Role and remit

The GTC is an independent professional body for the teaching profession in England. It was set up by the 1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act. It combines statutory advisory and regulatory powers and is answerable to registered teachers and ultimately to the public through Parliament.

The idea of a General Teaching Council for England was first mooted in the mid 19th century. The campaign for a GTC gained momentum in the 1970s.  John Tomlinson's article How the GTC was won describes the history of the campaign for a General Teaching Council in England.

Effective legislation had to wait until the 1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act. Before it was put to parliament, the teacher associations and unions and other bodies concerned with teaching were consulted on the draft legislation.

The GTC finally came into being on the 1 September 2000.

No. The GTC is an independent not-for-profit public corporation serving the public interest. Our lines of reporting and our way of working bear no similarity to those of any government agency or quango.

Other bodies have the ability to submit advice, but the GTC has a statutory advisory power.

The credibility of our advice is that it reflects the experiences and expertise of the entire teaching profession, either through direct consultation via our database of registered teachers or through research evidence. Professional associations, on the other hand, can only speak on behalf of their membership.

The GTC is working to promote the highest possible standards of teaching and learning and to raise the status of the teaching profession.

By listening to and working with teachers, we aim to add value to their professional lives.

We provide an opportunity for teachers to shape the development of education policy and to set and maintain the professional standards for teaching. We do this through regular consultation with teachers via our  programme of events, consultative seminars and the website, and by working with other education organisations, associations and unions.

A key part of the GTC’s role is to advise government on issues affecting the profession, based on teachers’ views and expertise. Through our consultation work, teachers can influence education policy in areas such as professional accountability, continuing professional development (CPD), initial training, retention, career development, the future of the profession and issues of pedagogy.

The GTC’s three professional networks, Connect, Achieve and Engage, give teachers access to the latest thinking on continuing professional development, race equality and providing support to new teachers.

Through the Teacher Learning Academy, we are developing a national system of professional recognition for teachers’ work to improve their practice.

Teaching is characterised by high professional standards. The GTC’s regulatory work upholds the very high standards that the profession expects of itself. We exercise this role in the interests of pupils and society, but it is equally important for the reputation of the profession that standards are upheld in this way.

As an organisation, we are committed to equality of opportunity. We seek to reflect the widest possible cross-section of the profession in our daily work and interaction with teachers.

The teacher unions and associations have a distinct role, which ranges from personal support and representation, negotiation on pay and conditions of service, and  policy evidence on key areas of concern to their members.  Some associations have strong research programmes to support their policy functions.

The GTC has a statutory power to advise the Secretary of State and others on matters of professional practice that concern or underpin standards of teaching and learning.

The GTC serves the interests of pupils and the wider public by regulating standards of conduct and competence.

Our remit specifically includes a requirement to advise on teacher supply, teacher retention and career progression but the GTC does not negotiate on terms and conditions of service.

The six teacher associations are represented on Council.  The GTC has co-sponsored research with the teacher associations, for example on effective CPD and on the needs of refugee and asylum seeking children.

All teachers with qualified teacher status (QTS) and working in maintained primary, special and secondary schools, non-maintained special schools and pupil referral units are required, by law, to register with the GTC. This includes part-time and supply teachers.

Union membership is voluntary.