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Information Sheet
Teaching in Scotland
A guide to conditions of service
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Introduction
The purpose of this Information Sheet is to
provide an easy reference for teachers who
are looking for key information relating to
teaching in Scotland, together with the main
conditions of service in one document. This
Information Sheet also provides links to the
various professional bodies/organisations that
teachers may need to access as part of their
job.
Background
As education is a devolved matter, it is the
Scottish Government which is responsible for
educational policy.
Education Scotland
In July 2011, a new executive agency, known
as Education Scotland became operational.
Education Scotland brought together HMiE
and Teaching and Learning Scotland and also
incorporated the national CPD Team and
Positive Behaviour Team. To find out more
about the responsibilities of Education
Scotland look on their website:
www.educationscotland.gov.uk
The General Teaching Council for
Scotland (GTCS)
It is a requirement that every teacher working in
a local authority school in Scotland is registered
with the General Teaching Council for Scotland.
Teachers pay an annual registration fee, which
is normally deducted from a teacher’s salary in
March. It is, however, the responsibility of the
teacher to ensure that the fee is paid and to
remain registered and eligible to teach in local
authority schools. The vast majority of private
schools in Scotland also require their teachers
to be registered with the GTCS, although it is
not mandatory in all of them at present – this is
a matter currently being consulted at national
level.
Published by Voice £1
© VOICE
SCOTLAND
One of the main functions of the GTCS is to
regulate entry to the profession and ensure
that those who teach in local authority schools
are properly qualified. Those who have trained/
qualified outwith Scotland should ascertain
their registration status directly from the
GTCS.
Another function of the GTCS is to advise
Scottish Ministers on such matters as Initial
Teacher Education and student intake. The
GTCS also plays a very important part in the
overseeing and monitoring of new teachers
during their training and probationary year.
As a result of the Protection of Vulnerable
Groups Act, 2007, a new registration system
replaces and improves upon the previous
disclosure arrangements by removing the
need for multiple disclosures. Newly qualified
teachers who have trained in Scotland are
automatically registered.
The Standards in Scotland’s Schools Act,
2000, empowers the GTCS to address not
only teacher misconduct but also competence
issues. Together with a requirement to
promote good teaching and learning, the
Council must take public interest into account
in the conduct of its statutory functions.
Professional Update came into effect from
August 2014 and engagement in the process
was a requirement for GTCS registration from
that date. The key aims of Professional Update
are as follows:
1. To maintain and improve the quality of
teachers as outlined in the Professional
Standards and enhance the impact they
have on the pupils; and
2. To support, enhance and maintain
teachers' continued professionalism and
the reputation of Scotland's teaching
profession.
For more information on the role and functions
of the GTCS you can visit their website:
www.gtcs.org.uk or phone them on
0131 314 6000.
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The Scottish Qualifications Authority
(SQA)
This is the national body which offers the
qualifications available to pupils in Scottish
schools following the Scottish Curriculum.
The courses and assessments undertaken in
Scottish schools are in the process of change
under the umbrella of the Curriculum for
Excellence. To obtain more information about
these you should visit the SQA website:
www.sqa.org.uk
Scottish Negotiating Committee for
Teachers (SNCT)
The SNCT is a tri-partite negotiating body
whose constituent members are drawn from
the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities
(COSLA), the Scottish Government and the
recognised trade unions representing teachers
in Scotland. The principal purpose of the SNCT
is to negotiate collective agreements on
salaries and conditions of service for teachers.
Conditions of Service
Full details of these are contained in the SNCT
Handbook which is available on the SNCT
website: www.snct.org.uk
Below is a summary of the main terms
affecting teachers as they stand at the time of
this publication:
1. The Working Year
The working year for teachers is 195 days, of
which 190 will be pupil contact days, and 5 will
be in-service days.
Teachers are required to complete an
additional 35 hours of Continuing Professional
Development (CPD) per year. Teachers on
part-time contracts have to complete CPD per
annum on a pro-rata basis.
2. The Working Week
The working week has three components:
class contact time; guaranteed preparation /
correction time; and remaining time.
(a) Class Contact Time
A maximum of 22.5 hours are devoted to
class contact except for those on the National
Teacher Induction Scheme - whose maximum is
18.5 hours.
