When most teachers first register with the Teachers Registration Board, they receive provisional registration. This is because the highest career stage of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST) they have been assessed against is the ‘graduate’ career stage. The process of transitioning to full registration evaluates teachers against the ‘proficient’ career stage.
It is a requirement of the Act and a condition of your registration that you transition from provisional to full registration within your five (5) year registration term.
How to transition from provisional to (full) registration
You will need to collate a portfolio of evidence showing how you meet the APST at the proficient career stage and engage an evaluator at your site. It is recommended to use the Summary Record of Evidence (also available as a Word document Summary Record of Evidence document) to detail your evidence. This portfolio will be the basis for your evaluation.
If your evaluator is a registered teacher, you will be able to follow the first process detailed below. If you are teaching at a site without a registered teacher (like an early childhood service) you will need to follow the Modified Process. The steps outlined in each process may occur separately or at the same time, but all steps must be completed.
Transition process
- collate your portfolio of evidence
- engage an evaluator at your site to review your portfolio and observe your teaching practice, evaluating these against the APST at the proficient career stage
- collect your Statement of Service, or Statements if at multiple sites, to show your 200 days of teaching service within the previous five (5) years
- complete the Application to transition from provisional to full registration with your evaluator and have the form endorsed by your sites approved endorser
- submit the original form to the Teachers Registration Board within six (6) months from the evaluator recommendation date
Modified process
For teachers whose evaluator is not a fully registered teacher in South Australia (eg. Early childhood teachers)
- collate your portfolio of evidence using the Summary Record of Evidence (also available as a Word document Summary Record of Evidence document). This must be completed and submitted with your application
- engage an evaluator at your site to review your portfolio and observe your teaching practice, evaluating these against the APST at the proficient career stage
- collect your Statement of Service, or Statements if at multiple sites, to show your 200 days of teaching service within the previous five (5) years
- complete the Application to transition from provisional to full registration with your evaluator and have the form endorsed by your sites approved endorser
- submit the original form to the Teachers Registration Board within six (6) months from the evaluator recommendation date
- a Project Officer will contact both yourself and your evaluator to discuss and review your application
Please note: Some Long Day Care employers have an agreement in place with the Board for an appropriate registered person within their organisation to oversee these applications – please contact the Board if you are unsure.
Teachers who need advice or clarification on either process are welcome to call the Board, or contact professional.standards@trb.sa.edu.au
What happens if you do not transition?
If you are due to renew your registration and you have not yet transitioned to full registration, you will need to apply for an additional term of provisional registration.
To apply for an additional term of provisional registration you will need to follow the prompts in the portal when renewing registration. Providing as much detail as possible during this process will assist the Teachers Registration Board in evaluating your application.
Each consideration of an extension will depend on the particular circumstances of a matter, and applicants should not expect that such an extension will be granted, or if granted, it will be for a further five-year period. However, as a general guide, the following are circumstances where a further grant of provisional registration may be granted:
- Illness or health-related issues
Where a teacher is requesting an extension due to illness or a health-related issue, a current medical certificate or report is required to support the request. The medical certificate or report must, at the very least, set out:
- The nature of the illness or health-related issue;
- Whether it is of a temporal or ongoing nature;
- The treatment regime or how the condition is being managed; and
- The prognosis.
The length of any extension under this criterion will depend on all the above factors.
- Carer Responsibilities
Where a teacher requests an extension due to responsibilities for caring for others, a medical certificate should be obtained (where possible) and submitted with the application. The length of any extension under this criterion will depend on the particular and relevant circumstances of the applicant.
- Parental Leave
Where a teacher requests an extension due to parental leave, a period of up to two (2) years from the child’s birth may be approved.
- Residing in Remote Area
Where a teacher is (or has been) residing in a remote area with restricted opportunities to meet the requirements to transition to full registration, the Board will consider the timeframe remaining to complete the requirements for possible extension.
- Residing Overseas
Where a teacher is (or has been) residing in overseas with restricted opportunities to meet at least one of the requirements to transition to full registration, the Board will consider the timeframe remaining to complete requirements for possible extension.
- Reduced Hours (part time)
Where a teacher is requesting an extension due to reduced hours, a review will be undertaken on the time required to complete registration. The review will include an assessment of the requirements met and commitment to working towards full registration.
- Mutual Recognition
Where a teacher holds a provisional registration from another jurisdiction and is requesting an extension, the extension may be granted only up to the maximum period that would apply in South Australia, being five (5) years.
- Other Special Circumstances
In circumstances where Teachers have grounds for an extension that are not covered by the criteria outlined above, such requests will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, considering situations that, while not previously addressed, warrant consideration.
What is a transition audit, and what happens if you are selected?
The Board conducts random audits of Applications to transition from provisional to full registration.
If your application is selected for inclusion in the audit, you will be contacted and asked to provide a completed Summary Record of Evidence, (also available as a Word document Summary Record of Evidence document) which is why you are encouraged to complete this form when you do your evaluation.
You should retain your evidence portfolio and summary record for at least 12 months after the date your application is approved.
