The local facteur recently delivered a registration form to a long-retired teacher in his eighties who has been living in France for the past 10 years. He was not impressed.

The list of addresses has been drawn up from pension records, a relatively up-to-date database held by the Department for Education and Employment, and information held on an ageing computer.

The targets, anyone with qualified teaching status, include thousands of retired teachers, plus those now in happy employment elsewhere. And the non-teaching quotient is almost the same as those in the classroom.

Carol Adams, the GTC’s chief executive, said: “We want to reach out to the widest number who want to participate.”

Once the council is established, it will use the registration data to compile an accurate database. John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association and former head of Durham Johnston comprehensive, has received his form - which suggests he votes in the primary category.

How the Dordogne vote will influence the outcome, remains to be seen. But in order to have a shout, they must register by December 15.