TRCN PQE key terms

The set of moral principles and conduct rules that guide how members of a profession behave toward learners, colleagues, employers and the public, and that justify the trust society places in them.

A written set of rules stating the expected and prohibited behaviours of members of a profession, used to guide practice and to judge allegations of wrongdoing.

Behaviour by a registered practitioner that falls below the standards set by the profession's code and rules, including dishonesty, abuse of learners, or serious negligence in duty.

The quality of being honest and consistently holding to ethical principles, so that a teacher's actions match stated values even when no one is watching.

The obligation of a teacher to answer for their decisions and actions to learners, parents, employers and the regulating body, and to accept consequences for them.

The duty to keep private information about learners, families or colleagues secret and to share it only where the law, safety or the learner's welfare requires it.

The legal and ethical responsibility of a teacher to protect learners from foreseeable harm and to act in their best interests while in the teacher's charge.

The policies and actions taken to protect children and vulnerable learners from abuse, neglect, exploitation and other harm, including reporting concerns promptly to the right authorities.

The appropriate limits in relationships between teachers and learners, parents or colleagues that keep interactions respectful and prevent favouritism, exploitation or conflicts of interest.

A situation where a teacher's personal, financial or family interest could improperly influence their professional judgement or duties, and which must be declared and managed.

The formal process by which a teacher's qualifications and suitability are verified and their name is entered on the official register of practitioners permitted to teach.

The official, maintained list of all persons approved to practise as teachers, showing their status and often their category, which the public and employers can check.

The formal authorisation issued to a registered teacher permitting them to practise for a stated period, usually renewable on evidence of good standing and continued development.

The process of extending a teacher's authorisation to practise after its expiry, typically requiring proof of current registration, professional development and fitness to teach.

The conditions a person must satisfy to be registered or licensed, such as approved qualifications, teaching practice, good character and, where required, a passing professional examination.

A judgement that a person is suitable to work with learners, covering health, character, conduct and competence, and that can be reviewed if concerns arise.

The statutory organisation empowered by law to register, license, discipline and set standards for teachers in a jurisdiction, protecting learners and the public interest.

The formal process and sanctions a regulatory body applies when a teacher is found to have breached professional standards, ranging from caution to suspension or removal.

The removal of a teacher's name from the official register, ending their right to practise, usually following serious misconduct or loss of fitness to teach.

An arrangement where one jurisdiction accepts the qualifications or registration of another as sufficient for its own registration or licensing, often subject to additional conditions.

The checking of a teacher's certificates and transcripts against issuing institutions and recognised standards to confirm they are genuine and at the required level.

The formal recognition, usually after external review, that a teacher education programme or institution meets agreed quality standards for preparing teachers.

The documented expectations for what teacher preparation programmes must include and achieve, such as subject knowledge, pedagogy, practice and professional values.

The framework describing what teachers at different career stages should know and be able to do, used to guide preparation, appraisal and career progression.

The planned checks and reviews an institution or regulator uses to confirm that programmes and teaching consistently meet agreed standards and improve over time.

A periodic evaluation of a teacher education course or curriculum to judge whether it still meets accreditation standards and produces competent graduates.

The supervised school-based component of teacher preparation in which student teachers plan and deliver lessons and receive feedback from mentors and supervisors.

A supportive relationship in which an experienced teacher guides a less experienced one or a student teacher through observation, advice and structured feedback.

The structured support given to newly qualified or newly appointed teachers during their first period in service to help them settle and meet required standards.

All planned learning activities that practising teachers undertake after initial qualification to improve their knowledge, skills and practice throughout their careers.

A required amount of professional development, often expressed as points or hours per cycle, that teachers must complete to renew a licence or maintain registration.

Units used to measure and record participation in professional development activities, accumulated toward the total a teacher must earn within a set period.

The habit of thinking carefully about one's own teaching, analysing what worked and why, and using those insights to change future practice.

A group of teachers who meet regularly to share practice, examine evidence of learning and support each other's improvement within a school or network.

A professional development approach in which teachers study and solve problems of practice together, for example through lesson study or joint planning.

A structured way of identifying the gaps between a teacher's current competence and what their role or the standards require, so that development can be targeted.

The movement of a teacher through recognised stages or roles, such as from newly qualified to experienced or leadership positions, based on standards and evidence.

The formal evaluation of a teacher's performance against agreed standards, usually involving observation and review, and linked to support, development and advancement decisions.