Professional experience placements

Learn how to prepare for a successful professional experience placement.

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As part of an initial teacher education degree, every pre-service teacher is required to complete between 60 and 80 days of practical experience in a school. This may include teaching practice, supervised practical teaching, and a final placement internship, all of which make up the professional experience component.

The NSW Department of Education is committed to holding high standards for professional experience, ensuring that pre-service teachers receive quality training while studying an initial teacher education course.

The Professional Experience Hub School Program supports schools to lead best practices in professional experience. This hub program focuses on developing innovative and sustainable practices that can be shared with schools across the state, fostering continuous improvement in teacher education.

A step-by-step guide to your professional experience placement

Find out how to commence your professional experience placement with the NSW Department of Education.

1. Apply for or renew your Working with Children Check (WWCC)

You must have a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) clearance to undertake placements in NSW public schools.

If required, apply for or renew your Working with Children Check through Service NSW before completing Step 2.

2. Register for your placement at a NSW public school

You must register for your placement at a NSW public school. This includes:

completing the online Pre-service Teacher Registration Form using the Guide to Completing your Pre-service Teacher Registration. Please note, the Pre-service Teacher Registration Form can only be completed once
verifying your registration submission by clicking 'here' on the email you received within 24 hours of submitting the online registration form
creating a pre-service teacher account to access mandatory training modules (see Steps 3–6 in the Guide to Completing your Pre-service Teacher Registration)
presenting photo ID on your first day of placement.

Note: You will receive an email confirming your Working With Children Check (WWCC) verification once you complete the Pre-service Teacher Registration Form and verify your registration submission. This email is only provided once and will not be updated if you renew your WWCC. Please save this email, as your education provider will request this email to prove that you have completed the Pre-service Teacher Registration process, including WWCC screening with the department. The WWCC expiry date is tracked automatically by our IT system.

If you are a current or past employee of the department, you are required to complete the Pre-service Teacher Registration Form. For more information, please refer to Placement registration FAQs for PSTs who are employees or are applying for approval to teach.

A paid WWCC is only required for internships or placements where a pre-service teacher will be receiving payment from the department (including for scholarship holders). For more information, please refer to the factsheet.

3. Complete the mandatory training and induction pre-requisites

To be eligible to complete a professional experience placement in a NSW public school, you must:

complete the mandatory training
present the certificates for completed mandatory training and your signed Pre-service teacher acknowledgement to the school prior to, or on the first day of your professional experience placement.

4. Learn how to get the most out of your placement and access professional learning resources

Access our advice and resources webpage to learn more about how to get the most out of your placement and explore a series of professional learning webinars and resources focused on the graduate career stage of the Australia Professional Standards for Teachers.

Kickstart your teaching career

Explore the scholarship opportunities and programs on offer with the NSW Department of Education while you are studying your initial teacher education degree.

Beyond the Line Program

The Beyond the Line Program supports second, third and final-year Bachelor of Education and Master of Teaching students to travel with the department on an expenses-paid, five-day study tour to experience teaching at selected regional, rural and remote NSW public schools.

Students participating in the Beyond the Line Program will be able to engage with the local community as well as gain valuable insights from teachers in regional, rural and remote NSW schools.

Future teacher scholarships

The NSW Department of Education scholarships provide a range of benefits and incentives, offering an opportunity to kick-start your teaching career in a NSW public school, with a guaranteed permanent teaching position upon graduation.

If you have commenced an initial teacher education program, you may be eligible for the following scholarships:

Rural Professional Experience Program

Complete your penultimate or final-year placement in a rural or remote NSW public school alongside another pre-service teacher from your university through the Rural Professional Experience Program.

Resources

Connect with us

For more information on commencing your professional experience placement with the department, please email ProfessionalExperience@det.nsw.edu.au.