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Certification has three purposes:

• Recognise and promote quality teaching
• Provide an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their practice
• Provide a reliable indication of quality teaching that can be used to identify and recognise, deploy and reward Highly Accomplished and Lead teachers.

The proposed approach to the certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers is informed by the following principles:

• Standards-based
• Student-improvement focused
• Development driven
• Credible
• Evidence-based
• Fit for purpose
• Streamlined

National Requirements

• Australian or NZ citizenship OR AU Permanent Residency Visa
• Current and Full registration with the QCT
• Completion of annual performance reviews or equivalent over 2 years (HA certification) OR 3 years (Lead certification)
• Have an ‘authentic teaching role’ meaning: Applicants must plan, prepare, teach, differentiate, assess and report (to students and parents) on the outcomes of a prescribed educational program.

Employer Requirements

• Employed and teaching in a Queensland Catholic school
• At least five years’ teaching experience
• Not currently subject to formal performance management processes

To be successful, applicants for certification will need to have an authentic teaching role where they teach students over a period of time. This will enable them to demonstrate achievement of the complete range of Standards and Descriptors.

There is no requirement for a specified number of hours or teaching load, but the teacher will need to be responsible for an ongoing teaching program and the assessment of the students.

To achieve certification, teachers will need to be able to demonstrate their skills in teaching students in a classroom situation. The assessment process includes a series of observations of a teacher’s practice, including classroom observations.

Providing applicants can demonstrate all teacher Standards through an ongoing teaching role with students, including in a classroom situation, certification is available to teachers in a range of roles including school support professionals, and those in equivalent roles who work with students. However, holding a leadership position such as these is not a guarantee that an application for certification will be successful.

Highly Accomplished teachers are highly effective and knowledgeable classroom teachers. According to the APST, Highly Accomplished teachers are characterised as advocates of the profession, who contribute to the professional learning of peers through a range of activities that include, but are not limited to, supporting, working with and assisting their colleagues.

Lead Teachers are exemplary classroom teachers. They are committed to quality teaching and learning, and their leadership positively impacts students and their colleagues across and/or beyond the school. Lead teachers regularly innovate, initiate, evaluate and review programs and practice across the school.

Applicants are required to choose which career stage they will be applying for – either Highly Accomplished or Lead. Deciding to apply for Certification requires applicants to honestly reflect on their practice against the APST. To support this decision-making process, AITSL has provided a Self- Assessment Tool and Classroom Practice Continuum to support this reflection and assist applicants to understand where their practice lies against the career stages of the APST. The regular conversations applicants have with peers, mentors and school leaders also provides valuable information regarding readiness to apply.

Teachers do not have to be certified as Highly Accomplished before applying for Lead teacher status. The process for submitting a portfolio of evidence is the same for both career stages.

An important factor when applying for HAT and LT certification and providing direct evidence of practice against the descriptors at the relevant career stage is understanding who ‘colleagues’ is referring to in the descriptors.

Many of the descriptors refer to leading, supporting, working with and assisting colleagues. It is important to be aware that when the HAT and LT descriptors refer to colleagues, these must be teaching colleagues.

Although teacher aides are valued members of staff in our schools, in relation to the APST, you must ensure the colleagues you are referencing are teaching colleagues. Preservice teachers are also not considered colleagues.

Evidence of supporting and providing quality placements for preservice teachers should be referenced in descriptors 6.1 and 6.2.

Certification is a rigorous and rewarding professional process of reflecting on and providing evidence and annotations relating to teaching practice. Teachers vary significantly in how long they require to prepare their portfolios, and this is normal. It is important that applicants consider taking additional time if required and submitting their portfolio in the following year.

Referees play a significant role in supporting an applicant to achieve certification and therefore it is an important professional responsibility.

The applicant is required to elect 3-5 referees who can affirm their practice and/or verify their application evidence against selected Standard descriptors. One of the elected referees must be the applicant’s principal or principal’s delegate.

QCT’s guidelines for certification application referees offers guidance on this important role. See also QCT’s FAQs for Referees.

Queensland College of Teachers Online Resources

QCT website Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers 

Applicant Profile