Special Requirements

Inherent Requirements

The study and practice of teaching requires respect for diversity, knowledge of theories, legislation, policies and procedures, effective communication, interpersonal, critical thinking and problem solving skills and stamina, to effectively work with children, their families and communities.

To support a potential student’s decision to become a teacher, a series of inherent requirement statements has been developed. These statements specify the requirements of the Western Sydney University teacher education courses for student admission and progression, with aspects associated with the study and the professional practice of teaching.

You need to read the inherent requirements for teacher education courses prior to commencing an Initial Teacher Education Program at Western Sydney University.

• Inherent requirements at Western Sydney University
• Inherent requirements for Education and Teaching

Subject Registration Special Requirements

For a summary copy of the subject registration special requirements please click here.

Full details on each subject registration special requirement can be found on this page.

Important information for current and enrolling Pre-service Teachers

• LANTITE (Literacy and Numeracy TEST for Initial Teacher Education) Students
• Working With Children Check
• Working With Children Check Department of Education Verification
• ASCIA anaphylaxis e-training course
• Online Child Protection Awareness Training
• COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination *Early Childhood*
• QuEST - (Quality of Effective School Teachers) Online Interview

LANTITE (Literacy and Numeracy TEST for Initial Teacher Education)

The Australian Government believes that strong personal literacy and numeracy skills are an essential part of the personal attributes and skills needed to be an effective teacher in a classroom. To assist higher education providers, teacher employers and the general public to have increased confidence in the skills of graduating teachers, the Government has implemented the national Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education students. For more information about this go to: https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/about

From 2024 onwards students are required to attempt the National Literacy and Numeracy TEST in their first year of an Initial Teacher Education Program. All students must attempt and meet the required standard prior to registering for their final Professional Experience school placement. As shown below:

TEAC3023 PE4: Teaching in Country (B.Ed Primary – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education)

TEAC7106 Professional Experience K-6 (M.Teach Birth – 12)

TEAC7155 Primary Professional Practice 2 (M.Teach Primary)

TEAC7155 Secondary Professional Practice 2 (M.Teach Secondary)

To register for a test window: https://teacheredtest.acer.edu.au/register/test-dates

2024 Literacy and Numeracy TEST sittings

National Literacy and Numeracy TEST dates currently scheduled for 2024 are listed in the table below.

There will be four test windows held in 2024.

Registrations open between 10am-12pm on the first day and close at 5pm AEST/AEDT (local Melbourne time) on the last day for all test windows.

• The remote proctoring test period ends 3 days (72 hours) prior to the conclusion of each test window. Please see the remote proctoring test sitting requirements for more information about test scheduling.

Further Information

• You can register to sit the TEST in a test centre, or for eligible students, by remote proctoring.
• Information about remote proctoring is available on the TEST Administrator's website.
• Information about the TEST and becoming a teacher in New South Wales can be found here.
• Answers to frequently asked questions are available on the Australian Government's website.
• The Australian Council of Educational Research implement the TEST for the Federal Government and charge a fee for registering to sit the TEST, Refer to the ACER website.
• Students will be given an initial attempt plus up to, but no more than, two resits of the test for each component of the test.

For further information about the TEST and becoming a teacher in New South Wales refer to this website.

The national Literacy and Numeracy TEST will be used as the means to demonstrate that students completing initial teacher education courses are in the top 30 per cent of the Australian adult population for personal literacy and numeracy.

Recommended Reading:

• Special Testing Conditions
• Before the Test
• On the Test day
• After the Test

The following special prerequisite tasks must be completed before enrolment.

Working With Children Check (WWCC).

Pre-service teachers enrolled in Master of Teaching and Pathway to Teaching courses, where there are placement requirements, must comply with the NSW Working With Children Check legislation.

What are the requirements?

Each Pre-service teacher, student, volunteer or paid worker, working in child-related employment must apply for a Working With Children Check clearance number. This clearance is valid for 5 years.

In addition to providing the University with your WWCC clearance number details, you will need your clearance number to present to your placement setting.

If you are currently not working anywhere with children you can apply as a Pre-service teacher/volunteer and your check will be free of charge.

If you are currently working with children in paid employment of some sort you must apply as a paid employee and you will need to pay the relevant fee for your clearance number.

For information regarding fees please refer to the Office of the Children’s Guardian website.

For more information about Working with Children Check requirements for Tertiary Practicum Students and relevant DOE contacts please refer to this document: Declaration for Child Related Work - Tertiary Practicum Student

What is the process?

STEP 1: Fill in an application form online

Go to the Office of the Children’s Guardian Website: newcheck.kids.nsw.gov.au
Fill in the online application form. You will be asked whether your child-related work is paid or unpaid. Please make sure the details you provide are EXACTLY THE SAME as the details on your identity documents. If you have submitted the form with a mistake, please redo the form to avoid problems with providing your proof of identity at Step 2.

If you cannot access the online system, call a Customer Support Officer on (02) 9286 7219 for assistance with your application. Once you have submitted the form, you will receive an application number that looks like this: APP1234567

STEP 2: Present proof of your identity

Go to Service NSW with your application number AND proof of your identity (same as for a NSW driver’s license). You must have BOTH of these items for your application to proceed. You cannot complete this process at Student Services Hub.

STEP 3: Present your verification letter to the University

Upon receiving your emailed notification of clearance from Kids Guardian, you need to provide it to Western Sydney University. You can provide your clearance to the University by submitting it via the WesternNow Student Portal. Your WWCC (Working with Children Check) number will be confirmed with the Office of the Children’s Guardian and your student record will be updated.

