parents how to

Any member of the public is entitled to be told whether or not a teacher is registered with the GTC. Contact the registration helpdesk with the teacher's full name and the school where they are employed. If we are able to uniquely identify a record for that teacher from the information that you have provided, we will confirm whether they are registered on a yes/no basis.

• email: registration@gtce.org.uk

If a GTC hearing disciplines a teacher, this will be immediately signalled on the teacher's entry on the register. If the teacher applies to a new school, the head teacher or local authority will check the GTC register as part of the appointments process. There are safeguards to make sure that teachers who have been disciplined cannot simply move to another state school.

A teacher cannot apply to be reinstated until two years after a GTC hearing has found against them. Their application will then be formally considered and all available evidence taken into account.

The GTC's regulatory role covers serious failures in professional conduct or competence. If you have concerns about the conduct of your child's teacher or the competence of their teaching, your starting point is not the GTC but the head teacher of your school. Where the concerns are serious and found to be proved, the teacher is likely to be subject to their employer's disciplinary procedures.

If a teacher has been dismissed as a result of an employer’s disciplinary procedures, their employer - usually the local authority - must refer the case to the GTC as the teacher's regulatory body. Such a referral can mean that the GTC may take disciplinary action against the teacher; and ultimately, that they may be barred from teaching altogether in maintained schools.

If you complain to the school and are not happy with the school's response, ask about the school's complaints procedure and the role played by its governing body.

In cases of misconduct, it is possible for parents to complain directly to the GTC. However, before considering such a complaint the GTC will check which local routes have been used first.

Under current law, members of the public are not able to complain directly to the GTC about a teacher's lack of competence. This route is only available for misconduct cases. Such concerns should be taken up with the school in the first instance.

The GTC does not cover child protection, such as a teacher alleged to have committed a sexual offence against children. However, cautions or convictions for other criminal acts are also considered by the GTC after any cases which might raise child protection issues have been dealt with separately by the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

To make a complaint to the GTC

• Our very strong advice is that you raise the matter first with the school, using local complaints procedures if you are not satisfied with the outcome. Remember that most concerns about a teacher will be matters which are capable of being resolved by the employer and that the most serious, which result in dismissal, must be referred to the GTC anyway. Referral under local procedures is likely to mean that there is evidence which the GTC can draw on.
• Subject to this, you may wish to contact the GTC to request a complaint form for each individual registered teacher. But remember that the GTC’s role is to consider whether the teacher is guilty of unacceptable professional conduct and not to resolve other concerns about the running of the education service.
• Complete, sign and return the form, enclosing all the relevant evidence to support your complaint, including a concise outline of the matters that you consider to be unacceptable professional conduct, any further information and/or supporting evidence that you may have in relation to your complaint.
• On receipt of your complaint the GTC will schedule your case for the next available Preliminary Consideration Meeting, which will decide whether there is basis to pursue the matter further.