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Registration Helper logo Registration Helper What registration do I need?

Teachers who hold provisional registration have two years to move their practice from the Graduate to the Proficient teacher level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST). This work is undertaken in collaboration with other experienced fully registered teachers who can provide the provisionally registered teacher (PRT) with feedback and support in the development of their practice.

Teachers will be able to apply for full registration when they can demonstrate that

  • they have taught for at least 80 days in one or more Australian or New Zealand schools / early childhood (EC) services, and
  • provide evidence that they have met the APST at the Proficient teacher level using VIT’s Inquiry process.

Click on each step below to find out more about the moving to full registration process.

Step 1 – Gather evidence using VIT’s Inquiry process

The VIT’s Inquiry process is used by PRTs to demonstrate the development of their knowledge and practice, and gather evidence to demonstrate they have met the APST at the Proficient teacher level.

This process is adapted from Helen Timperley’s cycle of teacher inquiry and knowledge building. It requires PRTs to

  • select a class or group of learners, and assess the level of learning and factors affecting learning
  • develop a question for inquiry based on identified learning needs
  • undertake professional learning to deepen professional knowledge and refine skills in relation to VIT’s Inquiry question
  • use this knowledge to develop and implement an action plan to improve learning outcomes
  • assess the impact of the inquiry on learning outcomes and teacher practice
  • reflect on the effectiveness of practice and identify future areas of work, and
  • ensure that all compulsory requirements of VIT’s Inquiry process have been met.
Useful Resource

Check out the PRT Guide to find out more about the requirements for VIT’s Inquiry process.

Step 2 – Initiate your application for full registration

When a PRT has undertaken the Inquiry process, it’s time to initiate an application for full registration in their MyVIT account. This should be done once VIT’s Inquiry process is complete but no more than 30 days prior to meeting with the recommendation panel.

This is done via the ‘Apply for full registration’ tile in the applicant’s MyVIT account. The applicant will be asked to verify their contact details, make declarations and provide their employer details.

Step 3 – Present your evidence to a workplace recommendation panel

Once a PRT has gathered the evidence they need, they are required to present this evidence to a workplace recommendation panel.

The workplace recommendation panel is a group of experienced teachers within the PRT’s workplace. The VIT expects the following composition for panels.

In a school setting, the principal can assume the role of panel chair if they hold full registration.

In an early childhood (EC) setting, the education leader (e.g. centre director or manager) should assume the role of panel chair if they hold full early childhood teacher (ECT) registration. If the education leader does not hold full ECT registration, any EC trained panel member can assume the role of panel chair.

The recommendation panel will assess the PRT’s documented evidence of practice and make a determination whether they have met the requirements to obtain full registration.

Visit the FAQs page to for a list of frequently asked questions about moving to full registration.

Icon Important Info

If the PRT’s mentor does not work at the same workplace, the PRT should tick the allocated box acknowledging this, and download/complete the form to provide VIT with more information.

Useful Resource

Employers should check out VIT’s Workplace Panel Guide for more information about how to form a workplace panel to support their PRTs moving to full registration.

Step 4 – Finalise your application for full registration

Following the panel meeting, the panel chair will complete a recommendation report through the Employer portal and submit it to VIT.

The VIT will assess the PRT’s application along with the panel recommendation. When all requirements have been met, the PRT will be granted full registration.

Once the PRT’s full registration is approved, they will be emailed notification of the approval, the Register of teachers will be updated with their new registration status and a new registration card will be issued.

A PRT will need to retain of copy of their evidence for at least two years in case they are selected for audit by VIT.

Resources

Before a PRT begins the process, VIT recommends they read our guide for moving to full registration. The guide contains a template for collating your evidence and is available in a PDF or Word document in the Templates and checklists below.

We recommend reading the relevant companion and evidence guides. These supplementary guides contain context specific information regarding the process of moving from provisional registration to full registration.

Click the accordions below for more useful resources or meet the Professional Practice team and find out how they can assist you.

Advice and tips

The following advice may assist PRTs to undertake the full registration process  

  • all teaching is contextual; therefore, think about how the Inquiry and evidence will look within your unique teaching environment
  • discuss what proficiency looks like within your context with your mentor and workplace leadership to guide you through the process 
  • use our suite of fact sheets to take you through each stage of the Inquiry process
  • the evidence of professional practice template provides the workplace panel with context around your Inquiry and may be helpful should your submission be selected for random audit
  • your evidence should come from your everyday teaching practice e.g. unit plans, lesson plans, plan for learning and play, learner work samples, rubrics, notes or minutes from meetings, photos, videos, audio that show learning or the learning environment
  • all evidence should be annotated to clearly show where and how it meets APST descriptors
  • this is not a university assignment – you should present enough information to understand the Inquiry question and evidence used to demonstrate your proficiency
  • if you are a CRT or in a non-school setting, the PRT Companion guide and the CRT Evidence guide will support you to consider the process within your teaching context
  • request examples of Inquiries and samples of evidence from your workplace to demonstrate what it might look like in your context, whilst also keeping in mind your current learner needs and priorities
  • examples of Inquiries and samples of evidence from other contexts may not be helpful - if you’re not familiar with the teaching environment, it may cause confusion
  • teachers should not share examples of their Inquiry beyond their own workplace setting due to privacy.
Useful Resource

Need more help understanding the process of moving to full registration? VIT regularly holds free PRT seminars to help make the process easier. Visit the Events and seminars page to find out more.

Video

Click here to see a range of helpful videos about moving to full registration, including step-by-step guides, tips and examples.

Click here to listen to some podcasts from other teachers who have been through the process.

Last updated: 07 Feb 2024

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