Guidance teachers

The first priority in all schools is meeting the needs of young people. Guidance, or personal support for pupils as it is now called, is an important focus in Scotland’s schools. 

'Happy, safe and achieving their potential: a standard of support for children and young people in Scottish schools: the report of the National Review of Guidance 2004' sets out the 10 standards of personal support in schools. It says that all schools are expected to...

• help young people to know how to seek information and support throughout life
• provide access to information to help young people make informed decisions and choices
• give young people opportunities for citizenship and participation, through involvement in their school community, their neighbourhoods and in democratic society
• provide regular review of progress in learning, and personal and social development
• help with transitions between stages in education and beyond
• help young people to plan for the future
• provide access to help and support
• co-ordinate support between agencies and schools
• respect confidentiality
• ensure time and space to seek help

Children in school need to be able to trust that they can speak to a member of staff about anything bothering them, when they need to and in confidence. All teachers play a role in this, but there must also be one person in each school who makes sure that it happens. For this reason all education authority secondary schools in Scotland have at least one principal teacher with responsibility for guidance. In primary and special schools this is a designated member of senior staff or management. Their job is to make sure that whenever a pupil raises a problem, action is taken to try to help them.

The principal teacher is also responsible for personal and social development (PSE) in their school, which is based on the needs all young people have as they grow and mature. This includes relationships, health (including sexual health, drug, alcohol and tobacco education), career education, personal planning and many other areas important to the development of children and young people.

You can find out more on the Personal Support in Schools website.

Should you have any further questions, you can contact the Scottish Government’s Support for Learning division on 0131-244 7879.