Request accessible format of this publication.
Apply for HALT accreditation
Develop your evidence
Demonstrate your practice and impact through evidence
Across 2 modules, you must submit evidence to demonstrate the practice and impact of your practice for 20 Standard Descriptors for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher. The 20 you submit must include the 14 mandated Standard Descriptors.
Types of evidence
There are different types of evidence you can use to demonstrate your practice against the Standards at the higher levels.
The types of evidence are:
- Documentary evidence with direct impact on students or children and colleagues
- Documentary evidence with indirect impact
- Collaborative evidence
- NESA recognised program.
Depending on the pathway you choose to take for your HALT application, you may submit various types of evidence across your application. You must submit to NESA documentary evidence demonstrating your direct impact for at least 10 Standard Descriptors (one module equivalent).
All documentary evidence submitted directly to NESA must relate to teaching and implementing the NSW curriculum or Early Years Learning Framework.
Documentary evidence with direct impact on students/children and colleagues
You must submit to NESA at least one module of documentary evidence that demonstrates the direct impact of your teaching practice on students or children and colleagues for your nominated Standard Descriptors for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher.
Your documentary evidence in the module must:
- demonstrate the practice and direct impact of your practice for the relevant Standard Descriptors over a period of time
- show how you have supported colleagues to improve their practice and their impact on student/child learning progress and achievement.
Early childhood teachers
If you are an early childhood teacher, all references to colleague(s) in this procedure refer to an accredited teacher who works with you. A teacher colleague does not have to work in your service. They may come from another service of your employer or be a teacher from your professional network. You should contact NESA for further advice if you do not have a teacher colleague or a service director who is an accredited teacher in your service.
Collating and submitting your documentary evidence
For each module of documentary evidence, you must:
- demonstrate 10 nominated Standard Descriptors at the relevant level
- organise your evidence into sets that demonstrate between 2–4 Standard Descriptors
- write a structured narrative for each set of your documentary evidence to reflect on your practice and impact.
In one of your modules, you must also submit an observation report of a colleague’s teaching practice.
Our evidence guides can help you prepare your documentary evidence
To support you in preparing your documentary evidence use NESA’s evidence guides.
Structured narrative for each set of documentary evidence
You must write and submit a structured narrative of approximately 700 words for each set of documentary evidence in your NESA online account (eTAMS). The structured narrative must:
- describe the aim or purpose and the context for the evidence in the set
- explain how the evidence demonstrates the practice and impact identified in the nominated Standard Descriptors and describe any involvement and/or support of colleagues
- reflect on and evaluate the impact on students/children and colleagues, relative to the nominated Standard Descriptors.
A report of your observation of a colleague’s teaching practice
In one of the modules, you will need to conduct at least one observation of a colleague teaching students or children. This is to demonstrate your capacity to work in a supportive and collaborative manner to improve the practice of colleague(s).
You must then write and submit a report of this observation and align it to your nominated Standard Descriptors at your relevant career stage accompanied by a structured narrative. Your report will be included as one or part of a set of documentary evidence.
To help you prepare for your observation use our Applicant Guide on internal observation (PDF 183.33KB). To write your observation report you can use our internal observation report template.
Documentary evidence with indirect impact
Indirect impact is evidence on student/child learning outcomes and/or colleagues that is developed while not directly teaching in a school/service. This could be evidence produced by a non-school/service-based teacher, or evidence produced by a school/service-based teacher whilst undertaking other professional commitments outside their context.
Applicants who are in a non-school/service based role can submit up to one module of documentary evidence that demonstrates indirect impact on students/children and colleagues.
Our factsheet on documentary evidence with indirect impact (PDF 117.37KB) explains what can be included as documentary evidence with indirect impact.
Collaborative evidence
For one module only, if you engage in a collaborative project or initiative, you can include evidence that is the result of working collaboratively for assessment of up to 10 nominated Standard Descriptors at the relevant level of the HALT Standards.
Multiple applicants who have worked together on the collaborative project or initiative can submit the same evidence.
Applicants working together on the same project or initiative:
- can submit the same or similar documentary evidence
- must write their own structured narrative for each set of evidence in their NESA online account (eTAMS)
- must complete the NESA collaborative evidence template to write an individual reflective statement about the initiative or project
- must seek verification of their individual contribution to the collaborative initiative or project from their principal/service director/employer, or a nominated delegate.
For details of what you must include in your submission read our factsheet on collaborative evidence (PDF 155.17KB).
Evidence developed in a NESA recognised program
A NESA recognised program is a professional development program that is developed by, or in partnership with, a school or early childhood service, employer, organisation and/or sector or system. These programs are NESA-approved for supporting applicants to fully demonstrate 6–10 nominated Standard Descriptors at the Highly Accomplished career stage.
If you participate in a NESA recognised program, you will produce evidence during the program. A program manager (or a delegate) who is a NESA-trained HALT Assessor will verify if you have successfully demonstrated the nominated Standard Descriptors at the end of the program. This removes the need to produce separate evidence and write structured narratives for this part of your HALT accreditation application. You can use a NESA recognised program for one module only.
For detailed information read our factsheet on NESA recognised programs (PDF 120.37KB).
Approved NESA recognised programs
For opportunities to participate in the following NESA recognised programs, you should speak to your employer, school, service, or organisation.
These programs have been approved by NESA to be aligned to 6–10 nominated Standards Descriptors at Highly Accomplished career stage.
Association of Independent Schools NSW
The Waratah Project
Australian Catholic University
Graduate Certificate of Education (HALT)
Catholic Schools Diocese of Broken Bay
Collaborative Coaching
Early Career Teacher Supervisor/Coach
Catholic Schools Diocese of Lismore
Mentoring Beginning Teachers
NSW Department of Education
Leading Effective Curriculum Implementation
Programs aligned to Lead Teacher career stage
NESA will expand the NESA recognised programs to include programs aligned with Lead Teacher Standards over time.