This is an online course aimed at primary and secondary teachers who have been out of the profession for a while or have graduated abroad and would like to get back into a teaching job in Scotland. 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. Who this course is for The course will be most relevant for:those wishing to return to teaching in Scotland after a period away from the professionthose wishing to teach in Primary or Secondary schools in Scotland for the first timethose who wish to engage with the course to support a Professional Update submission to the GTCSteachers in the independent sector to support a potential GTCS registration application Course aims Our students will:understand and engage with current National Education Policy and the Professional Teaching Standards in Scotland, learning about recent changes in national prioritieswork collaboratively to develop an awareness of professional identity and teacher professionalism, discovering themselves as learners and practitioners committed to career-long professional learningdevelop a critical awareness of their own values, beliefs and practices and how these align with the Professional Standards and current educational policy in Scotlandconsider and engage with key areas of social justice and equality in the classroom and develop thinking and strategies for a socially just classroomunderstand key legal and policy requirements relating to inclusive policies and strategies in school to address barriers to learningThe course will:advise on current curriculum guidelines and their implications for professional practiceincrease confidence in completing applications and preparing for interview Course delivery The next course commences in September 2025. 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. Week 0 (online) - From Friday 12 September Introduction to Returning to Teaching (RTT) and the landscape of education in Scotland Week 1 (online) - From Friday 19 September Professional Values, Professional Standards, Learning for Sustainability, The National Attainment Challenge Week 2 (online) - From Friday 26 September Positive Relationships in School Week 3 (online) - From Friday 3 October Curriculum for Excellence Week 4 (online) - From Friday 17 October Planning for Curriculum for Excellence Catch-up week - From Friday 10 October Time to catch up on readings or engage in additional readings on the subject of your choice or even take a break Week 5 (online) - From Friday 24 October Pedagogies for Learning, Teaching and Assessment Week 6 (online) - From Friday 31 October Inclusive Pedagogies Week 7 (online) - From Friday 7 November Pupil Voice, Partnerships with Parents and School Improvement Week 8 (online) - From Friday 14 November Equality and Diversity Week 9 (online) - From Friday 21 November Professional Learning Revisited Week 10 (online) - From Friday 28 November Returning to Teaching; Some Practical Guidance and Support Assessment Participation in the weekly discussion forums is recorded and you have to take part in at least eight of them in order to complete the course. You are also required to submit an assessment by answering five questions reflecting against the GTCS' Professional Standards. Enrolment requirements 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. Booking information Course fee: £480Bookings are now open for the September 2025 course:Returning to Teaching September 2025 - Book Now Unfortunately this course is self-funded and there is no funding or grant available to help pay for the fee. Payment must be made by card in one instalment and the course fee is non-refundable.For any enquiries please contact the Professional Learning team:professionallearning@ed.ac.uk Booking terms The course fee is non-refundable. The Professional Learning Office operates a cancellation policy to ensure that delegates are not disadvantaged by the last-minute cancellation of courses due to withdrawals making the course unviable. We will use your personal data to allow us to process your registration, communicate with you and obtain your feedback about this course. We are processing the information about you for these purposes because by registering for the course you give your consent for us to do so.In order to facilitate online bookings for our events, we use Epay.Details of Epay’s privacy policyWe will not share information about you with any other third party.We will hold the personal data you provided us for 12 months after course completion. If you have agreed to be contacted about future events, we will hold your personal data for as long as you subscribe to these updates. Financial data such as a payment record will be held for 7 years. We do not use profiling or automated decision-making processes.Read our full privacy notice Feedback from previous participants I enjoyed all of the course, it was a great refresher of being a teacher in Scotland and covered a wide variety of important topics. Course Participant, 2025 I feel much more confident about going back into classrooms. I will definitely be a more self-reflective and critical teacher. Course participant, 2025 I found the course informative, engaging and extremely helpful. My knowledge of the professional standards has deepened, and I fully understand what is expected of me to gain full registration to teach in Scotland. Course participant, 2024 It has highlighted and given me a clearer understanding of current issues in the Scottish education system. I have gained a wealth of knowledge and a supportive group of colleagues to work collaboratively with in the future. Course participant, 2021 The course has given me much more confidence than I previously had. I feel secure in my knowledge of current policies and practices. Course participant, 2020 The course was well lead, very supportive and manageable despite working full time and having a family. I wholeheartedly recommend anyone considering a return to teaching to complete this course (actually I think it should be compulsory). Course participant, 2020 I thoroughly enjoyed the course and feel motivated and enthusiastic about returning to teaching. The clips and presentations were excellent, and extremely helpful. Course participant, 2019 Useful links Education Scotland: National Improvement Hub General Teaching Council Scotland This article was published on 2024-10-07