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Education Professional Experience
(WIL placement)

Information for sites and university liaisons

 

Professional experience is a critical component of pre-service teacher education as it enables students to integrate theory and practice.

Over the four years of the combined degree, primary and middle schooling/secondary students are required to complete a minimum of 80 days of Professional Experience and Early Childhood, a minimum of 95 days.

Master of Teaching students are required to complete 65 days (Early Childhood 70 days) of Professional Experience over a period of two years.

The academic and professional staff work in collaboration with sites to support pre-service teachers to undertake placements across a diverse range of settings. Most pre-service teachers say that this is one of the most rewarding parts of their course!

The information on this page is for sites and University Liaisons who support Flinders University students undertaking their placement.

Visit the student information for education placements

Roles and responsibilities

Below the roles and responsibilities are outlined for all the parties involved in a placement.

The professional experience academic coordinator is responsible for:

  • Delivering professional experience lectures and coordinating placement topics.
  • Preparing pre-service teachers for placement and providing academic advice and support prior to, during and after placement.
  • Developing placement resources such as handbooks and FLO sites to ensure pre-service teachers and site staff are well prepared and informed.  
  • Supporting pre-service teachers, University Liaisons and school/site staff regarding any issues such as in cases of PST poor health, or unsatisfactory performance.
  • Following up with pre-service teachers who may withdraw from or fail a professional experience placement to discuss options and make recommendations about future directions.
  • Assessing, grading and reporting placement data and outcomes
  • Working in collaboration with the WIL placement team, sites and ITE Academic staff to develop partnerships and provide diverse placement opportunities for pre-service teachers.

WIL support officers provide administration support for placements by:

  • Establishing effective working relationships with sites to provide placement opportunities for Flinders University pre-service teachers.
  • Providing information to sites, pre-service teachers and university Liaisons, on placement allocations, processes and procedures (eg application and compliance requirements).
  • Maintaining and recording information on InPlace and other databases regarding placements

A University Liaison is allocated to each pre-service teacher (PST) for the 25-day and final year placement blocks. The University Liaison is expected to:

  • clarify university expectations for sites as necessary,
  • facilitate communication between all parties involved in the placement,
  • work with PSTs to identify and discuss professional issues,
  • observe PSTs teaching and provide written feedback on planning, teaching, and assessment,
  • discuss the progress of PSTs with school staff as necessary,
  • support the PSTs in reflecting upon and analysing their performance and areas for growth
  • support the interim review process
  • liaise with the University Academic Coordinator if any issues of concern arise,
  • support an ‘at risk’ notification if there are issues of concern, and offer strategies to the PST for improvement plus forward documentation to the Academic Coordinator,
  • possibly undertake additional visits (by negotiation with the Academic Coordinator) for PSTs identified as ‘at risk’, if required,
  • discuss with the mentor and school coordinator completion of the online report and final grade.

Please note that in some country and interstate locations University Liaisons will not be able to visit the school and will provide distance support.

Travel forms - liaisons ONLY

Liaison mileage log form

Vehicle mileage reimbursement form

Use of private vehicle declaration form (DOC 35KB)

Payment for extra visits to be discussed with academic coordinator.

University Liaisons must take a current copy of either their Teacher's Registration Certificate or both RAN and CRES documents.

As a representative of Flinders University, PSTs must behave in a professional and courteous manner at all times. Therefore, PSTs are expected to:

  • Wear their name badge on all site visits.
  • Be at the site from 8am-4pm as a minimum each day. Be punctual and remain at the site for yard duties and before and after school staff meetings.
  • Dress professionally in neat, clean and appropriate clothes.
  • Ensure that the site has their contact details, including email address and mobile phone number.
  • Negotiate their responsibilities with their mentor teacher in accordance with the expectations of this professional experience.
  • If they are sick, notify the site between 7.30am to 8am.
    Please note: PSTs will need to negotiate with the site coordinator to make up any sick days missed during placement.
  • Provide their mentor/s with copies of their unit and lesson plans well ahead of the teaching session to ensure adequate time for feedback and negotiation.
  • Listen openly, reflect on and respond to mentor, liaison, and site coordinator feedback.
  • Undertake the interim review process with their mentor and provide copies together with their Professional Learning Plan to their University Liaison.

Handbooks, reports and resources

Early childhood

Primary R-7

Year 2 Primary and Secondary (undergraduate)

Year 3 (undergraduate) and Year 1 (Master of Teaching)

Final year

Middle and secondary

Year 3 (undergraduate) and Year 1 (Master of Teaching)

Final year

At risk form

Placement dates and types

2nd year undergraduate pre-service teachers (PSTs) undertake their first 15-day placement in primary and secondary schools as a 3-week block in February, June or November, or one day per week for 15 weeks in either semester one or two. PSTs may support a special focus or school need/priority and follow their own special interests.

