Meet the team

Overview of the Scottish Foundation School

The Scottish Foundation School, which operates within the Scotland Deanery, plays a central role in managing the operational aspects of the Foundation Programme for medical trainees. Its responsibilities encompass a broad range of functions that are essential to the successful delivery and administration of Foundation training in Scotland.

Key Operational Responsibilities

Among its core duties, the Scottish Foundation School is responsible for the recruitment and allocation of Foundation posts. This includes handling pre-allocation processes and overseeing various transfer mechanisms, such as Inter-Foundation School Transfers (IFSTs) and Foundation Inter-Regional Transfers (IRTs). These transfer processes ensure that Foundation doctors can move both into and out of Scotland as required by their training needs.

National Involvement and Programme Oversight

The School maintains a vital link with the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO), ensuring that Scottish trainees are aligned with national standards and developments. In this capacity, the Scottish Foundation School is actively involved in curriculum alignment and updates, maintaining and developing the Turas Training Portfolio, and managing educational induction for new trainees.

Educational Support and Communication

Oversight of teaching, study leave, and 'tasters' (short-term experiences in different specialties) also falls within the School's remit. The School is responsible for disseminating information about Annual Review of Competence Progression (ARCP) requirements, ensuring that trainees are aware of teaching hour expectations, and maintaining the Foundation Teaching Repository. Additionally, the School organises the Prescribing Safety Assessment (PSA) exam and coordinates other essential educational activities.

Scope of Support

It is important to note that while the Scottish Foundation School provides extensive operational and programme-wide support, it does not offer direct support for issues related to a trainee’s current training post. Such support is the responsibility of the Foundation Programme Directors and the Training Programme Management Administration Team.

Communication with Trainees

Trainees can expect to receive regular communications from the Scottish Foundation School, including important updates and information to support their training journey. These communications will be sent via email from the address: sfas@nes.scot.nhs.uk

Name	Position
Christine Rea	Foundation School Manager

Alison Hodge	Senior Officer
Joanna Stephen	Senior Officer

For General enquiries please email: sfas@nes.scot.nhs.uk