Recording service
Gathering your paperwork and recording your information is a key aspect of the self-evaluation process.
Required evidence
In order to evidence your teaching service, you are required to complete a series of forms.
- interim report - this is submitted at the end of a term of continuous full time service, or after each period of short-term service of more than 20 days
- final report - this is submitted at the end of your probationary period
- record of teaching service form - this is used to record each day of service in a school where you have served less than 20 days in total. This enables short periods of relevant service to be credited towards meeting your probationary requirement
You should try to work on your interim and final reports as you progress through your probationary period.
Before you start filling in your reports, we strongly advise that you read the guidance on completing your interim and final reports.
Completing your interim and final reports
Recommendation
It is essential that the reports have one of the recommendation boxes marked and is signed by your headteacher.
Interim reports will have the recommendation "Satisfactory" or "Unsatisfactory", final reports will have the recommendation "Full Registration", "Extension to Provisional Registration" or "Cancellation of Regisration".
Timetable
Primary teachersOn your timetable, you should include:
- the class you taught
- the blocks each day when you taught
- the aspects of the curriculum taught
On your timetable, you should include:
- 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
It's important that we have a record of any periods of relevant teaching.
For those employed in a full time continuous post it will simply be a case of recording the details on a termly basis.
For those employed in short-term contracts or supply posts it will be necessary to record the details of all service 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 has 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 that this is a true record of the observed sessions.
Record of CPD
A title and date for each CPD experience undertaken should be recorded.
It's expected that each CPD experience should have only one key focus and, as such, will address only one area of the Standard.
The aim is to achieve a balance of experiences that cover all areas of the Standard for Full Registration.
There may be core CPD that you are obliged to undertake. It's also expected that your CPD 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 CPD. 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 CPD experiences, for example following up in school a core CPD experience carried out by 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 allocated). It's important that both strengths and areas for development are 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 will form the basis for your future development.
This will be completed, in collaboration with you, by your headteacher or supporter, (if allocated).
Signing off your reports
By signing off your report, you are only indicating that you have read the report, not that you agree with the content.
Should you not agree with the content, you should separately to us, detailing the reasons.
Interim report
The Interim Report should include as much information as possible from every stage of your probation process.
It's your responsibility to ensure that the reports are completed and submitted to us so that we can record and credit the probationary service that has been completed.
Submitting your report
As soon as you have completed all sections, you should send your Interim Report to:
Professional Learning and Development Department
General Teaching Council for Scotland
Clerwood House
96 Clermiston Road
Edinburgh
EH12 6UT
We recommend that you retain a copy of the Interim Report for your own records (you must submit the original to us).
Processing interim reports
Once we receive your Interim Report it will be checked, added to your file and its receipt will be acknowledged with details of the outstanding service that you need to complete.
Satisfactory progress
Most of you submitting reports with a "Satisfactory progress" recommendation will not submit anything else until your Final Report. This is unless you have moved schools; in which case you will then need to submit a further Interim Report for service in the new school.
Unsatisfactory progress
Where an "Unsatisfactory progress" recommendation is made, this will usually lead to discussion between your school and local authority to ensure support is in place to improve the situation.
It may be that a recommendation is made that registration should be cancelled. A panel hearing will take place at our head office to consider this recommendation. You will be invited to attend and can also bring a representative.
Final report
The Final Report should include as much information as possible and be completed at the end of your probation period.
It's your responsibility to ensure that the reports are completed and submitted to us so that we can record and credit the probationary service that has been completed.
Submitting your Final Report
As soon as you have completed all sections, you should send your Final Report to:
Professional Learning and Development Department
General Teaching Council for Scotland
Clerwood House
96 Clermiston Road
Edinburgh
EH12 6UT
We recommend that you retain a copy of the Final Report for your own records (you must submit the original to us).
Processing Final Reports
Once we receive your Final Report it will be checked to ensure full service has been completed and a recommendation has been made.
On successful completion a certificate of Full Registration will be issued confirming either primary or secondary and, in the case of secondary, the subject(s).
Your certificate of Full Registration will be sent to the address held on the Register. It is therefore important to notify us of any change of address as soon as possible. Failure to do so may result in your certificate being sent to the wrong address and a charge may apply for a replacement certificate.
Record of Teaching Service form
A Record of Teaching Service is used to record each day of service in a school where you have served fewer than 20 days in total. This enables short periods of relevant service to be credited towards meeting probationary requirements.
You should submit your Record of Teaching Service form to us on a regular basis. We recommend that you retain a copy of the form for your own records (you must submit the original to us).
Please note: for periods of teaching service amounting to more than 20 days an Interim Report should be submitted either at the end of your teaching within the school or at the end of each term if you are employed on a contract.