Accreditation Requirements for NSW Teachers

The following information is specifically for the NSW teaching context. If you are
endeavouring to teach in another context, it will be important to investigate that
country/states specific requirements. Most contexts now have rigorous
accreditation and registration requirements, designed to ensure teacher quality
and alignment with the level of expertise similar if not superior to other
professions. Most other contexts can be researched using the Web. For the sake
of simplicity, we have only included the requirements for NSW.

The information listed below is accurate as of the 5 May 2015. It is incumbent

upon you to ensure that when you are at this critical stage in your career, you
ensure that you have the most relevant and accurate information. Accreditation
matters have historically moved fast and without warning of changes to policy.
Please dont allow yourself to be caught out.

This is the introductory comment directly from the BOSTES site

Accreditation supports quality teaching, recognises the invaluable role

teachers play in the community, helps train and develop teachers and
improves student learning outcomes. To start or return to working as a
teacher in a NSW school, you must be provisionally or conditionally
accredited by BOSTES. You must then achieve and maintain Proficient
Teacher Accreditation. Higher levels of accreditation are also available to
teachers who want to extend themselves professionally and be recognised
for stand-out achievements. Teachers who have worked in NSW since before
1 October, 2004, and have not had a break from teaching in NSW of more
than five years, are not currently required to be accredited. Accreditation
will be mandatory for all NSW school and early childhood teachers in the
future.

Accessed from http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/future-returning-teachers/ 2

May 2015

Provisional accreditation

You are assigned this level initially when you have completed an accredited
degree, such as some Graduate Diplomas of Education, Bachelor Degrees in
Education and higher. For a more exhaustive list, and other vital information,
follow this link:

http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/higher-education-providers/accredited-
teaching-programs/

Once you receive Provisional Accreditation, you do not have to complete any
further studies and can work towards being accredited at Proficient Teacher (PT)
Conditional accreditation

This level of accreditation means you have successfully completed either an

undergraduate degree or at least 3 years of a 4 year teaching degree. You can
work as a teacher while you complete your studies. This level is a little more
involved than accreditation at Provisional level.

I feel that, instead of outlining all necessary steps to being accredited at the
above levels, it would be much better for you to follow the next link directly and
this way you will be availing yourself of the most up to date information. For
those of you who are enrolled in the Transition To Teaching unit, there may be
nothing new for you here, but still ensure that you have the most recent
information before assuming that you are prepared and ready to teach. The link
is:

http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/future-returning-teachers/how-does-
accreditation-work/apply-for-a-statement-of-eligibility/

Registered in another State

If you are registered in another State, you will still need to register with BOSTES,
in a process called Mutual Recognition. This link will be useful in reading the
policy for accreditation.

http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/future-returning-teachers/teachers-
from-interstate/

An important note (at the risk of sounding like a nag!): There have been several
versions of accreditation throughout the evolution of the Institute of
Teachers/BOSTES. Always ensure that you are using the most up to date version
to prevent any nasty surprises! The Policy at this link should be version 0.4, as
at the above date.

Accreditation Policy

There is an accreditation policy and it may be beneficial for you to read. The link
is:

http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/future-returning-teachers/

Documentation

There is a checklist on the BOSTES site for all relevant documentation that you
will be required to have when applying for accreditation. The link is:

http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/future-returning-teachers/how-does-
accreditation-work/document-checklist/
Proficient Teacher Accreditation
Some of the anxiety that you may be feeling at the moment is very
understandable and for the first time long term teachers who have not required
accreditation are also feeling the same way as the next couple of years will see
them also needing to go through the process in a one off accreditation and then
to maintain accreditation as we all do.
Accreditation at Proficient Teacher (PT)the process
The next level of mandatory accreditation is a one off process and this will see
you accredited at the level of PT. Achieving accreditation at this level is your
own responsibility and not that of your principal or external agency. There are
several things that you need to be aware of and Ill outline some here, but the
onus is on you to ensure that you fully explore your obligations and be
responsible in meeting all requirements. This is particularly challenging for the
casual teacher as you may already be aware. A proactive approach is
recommended.

How it works?
Follow this link to see the requirements for PT accreditation.
http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/current-teachers/how-to-get-proficient-
teacher-accreditation/how-it-works/
Also, the booklet Teachers Progressing to Proficient Teacher guide will be a
beneficial read.
Timeframes for PT accreditation
http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/current-teachers/how-to-get-proficient-
teacher-accreditation/timeframes/
There is a piece of advice on the BOSTES site that is relevant and timely. It says
to be clear about how much time you have to complete your accreditation. Do
not leave it until the last minuteand here I am talking about the last 12
months. It takes more time than you think to gather your evidence and write
your annotations. I have been personally aware of several teachers who did not
take this information to heart and are now not teaching due to not being able to
meet the requirements. This is not the fault of the TAA or BOSTES, as the
individuals did not take the process seriously and did not make a quality
submission. This it totally avoidable by following the advice aforementioned.
Collecting evidence
This link will take you to this important information.
http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/current-teachers/how-to-get-proficient-
teacher-accreditation/collect-samples-of-your-work/
Take note also of the role of the annotations. These provide the context of your
work samples and it is the two pieces of information together that enable the
TAA to make their decision. Therefore, a succinct and professional annotation is
critical.
There are specific requirements for the amount of teaching blocks required
before you can submit your application for PT accreditation. Refer to Advice for
Casual and Part-Time Teachers attached later in this topic, to determine
timeframes and other important information. My advice is to gather at every
stage, after every block, and have the school stamp it and relevant person
(usually the principal or your supervisor) sign the evidence. Then, if you are
working at several schools, you will have validated evidence and will not need to
revisit those sites sometime in the future and expect a principal to sign
something that she/he may not feel comfortable validating. Staff changes can
also make collecting this evidence difficult if you leave it too long.
The accreditation report
Here is the link to information regarding the accreditation report.
http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/current-teachers/how-to-get-proficient-
teacher-accreditation/your-accreditation-report/

The Australian Professional Standards

I am sure that you are all very aware of the Professional Standards, at least at
Graduate Level, but here is the link to avail yourself of you own personal copy if
you do not already have a copy. PT accreditation is at the second level of
Standards, and it is against these that you will be measuring your professional
practice.
http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/publications-policies-
resources/publications/australian-professional-standards-for-teachers/

A word to casual and part-time teachers from BOSTES

Here is some timely advice for casual and part time teachers regarding
accreditation
http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/IgnitionSuite/uploads/docs/casual_teachers_
brochure_LoRes.pdf
And finally...
Where to after all of this? Well, its maintenance. An ongoing, five year cycle
that all teachers will be a part of, throughout the length of their teaching careers.
Here is the guide:
http://www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au/current-teachers/maintain-proficient-
teacher-accreditation/