If you have any questions about teaching professional placements, please email the School of Education.
Professional experience placements
Get into the classroom sooner
Get into classrooms, schools and early childhood centres sooner with professional experience placements. You’ll be mentored by experienced teachers and develop the skills and practical experience you need for a successful and rewarding teaching career.
Gain practical experience on a teaching placement
Professional experience placements start in your first year, meaning you’ll progressively develop your skills over multiple placement experiences in your course. You’ll gain practical, real classroom expertise in assessing and reporting student learning progress alongside industry leaders. You’ll also engage professionally with your future colleagues, parents, and the wider school community.
How we'll find you the perfect school placement
With a network of over 6,000 schools and early childhood centres across Australia, we’ll arrange your placements and ensure you graduate with at least 60 days of placement. You’ll graduate with the skills and confidence needed to inspire the next generation.
How does it work?
Every placement journey is a little different, and we’ll work with you to find the best fit. From your first year, Deakin will support you in securing the right professional experience placement. Here’s how the process works:
- We get to know you – You’ll provide some initial details such as your course, teaching areas, location, transport options and any personal considerations.
- You choose your pathway – Most students have their placements sourced by Deakin, but you may also be eligible for flexible pathways such as workplace placements, self-placements or international experiences.
- We arrange your placement – If Deakin is sourcing your placement, our team will match you with a school or early childhood centre through our extensive partner network, ensuring your placement meets accreditation requirements and builds your skills.
- We stay connected – Before and during your placement, you’ll receive ongoing communication, support and guidance to make sure you feel prepared and confident in your professional setting.
The most rewarding part of studying at Deakin is seeing how far my confidence has come on placement. The theory that we’ve learnt has been practical and has really set us up for success on placement and as graduate teachers.
Bachelor of Health and Physical Education student
Flexible placement options
At Deakin, most placements are sourced and arranged through our extensive network of schools and early childhood centres. But we also understand that every student’s journey is unique. That’s why we offer flexible placement options that draw on both your personal connections and our industry partnerships.
Self placement
Already connected to a school or early childhood centre? You can arrange your own placement via a self-placement application and build on those relationships, with Deakin confirming suitability and ensuring your course requirements are met.
Permission to Teach
Some students may be eligible to apply for a Permission to Teach (PTT) through the Victorian Institute of Teaching. In these cases, your employment can often count towards your placement requirements.
Workplace placements
If you are working in an eligible education setting, you may be able to complete your placement hours within your workplace. This option is supported by Deakin and your employer, so you can continue to grow in a familiar environment while meeting professional experience requirements. When you study early childhood teaching through Deakin’s employment-based pathways program, you may be able to complete most of your childcare placements in your workplace.
International placements
Expand your horizons with an international placement through Deakin's Inspire, Impact, Teach, Discover (IITD) program. You’ll gain valuable cultural insights and teaching experience abroad, while still receiving full support from Deakin.
Benefit from our placement network
With an extensive network of partner schools and early childhood centres, and the support of a dedicated professional experience team, we ensure you find the right placement. It's just one of the reasons Deakin is the #1 Victorian university for course satisfaction.
Financial support for placements
Professional experience placements are an important investment in your future. That’s why we’ll connect you with the financial supports available, so you can focus on developing your teaching skills while easing some of the costs.
Through Deakin, you can access the Victorian Government’s Pre-service teacher Placement Grants (PPG) program, which provides $100 to $200 per day for eligible students.
- Victorian Government schools – available for placements in regional or remote schools.
- Victorian Catholic schools – available for placements in selected Catholic schools through the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA).
- This program is confirmed to run in 2026 and Deakin will help guide you through the application process.
Deakin students are also supported through the Commonwealth Prac Payment, which helps ease the living and study costs of mandatory placements across Australia. Our team will make sure you know when and how to apply, so you don’t miss out on this support.
How you can plan ahead for your placement
It’s important to plan ahead for your professional experience placement while you complete your teaching course. The following is a check list to get you started:
Obtain a Working with Children Check
Under the Working with Children Act 2005 (VIC) a student teacher must obtain a Working with Children Check (WWCC) before commencing a placement in a school. Your WWCC must remain current throughout your course.Upload your InPlace details
This includes your address, personal details and personal preferences. This is an internal system which helps us to manage student details on placement.Review the policies and guidelines
Familiarise yourself with our policy and guidelines for pre-service teachers to ensure clarity in all processes incorporated during placement.Check the placement calendar for your course
You can find this on the student professional experience webpage.Attend or view your pre-placement briefing
This will be listed on the professional experience CloudDeakin unit site.Pass the literacy and numeracy tests for initial teacher education students
You’re required to pass both the literacy and numeracy tests for initial teacher education students (LANTITE) prior to graduation. You need to attempt the test before the end of the first year of study. This is an externally administered test.