Specific placements could occur in the following areas of:

  • literacy and numeracy
  • Aboriginal education
  • visual or performing arts
  • STEM
  • education for sustainability
  • special or flexible options programs
  • special education
  • languages
  • physical education

During this placement pre-service teachers may support individual and small groups of students and teach at least one lesson to a whole class. They are encouraged to actively participate and contribute to their placement schools. 

Final year PSTs undertake a 40-day placement with 10 lead-in planning days in term 1 and a 6-week block from the beginning of term 2 or 10 planning days in term 2 followed by the 6-week block. However, some undergraduate PSTs may be selected to undertake an extended 10-week country or metro placement across term 2.

Extended rural or metro placements allow PSTs more time to develop their teaching practice and to experience and contribute to their placement site and community. The extended placement structure usually comprises:

  • week 0 induction and orientation (this may not be possible in country schools)
  • weeks 1-2 introduction lead in days
  • weekly visits across term 1 if possible
  • 10 weeks teaching block placement across term 2

Teacher payments

Please submit your teacher payment claims once students have fully completed their placement. You can also claim a teacher's payment from a previous year. You will find all the information and forms to submit your claim under the appropriate heading below.

Email claims to cepsw.finance@flinders.edu.au by the end of the calendar year.

 

How to submit a teacher and site coordinator payment claim

To claim payments for mentor teachers and site coordinators please use the spreadsheet provided to enter details. The spreadsheet will automatically calculate payment amounts based on the rates below.

Then send the spreadsheet with a tax invoice (PDF) from your school (example provided) for the total amount claimed at the end of the placement block. Please note GST needs to be added if applicable.

Flinders will make payments directly to independent sites so that they can reimburse staff. Please keep copies of the spreadsheet and invoice to ensure that accurate payments are made to mentor teachers and site coordinators.

Mentor teachers claim: (rate $37.22 per day)
Coordinators claim: (rate $1.78 per day)

  1. Professional experience invoice example (DOCX)
  2. Spreadsheet for teacher payment summary calculations - example only (XLSX)
  3. Spreadsheet for teacher payment summary calculations (XLSX)
Forward the spreadsheet and invoice to cepsw.finance@flinders.edu.au

How to submit a teacher payment

For schools to find information on submitting a practicum payment claim they should access this URL: Completing practicum claims in the HR Management Information system (HRS) (edi.sa.edu.au)

The above URL can only be accessed by Department of Education network users

If a school requires assistance with the process they can contact the DfE team using the following methods:

Once you have completed your claim via the DfE site, you will need to forward the following documents to us.

  1. Tax Invoice (including GST) PDF
  2. Practicum Payments - Detailed Report (Summary by Student front page only) This report can be produced in the HR Management Information system (HRS).

The current pay rate for DfE mentor teachers and coordinators

  • Mentor teachers to $37.22
  • Coordinator rate to $1.78

Excellence in Beginning Teaching Award

The Medal for Excellence in Beginning Teaching is awarded to Bachelor of Education/Master of Teaching graduating students who demonstrates exemplary performance in their final year professional experience in Early Childhood, Primary, Secondary and Special Education teaching.

The criteria for nomination of this award include:

  • demonstration of exemplary professional conduct and qualities, including collaborative working relationships and extra-curricular commitment
  • strong knowledge of relevant curriculum areas
  • competence in short and long term curriculum planning, based on knowledge of student learning, and on principles of inclusivity and social justice
  • the identification and implementation of differentiated teaching strategies while sustaining a quality learning program for an extended period
  • high level competence in the assessment, recording and reporting of student learning
  • the ability to maintain a positive climate for learning, to develop strong relationships and to apply effective classroom management strategies
  • demonstration of reflective practice and the ability to analyse teaching effectiveness, in order to improve their professional competence.

Nomination procedure

Pre-service teachers may be nominated for the award by any two of the following:

  • A co-operating teacher
  • The principal/director or site coordinator
  • The university liaison

The call for nominations will be sent to schools and sites as the final Professional Experience is nearing its conclusion.

Download the nomination form

Contacts

Academic team



Jackie Thomson, Senior Lecturer Partnerships and Professional Experience: Academic Coordinator Primary and Secondary: 1st and 2nd year undergraduate, 3rd year undergraduate/1st year M teach and final year placements.
jackie.thomson@flinders.edu.au

Rachael Hedger, Academic Coordinator Early Childhood, First Year
rachael.hedger@flinders.edu.au

Linda Gray is Academic Coordinator Early Childhood 3rd and Final year.
linda.gray@flinders.edu.au

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Last Updated: 25 Feb 2025

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