Welcome to the mid-year edition of Registration Buzz. 

As we approach the halfway point of the year, it is a great to time to look at what we have achieved so far and what we hope to work towards in the second half of the year.

Over the last few months Board staff have been working on a range of significant projects. In March and April of this year groups of teachers, principals, and other stakeholders kindly participated in focus group sessions to talk through areas that might impact on a proposed Code of Conduct, including teaching different age groups, teaching in different locations, and teachers’ professional and personal lives.  The Board is grateful for this input which has helped in the development of a first Draft Code of Conduct.  

The Code is now available to be read on our website and written feedback is welcome on any aspect of the Code, but could include:

• Elements that could be included in the Code but currently are not, and why.
• Elements that are in the Draft Code but should not be included, and why.
• Details that are included in the Draft Code that need further clarification/explanation.

Feedback is due by Friday 21 July 2023, using the link above.  

In June 2023 the brand-new Teachers Registration Board website was also launched after many months of migrating content from the old website to a more modern, user-friendly Platform.

It is hoped that the new website will provide an easy-to-use platform to access information, the Teachers Portal, important updates and much more. You can read more about the new website and access the link later in this newsletter.

Going forward, there is still much work to be done. Further consultation regarding Mandatory Notification Training is on the agenda, and the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care will deliver its final report in August. Applications for Renewal of Registration will also open from October 10 on your Teachers Portal signaling a busy second half of 2023.

The South Australian Teacher Certification Committee (SATCC), the cross-sector certifying authority in South Australia, celebrated the hard work and dedication of highly accomplished and lead teachers at their annual cross-sector ceremony on 16th June 2023 at the Adelaide Convention Centre. The SATCC oversees the National Certification of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers in South Australia, recognising those educators who excel in their practice.

The commitment to achieve this prestigious national recognition as a highly accomplished or lead teacher requires an individual to deeply examine their own practice, foster the growth of knowledge and skills amongst colleagues, and successfully pass a stringent assessment process.

This year's ceremony was hosted by Danny Pinchas, General Manager of Teaching and School Leaders at the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). A long-standing advocate for quality education, Danny led the celebration in honouring the dedicated professionals who have significantly contributed to the education sector in the past year.

Certificates of recognition for newly certified and those who successfully renewed their status were presented by the Honourable Nat Cook, Minister for Human Services, who expressed her deep appreciation for the unwavering commitment of these certified teachers to the support and development of their students, their colleagues, and their own professional growth.

"This event is an exceptional celebration of teacher quality in South Australia, spotlighting educators who are truly dedicated to fostering excellence in our classrooms," Pinchas commented. "We salute their commitment to their practice, their students, and the betterment of the teaching profession."

The SATCC continues to uphold its commitment to recognising and celebrating the successes of highly accomplished and lead teachers across South Australia, nurturing a culture of excellence and professional growth in education. The event was a memorable occasion, honouring the achievements of more than 60 educators.

We congratulate the 2022/2023 cohort, and you will see their annotation on the TRB SA public register recognising their new status:

If you or a colleague are interested in being recognised for your teaching expertise contact your sector representative/s below.

Catholic Education South Australia – Belinda Radcliffe or Adrian Dilger, tel: 8301 6138.

The Department for Education – Belinda Ramsey , tel: 8226 3232 .

Association of Independent Schools of South Australia – office@ais.sa.edu, tel: 8179 1400.

The Board held a roundtable in May with its’ stakeholders (representatives from Education sectors, early childhood sector, commissioners and guardians representing children and young people, education unions and principal associations) to determine if unnecessary burden was being placed on teachers, with the expectation that they produce evidence of completion of mandatory notification training at both registration and again for their employer. 

The Board is doing some follow up consultation with the stakeholders and if an agreement is reached, a proposal will go to the Board to reduce this regulatory burden, amend the Regulations and seek a change in legislation. 

Further information will follow. If you would like to make comment on this issue, please feel free to contact Sally Hodgson, Senior Policy Officer via email sally.hodgson@trb.sa.edu.au

Our small team spent several months working to deliver a site with easy access, simple navigation and up-to-date information and guidance, so users can enjoy the best possible user experience.

Although the site is live and in use, we will continue to make changes and updates based on user feedback and experience testing over the coming weeks and months.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and encourage you to provide any feedback or issues via the Contact Us page on the site. Visit: www.trb.sa.edu.au

Please note: bookmarked subpages from the previous website will not be accessible on the new site. To locate specific content, please use the search function.

During May, the Presiding Member of the Board, Dr Jane Lomax-Smith, was called as a witness at the Royal Commission into Early Childhood Education and Care. Prior to this, the Board provided a written submission and a discussion paper sharing the history of registration of early childhood teachers in South Australia.

The Royal Commission is looking into the importance of the first 1 000 days of a child’s life and the opportunities to offer three-year old kindergarten for all children.

Early childhood teachers in South Australia have been registered since 1976 with the inclusion on the register of long day care early childhood teachers since 2014.

Only South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia register early childhood teachers that are not teaching in a school setting.

The early childhood sector is multi-regulated.  As well as teacher registration requirements, early childhood providers abide with regulations from ACECQA, the Education Standards Board and the National Quality Framework and Standards.

Teachers in South Australia are all registered as teachers, no matter the school sector they work in, the age of the children and young people they teach, or the subject specialisation of the teacher. This means that all teachers aim for the same proficiency levels of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, which may not always seem achievable in different settings. This does mean though that all teachers in South Australia have the same professional standing.

