WIREDGOV

Scotland's premier development programme for teachers has been given a boost following the launch of the revised Standard for Chartered Teacher.

After a consultation period, the Standard has been refocused to ensure it highlights key leadership skills and better natural progression from the Standard for Full Registration that all teachers work towards during the first year of teaching.

Keith Brown, Minister for Schools and Skills, said:

"Chartered Teachers have much to offer in Scotland's schools, therefore I am delighted that the Standard for Chartered Teacher has been revised and improved. The Standard has been redesigned to ensure greater natural progression in teacher development, while putting more focus on leadership qualities and skills.

"As we take forward the biggest changes to Scottish education in a generation through Curriculum for Excellence, we must have a teaching profession that can rise to the challenge of providing innovative and exciting learning, which prepares our young people for the challenges of the 21st century.

"During this time of change, Chartered Teachers are ideally placed, as they can use their skills and abilities to work with the senior school management team, other teachers and the wider education community. As well as a strong knowledge and understanding of best practice in their field, they can bring confidence and a drive to succeed, essential qualities as we press ahead with delivering Curriculum for Excellence."

Tony Finn, Chief Executive of the General Teaching Council for Scotland, commented:

"The agreement to produce this revised Standard was reached after careful discussion with stakeholders and represents an important professional achievement.

"Much has changed since 2003 when the original Standard was produced to provide an initial benchmark for the introduction of Chartered Teachers in Scottish schools. In particular, there is now evidence that many Chartered Teachers are making an increasingly important contribution to the development of thinking about good learning and teaching. In best practice they are, in a spirit of collegiality, helping to lead learning in their schools.

"It is therefore appropriate that we should now build on the existing Standard, clarifying reasonable expectations of a Chartered Teacher, while re-affirming that Chartered Teachers do not have a managerial role. As we plan for a new curriculum, Chartered Teachers will make a very positive contribution to the learning of pupils and to the support of their colleagues."

Ronnie Smith, General Secretary of the EIS, said:

"The EIS welcomes this refresh of the Standard for Chartered Teacher and hopes that this will provide a stimulus for an even greater number of eligible teachers to engage with the Chartered Teacher programme.

"All of the stakeholders should use the opportunity provided by this relaunch to now do everything possible to promote actively the merits of the CT scheme, in line with Recommendation 3 of the Chartered Teacher Review Group."

The Chartered Teacher scheme, launched in 2003, was developed as part of the teachers pay and conditions agreement to reward excellent teachers who wanted to advance their career without applying for management posts. Current arrangements mean a teacher is eligible to join the programme when they are at the top of the main scale (i.e. after 5 years' teaching post probation).

Chartered Teachers are expected to be at the forefront of implementing changes in education practices within a school and take a leading role in working with colleagues throughout the school. This includes: developing own area of professional expertise and advising other teachers; mentoring and supporting probationer teachers; and taking responsibility to forge stronger links between the school and parents and other groups.

The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers has launched a new Code of Practice on the Role of the Chartered Teacher. This Code compliments the revised Standard for Chartered Teacher by giving illustrative examples of the professional actions outlined in the Standard.

Universities offer 12 module programmes to achieving Chartered Teacher status. Automatic salary increments come with completion of every second module. On completion of the whole scheme, the salary rise is approximately 23 per cent above the normal maximum for a classroom teacher (i.e. £40,941 compared with £33,399 from April 2009).

Over 2,700 teachers have completed at least one module of the programme. 904 have completed the programme as a whole with 669 coming through the GTCS accreditation route (which is now closed to new applicants) and 235 through the programme route. 435 are from the primary sector and 459 from the secondary sector. 756 are female and 148 are male.