What the GTC does

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The GTC keeps a register of qualified teachers in England

• The GTC's register contains information about more than 500,000 teachers.
• Most kinds of teachers who work in England, including all those in the state sector, must register with the GTC.
• Schools and agencies that employ teachers must check with the GTC to ensure that their teachers are registered.

Setting out and maintaining standards for the teaching profession
The GTC

• deals with cases where it is alleged that a teacher has behaved unacceptably or their teaching is seriously below standard. Cases can be referred to the GTC by employers, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), or the public.
• can issue various sanctions, ranging from a reprimand to a prohibition order, which bans the teacher from teaching.
• has a responsibility to act on these allegations which is set out in the Code of Conduct and Practice for Registered Teachers.

Providing policy advice to government and other agencies
The GTC's policy advice concerns important issues that affect the quality of teaching and learning, including

• pupil assessment
• personalised learning
• Every Child Matters agenda.

Other GTC activities

• GTC policy advice is informed by research projects that put the views of teachers at centre stage. Each year the GTC publishes a Survey of Teachers, based on a representative sample of the people on the GTC register.
• The GTC supports the continuing professional development (CPD) of teachers, through professional networks and the Teacher Learning Academy (TLA). The TLA was created by the GTC to help schools and teachers to achieve professional excellence and gain recognition for their achievements.

Things the GTC doesn't do
The GTC

• is not a teacher recruitment agency and so it does not help teachers to get jobs.
• is not a teaching union or association and therefore does not deal with issues of pay and conditions for teachers.
• does not cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where separate general teaching councils are in place for teachers working in those countries, each with its own procedures for registration and the enforcement of standards.