Support a teacher applying for Proficient Teacher accreditation

Principals can follow a structured, workplace-based process to support teachers applying for Proficient Teacher accreditation. 

Early childhood sector

Accreditation requirements in the NSW Teacher Accreditation Manual (the TA Manual) will be phased in over stages.

Applying for Proficient Teacher Accreditation Procedure - interim arrangements (PDF 277.06KB) are available for service directors until the TA Manual comes into full effect during 2024.

During this transition NESA will continue to manage the allocation of NESA-trained Accreditation Supervisors to most early childhood teachers by invitation to a Community of Practice. If you or another staff member are accredited at Proficient Teacher, you can express interest in becoming a NESA-trained Accreditation Supervisor to lead a Community of Practice. Employers with NESA-trained Accreditation Supervisors will manage these allocations and advise NESA.

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Steps to support your teachers

Principals can follow these steps to support teachers who are applying for Proficient Teacher accreditation and their Accreditation Supervisors.

1

Allocate an Accreditation Supervisor

Allocate an Accreditation Supervisor in your NESA online account (eTAMS) to support the Provisional or Conditional teacher. Do this as soon as possible after the teacher is employed at your school, regardless of whether they are full time, part time or casual.

An Accreditation Supervisor must:

In eTAMS, the Accreditation Supervisor will see an ‘Accreditation Supervisor’ dashboard and a task asking them to accept the allocation. The teacher is notified when the Accreditation Supervisor accepts the task.

Review your employer’s internal procedures

Make sure you and your Accreditation Supervisors are familiar with your employer’s internal procedures on how to implement the NESA requirements.

2

Support teachers to develop their practice

As part of any induction program you have at your school, encourage Provisional or Conditional teachers to complete NESA’s mandatory online Proficient Teacher Orientation Course in NESA Learning.

3

Support Accreditation Supervisors in their role

Encourage your Accreditation Supervisors to complete these NESA Learning courses:

  • Accreditation Supervisor Orientation Course
  • Making Consistent Proficient Teacher Accreditation Decisions.

These courses will help them:

  • learn more about their role and responsibilities as an Accreditation Supervisor
  • understand the characteristics of effective documentary evidence when supporting teachers through their accreditation process.

Also show Accreditation Supervisors where to find NESA guides and resources.

Process to follow when addressing concerns

Work with your Accreditation Supervisor if they have questions about the readiness of the teacher or about their declaration.

If they advise you of issues with the teacher’s practice, support them to have ongoing discussions with the teacher to:

  • give feedback
  • develop a plan to address the Standard Descriptors the teacher cannot demonstrate.

If a significant issue arises that may impact your accreditation recommendation, the Accreditation Supervisor must advise you and the teacher in writing within 28 days of becoming aware of the issue. Written notices cannot be sent in eTAMS. See your employer’s internal procedures for how to do this.

When you receive a written notice:

  • determine if the issues will impact your recommendation
  • discuss a plan with the Accreditation Supervisor to continue supporting the teacher to meet requirements.
4

Make your recommendation

When the Accreditation Supervisor makes a judgement on whether the teacher’s practice aligns to all 37 Standard Descriptors at Proficient Teacher level, they make a declaration. You will be notified in eTAMS.

Make your recommendation in eTAMS within 28 days of the Accreditation Supervisor’s declaration. Base your recommendation on the:

  • annotated documentary evidence
  • observation report
  • Accreditation Supervisor’s declaration.

You may seek advice from a teacher with appropriate expertise in another school or who is employed by a third party to assist you to make a valid and reliable judgement.

How to request revisions

Before you make your recommendation, you may ask for revisions (more than once, if necessary) to the application through eTAMS. This notifies the Accreditation Supervisor. They should:

  • continue to support the teacher to meet requirements
  • address the revisions you requested
  • make a new declaration before you make your recommendation.

You have 28 days from that new declaration to make your recommendation.

5

The accreditation decision

The final part of the process is the accreditation decision. This is made by NESA within 28 days of a recommendation.

The teacher is notified of the decision by email. You and your employer also receive an email and you can view the teacher's accreditation status in eTAMS.