(b) Preparation/Correction Time
An allowance of no less than one-third of the
teacher’s actual class contact commitment is
provided for preparation and correction.
(c) Remaining Time
This time is subject to agreement at school
level within local guidelines and may include
such activities as additional preparation/
correction time, parents’ evenings, staff
meetings etc. The allocation of this time must
be agreed with the staff of each school on an
annual basis and is known as the The Working
Time Agreement.
From 1 August 2014, there has been a degree
of scope for establishments to agree, as part
of Working Time Agreements, the planning
of teacher hours over a longer period than a
week. This is subject to agreement by school
staff, the school meeting criteria set by the
SNCT and the LNCTs having an overview of
agreements.
3. Teachers’ Pay
The salary scales and salary spines are set out
in Appendix 2.1 of the SNCT Handbook and are
subject to change by decision of the SNCT.
The method and frequency of payment of
salaries is determined by the local Council
following consultation in the Local Negotiating
Committee for teachers (LNCT). All permanent
employees should be paid their annual salary
in equal instalments. Temporary employees
should, where practicable, also be paid in equal
instalments.
The annual salary of part-time and job-share
employees should be pro-rata to the salary of
the full-time equivalent.
The salary year for teachers and music
instructors shall run from 1 August in any year
until 31 July of the following year.
Short-Term Supply Teachers
All periods of cover teaching of 2 days or less
will be defined as short-term supply. Each
separate period of engagement of less than
2 days will be treated as a separate contract.
Supply teachers will be paid on point 1 (point 0
if not fully registered) of the Main Grade Scale
for each period of short-term supply work. Pay
will be calculated on the daily rate of 1/235 (1)
of the annual rate of salary. The hourly rate will
be calculated on the basis of 1/1645(2) of the
annual rate of salary.
Where a short term supply teacher has been
engaged on a single, continuous period of
supply cover of 2 days which is subsequently
extended beyond the initial 2 day period, the
rate of pay for the extension period will be the
incremental point on the Main Grade Scale for
which the teacher qualifies.
There is no cap on the maximum class contact
time for short-term supply teachers. There
is also an automatic 10% pay uplift for
preparation and correction time for all shortterm supply teachers.
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Fixed Term Appointments
Where it is known at the outset that the period
of engagement is to be more than 2 days the
teacher should be issued with a fixed term
contract. Payment, working hours and duties
will be in accordance with the SNCT Handbook.
Conservation for Promoted Post Holders
Appointed Before 1 April 2001
From 1 April 2011 promoted post holders
who were in receipt of lifetime conservation
were instead to receive a period of cash
conservation until 31 March 2016 after which
the conservation arrangements cease to
apply. From 1 April 2011 until 31 March 2013,
a promoted post holder appointed to a post
before 1 April 2001 and:
(a) whose post is re-sized during that period
and the salary downgraded; or
(b) who is transferred during that period,
for reasons other than inefficiency or
indiscipline, to another post which has a
lower salary;
shall receive a period of cash conservation until
31 March 2016 after which the conservation
arrangements will cease to apply.
From 1 April 2013, any promoted post holder
who is affected as at (a) or (b) is entitled to a
period of three years cash conservation.
4. Teachers’ Main Duties
The duties of teachers, Chartered Teachers,
Principal Teachers, Depute Head Teachers and
Head Teachers are outlined in Part 2 Section 2
of the SNCT Handbook.
5. Annual Leave
From the leave year commencing 1 September
2011, the annual leave entitlement of
teachers and music instructors shall be 40
days per annum. The balance, up to the current
entitlement of 68 days, (28 days) has been
redefined as 'school closure'. In addition,
the daily and hourly rates of pay have been
changed and now are 1/235 and 1/1645
respectively. The rate of accrual of paid leave
is now 0.2051.
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From 1 September 2011 employees who return
from maternity or adoption leave and who
wish to take the balance of statutory annual
leave that has accrued during that leave, will,
in the first instance, normally take this leave
during the leave year to which the employee
is returning. Any balance of annual leave in
excess shall be taken following the maternity
leve period and can be directed to be taken
during the days of school closure.
Part 2 Section 7 outlines the provisions in full,
including arrangements for Shared Parental
Leave.
Further, employees who have accrued
statutory leave during sickness absence will, in
the first instance, be directed to take any such
leave which they have accrued and not taken
during sickness absence, during school closure
periods.
