Returning to Teaching

Moray House School of Education and Sport, in partnership with our six partner authorities (City of Edinburgh Council, East Lothian, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian) is offering this online Returning to Teaching course for primary and secondary teachers.

The course is designed for professionals who have a teaching qualification but have had a career break or are new to the Scottish Education system. It runs twice a year, in September and February/March. 

This 10-week course is run fully online and all resources are available on Canvas, our online learning platform. We recommend setting aside 4-6 hours per week to fully engage with the course content, which is made up of pre-recorded videos, reading material and weekly discussion forum boards.

Please see below for an indication of the topics included in the course. Each new week starts on a Friday.

Each week has a specific theme and the discussion is based on this theme. Halfway through the course there is a catch-up week where you can either take a break or catch up on your studies and/or further your knowledge on a particular topic by using the course virtual library.

Please note, there are no scheduled sessions. However, we do offer 3 additional online live sessions which are recommended, but not compulsory. The dates of these will be available soon. Once a week opens, participants have access to its content for the duration of the course and can choose to study at times that suit them.

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Critically engage with national education policy and the Professional Standards for teachers in Scotland
• Reflect on your professional identity, values and practices in relation to career-long professional learning
• Apply principles of social justice to develop strategies for inclusive and equitable classroom practice
• Demonstrate understanding of key legal, policy, and curriculum requirements that shape teaching in Scotland
• Enhance your professional skills in career progression, including applications and interviews

The course will be most relevant if you are:

• returning to teaching in Scotland after a period away from the profession;
• want to teach in Primary or Secondary schools in Scotland for the first time;
• want to support a Professional Update submission to the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS); or
• a teacher in the independent sector who wants to support a potential GTCS registration application.

You must be a fully qualified teacher (qualifications obtained either in Scotland, the UK or abroad) and be eligible to register with the GTCS (General Teaching Council for Scotland) as this is a compulsory requirement to teach in Scotland. You should contact the GTCS directly before booking a place on the course if you are unsure.

Contact the GTCS

Learn more about the GTCS (General Teaching  Council for Scotland)

You do not need to have received your full registration before enrolling on the course but it is advisable to start the process as it can be a lengthy procedure. 

Please note that if you do not have teaching qualifications, this course is not suitable for you.