If NESA accredits the teacher at Proficient Teacher:

  • the teacher starts their first maintenance period on the day the accreditation decision is made
  • NESA issues them a certificate.

When principals do not recommend accreditation

There may be some situations where you do not recommend accreditation.

If the Accreditation Supervisor determines a teacher's practice does not meet the Standards

If the Accreditation Supervisor declares the teacher’s practice does not met the Standards, they must provide evaluative comments in eTAMS outlining the:

  • issues
  • Standard Descriptors not yet demonstrated
  • feedback and support offered to the teacher
  • teacher’s response to the feedback and support.

You should review the:

  • Accreditation Supervisor’s declaration, including the evaluative comments
  • teacher’s annotated documentary evidence
  • observation report.

Within 28 days of receiving the declaration, you may:

  • ask for revisions through eTAMS
  • make a recommendation to accredit
  • make a recommendation to not accredit
  • record that you are unable to make an accreditation recommendation.

If you ask for revisions, the Accreditation Supervisor needs to make a new declaration. You have 28 days from the new declaration to make a recommendation.

If the principal determines a teacher’s practice does not meet the Standards

If you determine the teacher’s practice does not meet the Standards, you may recommend to not accredit them. You can only make this recommendation if:

  • the teacher has completed at least 160 days of teaching
  • the Accreditation Supervisor has fulfilled their responsibilities
  • you contacted the teacher’s previous school, where relevant
  • you gave the teacher the opportunity to revise their evidence and meet the requirements and they failed to do so.

Give the teacher written notice

Within 28 days of the Accreditation Supervisor making their declaration, you must give the teacher written notice of your intention to make a recommendation to not accredit. Written notices cannot be sent in eTAMS. See your employer’s internal procedures for how to do this.

Your notice must include:

  • specific reasons for the recommendation
  • the Standard Descriptors they did not meet
  • their right to respond to the notice.

Allow the teacher 28 days to respond

If the teacher has responded to your written notice, you must:

  • consider their response
  • determine if there is reason to change your recommendation.

You have 28 days from your notification to the teacher to make your recommendation in eTAMS.

If you still recommend to not accredit

If your recommendation is still to not accredit:

  • include reasons for your recommendation in your email or letter
  • provide evidence to NESA that you followed your employer’s internal procedures in line with the TA Manual.

If the teacher has not responded 28 days after sending the written notice, make your recommendation in eTAMS.

If NESA decides not to accredit

The Proficient Teacher’s application will be closed and they:

  • will continue to be provisionally or conditionally accredited
  • can submit a new application at a later date if they are still within their accreditation timeframe.

Teachers who are close to, or have reached, the end of their maximum timeframe can apply for an extension by submitting the Application for extension of accreditation timeframe (PDF 223.05KB).

If they reach the end of their timeframe without achieving Proficient Teacher, they risk their accreditation being ceased by NESA.

If NESA considers making a different decision

Before NESA makes a decision that does not align with the recommendation, we will discuss with you and if necessary, the teacher.

If you are unable to make a recommendation

You can record in eTAMS that you are unable to make a recommendation if:

  • the teacher has not completed at least 160 days of teaching during their accreditation period
  • the teacher has not worked in your school long enough to allow you to confidently make a judgement about their practice
  • you contacted the teacher’s previous school (with their consent) and this has not helped you to make a valid and reliable judgement.

You need to record that you are unable to make a recommendation within 28 days of the Accreditation Supervisor’s declaration.

The teacher’s application will be reopened. They can respond to the reasons why you cannot make a recommendation or seek support to finalise their accreditation with the school or another school.

How principals can delegate responsibility

In specific circumstances, principals may delegate responsibility for making accreditation recommendations to a teacher in the school who is accredited at Proficient Teacher or above. They cannot delegate to a third party outside the school.

Advise NESA of the delegation by emailing tsaprincipalenquiry@nesa.nsw.edu.au.

Your employer will have internal procedures about whether this function can be delegated by principals who are accredited at Proficient Teacher or above.

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