Forth Valley College has become one of only four in Scotland to have been granted full validation and registration from the General Teaching Council Scotland (GTCS) to enable onward recording of Continual Personal Development (CPD).
FVC’s Principal Dr Ken Thomson and Associate Principal Andrew Lawson and GTCS’ Chief Executive Ken Muir and Senior Education Officer Vikki Robertson celebrated the validation when they met at the college’s Falkirk Campus on Friday 27 October for the presentation of an official certificate.
The college volunteered to take part in the GTCS’ Professional Update Pilot scheme after the council recognised that a Professional Update could provide an opportunity to represent the interest of lecturers in Scotland’s colleges in terms of offering a teacher-led model of high quality professional learning for lecturers.
GTCS Registration is not compulsory for lecturers in Scottish colleges, although some staff are already registered. During the pilot, 16 FVC lecturers registered with the GTCS and were asked to:
- Self-evaluate against appropriate Professional Standards
- Engage in ongoing Professional Learning
- Maintain a reflective professional learning record and associated evidence of impact
- Engage in the Professional Review and Development process
The lecturers who engaged in the pilot will continue to record their professional learning and engage in the process of professional update across their careers (if they choose to maintain their GTCS registration).
FVC may also discuss further engagement with GTCS such as promoting professional registration for all teaching staff and to consider how engaging in high quality professional learning through Professional Update can support teacher and student learning and continuous improvement.
Dr Ken Thomson, Forth Valley College Principal, said: “We are honoured to receive full validation from the General Teaching Council Scotland. Recognition such as this is another great example of how we are making learning work here at Forth Valley College and taking part in the pilot scheme has been a very worthwhile and rewarding experience for our staff and the college as a whole.”
Ken Muir Chief, Executive of the General Teaching Council Scotland, said: “I am delighted to award this certificate of validation to Forth Valley College. GTC Scotland has been impressed with the quality of the college’s professional review and development programme – an integral part of the college’s people strategy.
“This award, made by the professional body for education in Scotland, recognises that quality and provides assurance to staff, students and other users of the high quality learning and teaching they will receive at FVC.”