The GTC believes all teachers in academies should fall within the scope of professional registration and regulation. Professional registration is an important safeguard; it assures the public that teachers are properly qualified and that disciplinary issues will be dealt with fairly and openly.

We believe a more active form of professional registration, together with universal access to good professional development, should be accompanied by greater freedom for teachers to exercise their professional judgment in the interests of their pupils.

But teacher accountability is already weighted heavily towards administrative and system accountability, for example, through pupil testing. We caution strongly against any tick-box approach, either to the assurance of standards or professional learning, as there is a danger of merely adding layers of bureaucracy.

Keith Bartley, Chief executive, General Teaching Council for England.