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Apply for Proficient Teacher accreditation
Finalise your application
Steps to submit and finalise application
Follow the steps on this page to submit and finalise your application for Proficient Teacher accreditation in NSW.
1
Submit your application in eTAMS
When you and your Accreditation Supervisor agree that your application is ready, submit it in your NESA online account (eTAMS).
To decide if you're ready to submit, your Accreditation Supervisor will look at your overall work. They will check that your teaching practice matches the Standard at the Proficient Teacher level. They will consider:
- what they have observed and know about your teaching
- professional discussions they've had with you during the accreditation period
- the 5 to 8 pieces of evidence you've chosen to show how you meet the Proficient Teacher Standards.
Conditional teachers
When you submit your application in eTAMS, you must also upload a copy of an official graduation certificate or testamur that confirms the date you were awarded your qualification.
We can accept e-qualifications. However, they must be a PDF document, not a link or pin combination.
2
Your Accreditation Supervisor makes a declaration
Your Accreditation Supervisor will:
- review your documentary evidence and may send it back to you for revisions if needed
- make a holistic judgement on whether your practice meets the Standards for Proficient Teacher
- make a declaration to your principal within 28 days of the date you submitted your application. You will be notified of the declaration by email.
3
Your principal makes an accreditation recommendation to NESA
Your principal will review your application and make a recommendation about your accreditation to NESA. This will occur within 28 days of your Accreditation Supervisor's declaration.
They may request you revise your evidence before making their recommendation.
You will be sent an email after your principal's recommendation is made.
Issues that may affect you finalising your application
Learn more about issues that may affect your application:
Your Accreditation Supervisor declares your practice does not meet the Standards
Your Accreditation Supervisor has to give reasons for this kind of declaration. You should read their evaluative comments in your eTAMS account.
Your principal will review your entire application, including your Accreditation Supervisor's declaration, and can:
- ask you to make revisions to your application
- make a recommendation to accredit you
- make a recommendation to not accredit you
- say that they are unable to make a recommendation.
If your principal asks for revisions:
- discuss them with your Accreditation Supervisor
- review which Standard Descriptors you haven’t met and what you need to do
- modify your evidence and resubmit.
Your principal intends to recommend you not be accredited
Your principal will give you and your employer 28 days written notice before they recommend you not be accredited. The written notice will include their reasons. After reading it, you should respond to the reasons provided and any requests made.
If you respond to the written notice, your principal will consider your response before making a recommendation to NESA.
If you do not respond, your principal must make a recommendation to NESA within 28 days of their notice.
NESA will make a decision to accredit or not accredit you within 28 days of receiving your principal's recommendation. NESA will email you their decision.
Your principal is unable to make a recommendation
In limited circumstances your principal will advise NESA that they are unable to make a recommendation about your accreditation. Circumstances can include any of the following:
- you have not completed at least 160 days of teaching
- you have not worked long enough in the school for the principal to make a judgement about your practice
- your principal has asked for information about your practice from your previous school with your permission, but it hasn’t helped them to make a judgement. If you do not give permission for your current principal to contact your previous principal, they will be likely to state that they are ‘unable to make a recommendation’.
What you can do
Your principal will send you a written notice if they are unable to make an accreditation recommendation.
Your application will reopen.
You should read the comments in your principal's written notice. Discuss with your principal how you can address the reasons they have given for being unable to make a recommendation. If you can address the reasons and your principal agrees, you can resubmit.
Alternatively, and if you are still within your accreditation timeframe, you can approach another school or employer for support to finalise your accreditation at Proficient Teacher. You can do this until the end of your accreditation timeframe.
Your accreditation timeframe is running out
In certain circumstances you can apply to NESA via an Application for extension of accreditation timeframe (PDF 223.05KB).
You can apply in the final 6 months before your due date. You will need to provide evidence of the grounds for your extension request.
Grounds may include:
- illness and misadventure
- carer responsibilities
- undertaking further study
- other applicable professional or individual circumstances.
You are unable to achieve accreditation in your timeframe
If you don't gain Proficient Teacher accreditation by the end of your maximum timeframe or any extended time given, your accreditation will cease.
This means you are no longer accredited and not eligible for employment as a teacher in any NSW school.