Highlands welcomes more probationer teachers for 2016/17 session

15th August 2016

One hundred and thirty probationer teachers were recently welcomed to the Highlands (on Friday 12 August), at an induction course held in the Highland Council Chamber.

Councillor Drew Millar, chair of Education, Children and Adult Services said: "I am very pleased to see so many people keen to start a career in education. This year we have 10 more probationer teachers than in 2015. I hope that all 130 will stay with us here in the Highlands after their probationary year and Highland Council will be doing all it can to make that possible."

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Bill Alexander, Highland Council's Director of Care and Learning also welcomed the 130 probationers starting in the 2016/17 academic year. He added: "Probationer induction day is always special. I hope that the enthusiasm and excitement that our new intake of teachers expresses will be shared throughout our schools where they will be welcomed. I am certain that many will stay with us in Highland Council for many years to come and be a great asset to our school communities."

The new teachers start work in schools across the Highlands this week when primary and secondary pupils return to school following their summer break.

Of the 130 probationers, 51 have been allocated to secondary schools and 79 to primary schools in the Highlands.

The number of probationer teachers in primary schools in each educational area is: 12 in the North, 19 in Mid, 35 in South and 13 in West. The 51 probationer teachers in secondary schools are located in each educational area as follows: in 11 North, 9 in Mid, 22 in South and 9 in West.

The numbers of secondary school probationers who will be working in the following subjects are: Art and Design (1), Biology (4), Business Education (1), Chemistry (2), English (7), French (3), Geography (3), German (1), Home Economics (1), History (10), Mathematics (1), Modern Studies (1), Music (3), Physical Education (9), Physics (2) and Technological Education (2).

The probationer induction day is the first of a number of in-service training days throughout the year specifically allocated to probationer teacher induction and training.

PHOTO (front left to right) Jim Steven, Head of Education; Cllr Drew Millar, Chair of Care and Learning and Bill Alexander, Director of Care and Learning welcome the new probationers to Highland.