Critical actions
There are a number of critical actions for the principal, beginning teacher and school staff to take during a quality induction in the beginning teacher's first 2 years. These are critical actions across Phase 1: Orientation, Phase 2: Developing focus, Phase 3: Refining practice, and Phase 4: Gaining proficient accreditation.
Each of the 4 phases should be built on the foundation of the department's 5C model of school-based induction.
Induction actions required
Principal and staff actions
- Assess or develop your school's induction program against the department's 5C model and use:
- Strong start great teachers' (SSGT) Setting up induction to understand the components of the 5C model and its evidence base
- the 5C assessment tool to assess your school's current induction program against the 5C model.
- In the early weeks and months of a beginning teachers' appointment, ensure you build a strong orientation component into their induction, and implement it. See Orientation for advice.
Beginning teacher actions
- As soon as you receive advice of your appointment, contact your school/ principal to introduce yourself and ask some vital questions. See Initial contact for help, including information on rural and isolated schools.
Ensure you are an active participant in all orientation strategies that your school organises for you. See Orientation for information on how you can engage with, and reflect on, the orientation process at your school.
Induction actions required
Principal and staff actions
- Ensure beginning teachers, supervisors and mentors understand the structure and organisation of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (the standards) and the policies and procedures for gaining accreditation. See Teaching standards for information and support.
- Utilise the performance and development plan (PDP) process with each of your beginning teachers and ensure the process aligns to and supports them to achieve proficient teacher accreditation.
- Use:
- the Performance and Development Framework for Principals, Executives and Teachers in NSW Public Schools information for school teachers for support
- Reflective practice continuously with beginning teachers to help identify strengths and areas for support and development.
Beginning teacher actions
- Understand and take an active role in your PDP and proficient teacher accreditation processes by continually reflecting on and seeking feedback about your practice.
- Use:
- Teaching standards for support
- the Performance and Development Framework for Principals, Executives and Teachers in NSW Public Schools and information for school teachers for support
- Reflective practice continuously identifies your strengths and areas for further support and development.
Induction actions required
Principal and staff actions
- Support beginning teachers in an ongoing way to gather the documentary evidence needed to meet their accreditation requirements.
- Ensure supervisors and in-school mentors continue to provide feedback and practice-based mentoring support to beginning teachers in areas of identified need.
Beginning teacher actions
- Be alert to opportunities for collecting evidence of your practice that could be used when you are finalising your proficient teacher accreditation.
- Seek feedback and support from your supervisor and school-based mentors on aspects of your practice that you need to grow and develop. See Refining practice for more information.
Induction actions required
Principal and staff actions
- Provide support for the beginning teacher to assemble, annotate and submit their documentary evidence in their NESA online account when confident that their practice meets the standards at the proficient teacher career stage.
- Ensure a supervisor completes a report on an observation of the beginning teacher's practice and the NESA proficient teacher accreditation report has been completed.
- Make the accreditation decision in accordance with NESA Proficient Teacher Accreditation Policy (2018) and NESA information on teacher accreditation at proficient (opens in a new window).
Beginning teacher actions
- Based on feedback from your supervisor/ mentor, and your own reflection on the growth of your practice, decide when you are confident that you are meeting the standards at the proficient teacher career stage.
- Once you are confident, you are ready to finalise your accreditation.
- Assemble and submit your annotated documentary evidence and observation report in your NESA online account to finalise your accreditation in accordance with the department's procedures and NESA's Proficient Teacher Accreditation Policy 2018 (opens in a new window).