Working With Children Check - Dept. of Education Verification

Note: This relates to placements in school-based settings only.

Following on from the 3 steps above, you must also complete the Department of Education’s (DoE) verification process by submitting the Declaration for Child Related Work – Tertiary Practicum Students Application Form (opens in new window) providing the necessary documents.

Once you receive the verification email from the Dept of Education probity unit please upload it to WesternNow Student Portal.

Please note that this takes between 1 and 7 business days and may go to your junk mail. This step is not complete until you have submitted your verification email from the DoE to WesternNow.

For more information about Working with Children Check requirements for Tertiary Practicum Students and relevant DOE contacts please refer to this document: Declaration for Child Related Work - Tertiary Practicum Student

ASCIA Anaphylaxis Training course

The Department of Education mandates the requirement for pre-service teachers to complete the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) anaphylaxis e-training course. This means prior to commencing your school placement and/or centre setting placement you will need to successfully complete the ACSIA anaphylaxis e-training courses and provide proof to your centre setting and/or school.

PLEASE NOTE: The course/online certificate has an expiry date two years from the completion date. If your course takes longer than two years to complete you may be required to do the e-training course again in order to complete a placement.

What do YOU need to do?

• Access the ASCIA website (opens in new window)
• Register for the course by clicking on New Account or clicking on the "Create New Account Button"
• After completing the online form click Create my new account
• You will be provided by return email a username and password to use to login at the ASCIA login page (opens in new window)

• Print and sign (or create a PDF which you can then save and print) the online certificate of completion. Please Note: There is no need for you to have your certificate counter signed by a Supervisor. Keep, for your own records, a copy of the certificate of completion (printed or PDF).
• Present the certificate of completion to the appropriate centre/or school staff member on your first centre visit.

What to do next? Lodge your Certificate of Completion

The School of Education now requires you to lodge your anaphylaxis e-training certificate of completion via the WesternNow Student Portal.

Remember to keep a copy of your certificate of completion (printed or PDF)

Online Child Protection Awareness Training

The School of Education (SOE) views Child Protection Awareness Training (CPAT) as an essential preparation for any professional placements completed during your studies at Western Sydney University (WSU).

Since 2021, the Department of Education (DoE) has determined that all School of Education students completing placement need to complete their version of the CPAT.

This includes both, 1. an Initial Child Protection Induction and 2. the Annual Update. These are a compulsory pre-requisite for professional experience placement at WSU and for enrolment. Furthermore, this training meets the requirement of NSW Education that 'any person working with children in NSW education and care settings must participate in an initial child protection induction prior to commencing work.

In Pathway to Teaching programs where there is a placement requirement, both components of Child Protection Awareness Training from the DoE (CPAT) must be completed prior to registration for the professional experience subject.

In the Master of Teaching programs and completing Professional Experience subjects across more than one year, you must complete the applicable CPAT Annual Update again for each year of study.

You must undertake this online training even if you have completed Child Protection Training outside of the University.

To clarify:

There are TWO mandatory CPAT components provided via the NSW Department of Education:

1) Child Protection Awareness Training Induction: This is a one off, self-paced e-learning course that provides initial child protection induction training. It is to be completed through the DoE’s Learning Portal (MyPL).

Please register for an account via the link above and then complete this induction/mandatory training. Once completed, take a screen shot or download your certificate and then upload to WesternNow Student Portal.

2) Annual Child Protection Update: This is a self-paced e-learning course that provides continuous improvement and an update for those who have completed the original Induction Training. It is also completed through the DoE’s Learning Portal (MyPL). (Each new year Annual Update may be available online after mid- December the year prior).

Please log in to your account that you created during the Induction Training and once completed take a screen shot, or download your certificate, then upload to WesternNow Student Portal.

Professional Experience subject registration cannot be undertaken until you have completed both components and they are listed on your WSU Student Record. Students are reminded to complete these requirements during Program Orientation sessions.

Note: if you have completed CPAT in a previous degree or in your workplace you are still required to complete CPAT at the commencement of your initial teaching degree.

COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination *Early Childhood*

As of 1 August 2022, it is no longer a requirement of the Department of Education that all education and care workers and volunteers are double vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to work in a school (some exceptions apply). It is however still a requirement of many Early Childhood Centres.

While being vaccinated against COVID is no longer a compulsory requirement to enrol into a Professional Experience subject in the M.Teach (Birth-5/Birth-12 years), students must be aware that some settings may require you to show that you have received two or three COVID vaccinations.

If you have any questions or concerns about your COVID-19 vaccination status with regards to any placement subject, please email the Professional Experience Team - EduPEX@westernsydney.edu.au

QuEST - (Quality of Effective School Teachers) Online Interview

Non Academic Capabilities Selection

Students with an offer to enrol in an accredited initial teacher education course are required to complete an online interview to assess your capabilities, in other words, your talents and personal attributes that are relevant to the teaching profession. Western Sydney University refer to this compulsory assessment as QuEST about which you will receive an email prior to the start of the teaching session.

Students in initial teacher education courses who commenced studies prior to 2018, and then discontinued/ceased studies and are readmitted into the course from January 2018 onwards, are required to successfully complete QuEST.

Refer to the Australian Institute for Teaching and Leadership (AITSL) website for more information and the Selection Guidelines: Factsheet

QuEST - Frequently Asked Questions

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