Chartered Teachers
The Chartered Teachers Scheme has been
discontinued.
The SNCT has agreed that pay will be
protected at the current point on the
Chartered Teacher pay spine for those who are
fully chartered and for those who have partially
completed the Standard for Chartered Teacher.
In return those teachers will make an enhanced
contribution to the school or wider educational
community.
There will be no further progression for those
on points 1-5 of the Chartered Teacher Pay
Scale.
Sickness Absence
All employees must accrue a total of 18 weeks continuous qualifying Council service before being
entitled to sickness allowance. This allowance is complementary to the statutory provisions, and
employees with less than 18 weeks continuous qualifying service may be entitled to Statutory
Sick Pay (SSP). A teacher absent from duty due to sickness or injury will receive, in any one
period of 12 months, sickness allowance as follows, depending on length of service (see below):
Service at Commencement of Absence from
Duty
Full Salary for a period of
Half Salary for a
period of
Less than 18 weeks
nil
nil
18 weeks but less than 1 year
1 month
1 month
1 year but less than 2 years
2 months
2 months
2 years but less than 3 years
4 months
4 months
3 years but less than 5 years
5 months
5 months
5 years or more
6 months
6 months
Notice
Class Size Maxima
The minimum notice to be given by a teacher to
terminate employment is usually:
Primary
Number of pupils
P1
P2
P3
P4
P5
P6
P7
Composite classes
25*
30**
30**
33
33
33
33
25
> 4 weeks for unpromoted staff
> 8 weeks for promoted staff
Teachers should consult their individual
contracts of employment for further details.
Probationer Teachers
All probationer teachers are guaranteed a oneyear probationary contract, with a maximum
class contact of 0.8 Full Time Equivalent for
those entering the Induction Scheme at the
start of the school year in August. Thereafter
they will have to apply for posts in the normal
way.
Obtaining a Teaching Post in Scotland
Posts are advertised in the Herald, the
Scotsman and the Times Educational
Supplement Scotland. Local Authorities also
post vacancies on their own websites.
Notes:
*The provisions set out are drawn from
the Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes)
(Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2010.
** The provisions set out are drawn from
the Education (Lower Primary Class Sizes)
(Scotland) Regulations 1999.
The Schedule to Regulation 4, Excepted Pupils,
and the ‘Explanatory Note’ to the Regulations
are provided in Annex A to Appendix 2.9 of
the SNCT Handbook. Annex A sets out the
circumstances in which class sizes may exceed
the stated maximum.
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Secondary
Number of
Pupils
S1
S2
S3
S4
S5
S6
Practical classes
33
33
30
30
30
30
20
Practical Classes
Practical classes are those in which the
following subjects are taught:
Administration, Art and Design, Biology,
Chemistry, Craft and Design, Engineering,
General Science, Graphic Communication,
Home Economics, Land and Environment,
Managing Environmental Resources, Physics,
Practical Craft Skills, Product Design and
Technological Studies.
Class Sizes for Special Schools and Units
Additional Support Needs arising from:
Number of pupils
Moderate learning difficulties
10
Profound learning difficulties
10 **
Severe physical impairment
8
Severe learning difficulties
8
Significant hearing impairment
6
Significant visual impairment
6
Language and communication difficulties
6
Social, emotional and behavioural difficulties
6
Note: ** This figure applies where teachers are complemented by
support staff and councils are recommended to apply an adult/
pupil ratio of 1:2.5.
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Voice in Scotland
Voice in Scotland seeks to influence decision
makers at national and local level with
representation on the SNCT and working
parties, and through its own Scottish Executive
Committee (SEC).
Voice is also represented on most Local
Negotiating Committees for Teachers (LNCTs),
lending input to members’ interests at local
level.
Voice has regular meetings with Scottish
Government Ministers and is invited to make
responses to the Scottish Government, SQA,
GTCS, SPPA and other national and local
bodies. Our official responses are made
available on the Voice website:
www.voicetheunion.org.uk/policy.
The SEC has representatives from different
parts of Scotland. Voice’s Edinburgh
headquarters has professional and support
staff to assist members. Voice is well placed
to provide an effective service and support
to its members with an established local Field
Officer network to support the staff based in
Edinburgh.
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Revised August 2015