After probation in Scotland: finding your next teaching post

Completing probation is an important professional milestone. Planning the next stage means keeping two processes in view: achieving full registration and securing employment. This guide explains the distinction and offers a starting point for organising applications. It draws on the official guidance available on 8 September 2026.

Does the induction year guarantee a permanent job?

GTC Scotland describes the Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) as a guaranteed one-year, full-time local-authority placement for eligible graduates of Scottish teacher-education institutions. The Scottish Government determines eligibility. The scheme includes supported professional development and provides a route to being considered for full registration within one school year. Its stated guarantee concerns that placement, rather than a subsequent permanent appointment. [1]

That distinction matters when making plans for the following August. Ask the employing council what happens when the placement ends, which recruitment process applies to you, and whether you must make separate applications for permanent posts, temporary posts or a supply list.

What should I check about full registration?

GTC Scotland’s minimum induction guidance requires provisionally registered teachers to record their progress through MyGTCS. It sets out expectations for assessed teaching, relevant teaching experience, observations, professional discussions and the people supporting and reviewing progress. Requirements can differ according to previous experience. [2]

Check your own record with your reviewer before the school session ends. Identify any outstanding evidence, who will submit the recommendation, and how you will receive confirmation of the registration decision. These are practical planning questions; an employer’s recruitment timetable and GTC Scotland’s registration process are separate.

What if I am completing the Flexible Route?

The Flexible Route can include supply teaching, fixed-term contracts, Scottish independent schools and relevant teaching outside Scotland. GTC Scotland emphasises recording evidence as teaching service accumulates and developing a support network. Short engagements across several schools may mean induction is not completed in one continuous block. [3]

Before accepting a role as part of induction, check how it will support your registration requirements and who can review your work. Keep the employment paperwork alongside your professional-development records, but avoid assuming that a number of days worked alone establishes completion.

How can I organise the job search?

Myjobscotland offers education vacancies and email alerts. Its guidance explains how to save and submit applications, check their status and retain copies. The recruiting council or organisation controls its selection process and timetable, so questions about interviews or feedback should go to that employer. [4]

Build a simple record of the vacancy reference, employer, hours, contract type, closing date and outcome. Read the person specification for each post and use examples that address its criteria. Keep an application’s submission confirmation, rather than relying on a saved draft.

When a post interests you, clarify its expected start date, registration requirements and whether the advertised hours are guaranteed. For temporary work, ask what brings the appointment to an end. For supply, ask what joining the list means in practice. Use those answers to compare offers against your travel, caring and income needs.

What do the latest published figures tell us?

The Scottish Government’s 2025 bulletin reports that 69% of the 2024/25 TIS cohort were in teaching posts in publicly funded Scottish schools at the following September census. It reports 23% in full-time permanent posts. The second figure excludes part-time permanent posts; it is not a total for everyone in permanent work. People outside the recorded school-teaching categories may be in non-teaching work, teaching elsewhere or unemployed. The figures do not identify every person’s circumstances. [5]

Where does the campaign fit?

Scottish Teachers for Permanence brings teacher experiences together with evidence about stable work, predictable income and continuity in schools. Finding a job is an individual task, but the availability and security of work also deserve public scrutiny.

Explore our After probation and Recruitment & vacancies evidence pages through the related reading below. Use the dated findings to understand the wider picture, while checking current vacancies and your own arrangements directly with employers.