In consideration of the additional workforce requirement, the Commission raised questions of the Presiding Member about options for the recognition of a birth-five years of age higher education qualification.  This option is not currently offered by any university in South Australia.

The Regulations set out the minimum four-year qualification or equivalent requirements. A birth-five years of age qualification would need to meet the initial teacher education accreditation requirements and the minimum four-year duration for teacher registration in South Australia. The Royal Commission will provide its final report in August.

A link to the public submission can be found at: J-Lomax-Smith-Submission-to-the-Royal-Commission.pdf (royalcommissionecec.sa.gov.au)

Finding supportive environments to share resources and information with other educators online is important. Joining one of the many teacher Facebook groups can be a good place to start. See below for a list of networks you can join.

Relief Teachers of Adelaide & South Australia

Need a relief teacher, are a relief teacher, have questions about being a relief teacher.

Teachers of Adelaide
A place for South Australian teachers to network, share/ request resources & discuss all things teacher-y.

Teachers of SA
Provides inspiration, resources and news to the South Australian education community. The page is maintained and moderated by Credit Union SA.

The SA Department for Education: Teacher Leaders

To provide a forum for networking and sharing, supporting the professional life and career development of teacher leaders and aspirants.

LTASA - Lead Teachers Association of SA

This is an association for Teacher Leaders and those aspiring, across all sectors of Education in South Australia.

The Importance of Leadership
This group is open to all educators with an interest in leadership, whether from the classroom, within a school or in a wider context.

Digital Technologies & Computational Thinking
Wondering what computational thinking looks like in the classroom? This group is for educators and others who recognise that learning to code is only part of the process.

Relief Teaching Ideas Community
A spin-off of the Relief Teaching Ideas Facebook Page. This is for ALL teachers - casual, permanent, contract, part-time, student teachers, specialists, tutors, teacher aides, homeschoolers, and anyone else interested in education

Australian Primary Ed Teachers

This group is purely for resource sharing, discounts, promotions, competitions and even resource requests! Exclusive to Australian Teachers.

Junior Primary/Primary Teachers of Adelaide

For Junior Primary/Primary Teachers to share Resources and National Curriculum Strategies.

TfEL Teachers' Companion

We are a community of teachers who use the Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework and TfEL Teachers' Companion to support our pedagogical practice.

Teach Meet Adelaide

This group is for all notices regarding teach meets in Adelaide.

Australian Prep Teachers

You will find loads of ideas and support for teaching in the Australian Prep and Foundation classroom. This group is open to Australian Teachers, Aides and Student Teachers only.

Digital Technologies and Computational Thinking

This group is for educators and others who recognise that learning to code is only part of the process. Purposeful tasks and computational thinking are essential future skills for every young person. The pedagogy we bring to digital technologies is crucial, and teachers need help to transform their practice and application of digital tools.

The recent Educators SA Vice Regal Reception at Government House hosted by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC Governor of South Australia, and Mr Rod Bunten, was a fabulous opportunity to honour the great work of a wide range of educators.

On the night Her Excellency presented two Lifetime Membership awards to Liz Sandercock and Malcolm McInerney for service to the Educators SA Board and their own associations.

Photos are live on the website: Educators SA Vice Regal Reception

Getting your Application for Renewal of Registration processed quickly and efficiently is our priority. In order to ensure that your 2024 application can be submitted and processed, we recommend that you begin now to prepare the supporting documentation that will be required.

Your Application for Renewal of Registration will be available on your Teachers Portal from 10 October 2023 until 31 December 2023. You can log into the portal at https://online.trb.sa.edu.au/default.aspx If you don’t have a portal login, you will need to create one.

An email would have been sent to you earlier this month, so please check what supporting information you will need to provide to ensure that your supporting documents are ready for submission after 10 October and your registration can be processed in a timely manner.

Lodgement of your Application

You can lodge your renewal application online via the portal from 10 October 2023. You have until 31 December 2023 to submit your application. A late fee will apply if you lodge your application after 31 December 2023.

Information about all requirements for renewal of registration is available on our website at www.trb.sa.edu.au/Maintaining-Registration/renewal-of-registration.

If you have any further queries, please contact the office on 08 8253 9700 or email renewal@trb.sa.edu.au.

Do you follow our social media pages?

We often share important updates, system notification and other news on our social media pages.

You can follow us at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trbsa

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TRB_SA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teachers-registration-board-of-south-australia

Check out the latest Spotlight from AITSL exploring High-Quality Professional Learning for Australian school teachers and school leaders.

Read the Spotlight at: High-Quality Professional Learning for Australian Teachers and School Leaders (aitsl.edu.au)

The Outreach Education programs connected with the Department for Education are working together for a free 8-part professional learning series: ‘Step Outside the Classroom’ 

Step Outside the Classroom is an online professional learning series for educators that highlights the Outreach Education program. Open to all educators, this 8-part series of professional learning is FREE and runs weekly during Term 3 via Microsoft Teams.

Register for 1, 2 or all 8 sessions to discover some fantastic education opportunities.  

Learn more and register here: https://forms.office.com/r/S9gs84gqxg 

The KS:CPC is a child safety and respectful relationships curriculum for children and young people age 3 to year 12. It is mandated in all Department for Education and Catholic Education sites, and used in independent schools and other approved organisations.  Teachers must complete the full day Educator course prior to delivering the curriculum to children and young people.  For more information see:

• About the KS:CPC
• KS:CPC Educator course
• Approved organisations