management time allowance, set by your local authority, to allow you to fulfil your additional duties and responsibilities in your new role.

If you’re willing to complete your probation anywhere in Scotland, you could receive a preference waiver payment of up to £8,000. Alternatively, you can choose five locations, and list these in order of preference. You can find out more at The General Teaching Council for Scotland website.

To find more information on the financial support that is available to you, visit our Funding and Fees webpage. It is also worth checking with the universities you are applying to as they may offer their own financial support options.

There are a number of new teacher education programmes, designed to offer flexibility and encourage diversity in the profession. These include:

Distance Learning Initial Teacher Education DLITE (PDGE) University of Aberdeen (Primary and Secondary)
Learn to Teach Primary Programme – for staff employed in all local authorities in Scotland
MSc Transformative Learning and Teaching programme – University of Edinburgh
Returning to teaching course – University of Edinburgh
MEd Enhanced Practice with Specialism – Middle Years Maths Teachers – University of Glasgow (Dumfries campus)
Combined PGDE with integrated Masters Year in Secondary STEM subjects – University of Strathclyde

Most of the programmes are linked to local authorities and involve teaching in schools within these local authorities throughout the course.

Depending on your subject and the university, you can do a PGDE and qualify in more than one subject. If you are looking to study a PGDE that is related but not exactly in the subject that you studied in at undergraduate level, it is recommended that you get in touch with the individual university you would like to attend and seek their advice.

Not at all, as each university receives a lot of applications for their courses, it takes them time to review and send out interview requests, usually by email. It is recommended that you keep a close eye on your emails and your UCAS profile to check for any updates made to your application.

Think about why you want to be a teacher, what skills and experience do you have that are relevant and how can this be applied to a career in teaching. It’s also important to do your research, look into what it takes to become a teacher and find out about Scotland’s world-leading national curriculum, Curriculum for Excellence. Discover further advice on our how to become a teacher webpage.

You can keep on learning as a teacher, and you’ll have opportunities to add to your professional skills and expertise. You’ll find there are clear pathways for promotion open to you, allowing you to progress with your career, and also increase your salary. Teaching can provide opportunities to enhance your roles and responsibilities, pursue leadership opportunities, and gain a real sense of achievement. Visit our careers progression webpage to find out more information on what development opportunities are available.

Since August 2020, it has become a mandatory requirement for all new headteachers to have completed the fully funded ‘Into Headship’ qualification. This qualification has been specifically designed to help experienced teachers meet the requirements for the Standard of Headship. It provides you with the training you need to develop your leadership skills and prepare you for the strategic challenges of the headteacher role. To discover more specific information on this, visit our Becoming a headteacher webpage. There is also lots to learn from other teachers’ experiences, take a look at our teacher case studies to hear directly from them.

Please visit The Education Scotland website for further details on the Curriculum of Excellence.