What is the GTC?

What is the GTC?

Council: Its role and membership

Regulation and registration

Championing quality in education

Useful websites for parents

What we do

The four principles underpinning the GTC

The General Teaching Council for England (GTC) is the independent body that regulates the teaching profession. At the GTC we work in the public interest to uphold the highest standards of teaching. We aim to achieve this by encouraging continual improvements in teaching and learning and ensuring the highest levels of professional conduct among teachers themselves.

What we do

The GTC began work in 2000 as the professional body for teaching in England. Established under the 1998 Teaching and Higher Education Act, we joined similar General Teaching Councils representing Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The 1998 Act gave teachers the same status as other self-regulating professions, such as lawyers, doctors and nurses, for the first time.

We maintain a Register of qualified teachers in England and regulate the profession in the public interest. Under the 1998 Act, all teachers in state schools in England must be registered with us. The GTC has a legal responsibility to take up cases where there is serious doubt over a teacher's professional competence. Certain cases of misconduct, such as falsifying examination results or substance misuse, also come before the GTC.

In cases of proven professional misconduct or serious professional incompetence we have a range of disciplinary powers, from formal reprimands to suspension or complete prohibition from the register.

We play a major role in advising the Government and other agencies on issues affecting the quality of teaching and learning. Our advice is based on sound practical knowledge and research, gained from working closely with teachers themselves. We also commission research into key teaching issues.

The GTC supports teachers to improve their skills through seminars and specialist training, and by summarising useful research so that teachers can apply it in the classroom.

Our governing Council of 64 members is a unique partnership of teachers and others, including parents, school governors and employers, who are passionate about promoting quality in education.

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The four principles underpinning the GTC

• A professional voice for teaching:  The GTC works closely with teachers to highlight current issues in teaching and learning, and promotes this research to the Government and other agencies that shape policy. We promote the professional status of teaching through seminars, conferences and professional networks, and through our website and publications.
• Encouraging the highest standards: Teachers play a major part in shaping the futures of our children and young people, and as such must work to the highest standards. All teachers in state schools in England, including special schools and pupil referral units, plus many teachers in the independent sector, are on the GTC Register. This means that parents can be confident that their children are being taught by qualified teachers of good standing.
• Promoting public confidence in teaching: The GTC works to uphold the public's trust in teaching, and is there to act if this trust is abused. We do this by upholding the required standards of conduct and confidence and by promoting improvement and new developments in teaching.
• Working in partnership with teachers: The GTC believes that only by working closely with teachers and understanding their concerns can it do its job. We actively support teachers in improving and developing the way that they teach. Two thirds of our Council members are practising teachers, in daily contact with the realities of the classroom. The GTC conducts an annual survey of teachers to gain an accurate picture of the profession and to share this with the Government and other agencies.

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