Guidelines for Pre-Service Teachers undertaking professional experience
The success of the placement is dependent upon strong positive relationships between all stakeholders. Deakin’s Professional Experience Office (PEO) works closely with our settings to ensure our students have access to a quality teaching and learning experience. Please make yourself familiar with our guidelines to ensure clarity in all processes incorporated during placement. Please contact the PEO if you have queries or are unclear about any situation.
Professional experience is at the core of all Pre-Service Teacher education courses. Productive professional learning for Pre-Service Teachers occurs when universities work collaboratively with placement settings and their personnel to ensure quality on-site learning experiences that support the transition from student to professional teacher.
Professional experience enables Pre-Service Teachers to develop personal teaching skills and deepen their professional knowledge in authentic educational contexts. It allows them to integrate and extend university coursework by applying theories, strategies, and pedagogies in practice. This experiential learning provides the major opportunity to connect the theoretical foundations of teaching with the real-world expectations and practices of the profession.
Crucially, professional experience placements are designed to scaffold Pre-Service Teachers’ capacity to engage with and demonstrate competence against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs) at the Graduate level. These standards, which underpin teacher accreditation and entry into the profession, are organised into three key domains:
- Professional Knowledge: understanding students and how they learn, and knowing the content and how to teach it
- Professional Engagement: engaging professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the broader community, and demonstrating ongoing professional learning and ethical conduct
- Professional Practice: planning, teaching, assessing, and creating supportive and safe learning environments
The broad purpose of the professional experience components of faculty programs is to provide opportunities for Pre-Service Teachers to:
- broaden their experience, understanding, and appreciation of the realities of school/early childhood settings, and the diverse needs, identities and capacities of learners
- progressively develop effective teaching, learning, and classroom management practices
- enhance their capacity to plan, implement and evaluate programs that deliver purposeful, inclusive, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences
- develop a deep understanding of the role of the teacher within the broader school or early learning community, including the responsibilities and ethical dimensions of the profession
- cultivate a reflective and critical awareness of how they are shaping their emerging professional identity as a teacher
- develop and demonstrate proficiency in relation to the Graduate-level descriptors of the APSTs across the domains of Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, and Professional Engagement.
School- or setting-based placements also offer experienced educators the opportunity to authentically assess a Pre-Service Teacher’s readiness, performance, and suitability for entry into the teaching profession, in alignment with the APSTs.
To maintain your eligibility and academic progression within the Professional Experience program, please ensure you follow these guidelines:
- Enrol in professional experience units in the correct sequence. These units must be completed in the designated order as outlined in your course map.
Note: If you have previously passed the placement component of a unit but did not pass the coursework component, you may not be required to repeat the placement, provided the requirements of the placement were fully met and passed within a 12 month period.
- Inform the Professional Experience Office (PEO) immediately of any changes to your address, transport arrangements, or course enrolment. Accurate information ensures appropriate and timely placement matching. If changes are not advised with sufficient notice, you may be required to travel further for your placement.
- Complete the full number of placement days for each unit as specified in the Unit Guide and during the scheduled placement window.
Failure to complete the required placement days within the allocated timeframe may result in a grade of ‘N’ (Fail) for the unit.
- Withdraw from any placement unit if you do not intend to undertake the placement. This includes:
- Formally withdrawing from the unit through StudentConnect
- Notifying the Professional Experience Office, particularly if your placement is scheduled to begin within six weeks of your withdrawal
Even if your withdrawal occurs before the University census date or is processed online, the PEO must be informed to avoid unnecessary placement allocation and administrative issues.
Failure to formally withdraw from a placement unit you do not undertake may result in a grade of ‘XN’ (Fail – no assessment) and possible referral to the Faculty Academic Progress and Integrity Committee (FAPIC).
All student teachers undertaking professional experience placements in Australian schools or educational settings are required to hold a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) or an equivalent clearance, as mandated by the relevant state or territory authority.
- In Victoria, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development requires your WWCC card number and expiry to be added to InPlace at least four weeks prior to the first placement block.
- Outside Victoria, all states and territories similarly require students to obtain and submit their current clearance well in advance—typically at least two weeks before their first placement block.
Failure to provide valid clearance documentation by the required deadline may result in exclusion from the placement block and may require students to defer or re-enrol in a future trimester.
Requirements and processes for obtaining the WWCC or equivalent clearance vary across jurisdictions. Students are responsible for understanding and complying with the relevant legislation and procedures for their placement location.
For detailed information on how to apply for or renew your clearance, please consult the appropriate state or territory government website or contact the Professional Experience Office for assistance.
As a Pre-Service Teacher, you must abide by, and ensure your behaviour is in accordance with, the Victorian Institute of Teaching Code of Conduct.
It is your responsibility to make yourself fully aware of the Code.
The Victorian Teaching Profession Code of Conduct has been developed by and for the teaching profession in Victoria. It articulates the ethical and professional expectations that underpin the work of teachers and reflects the values and responsibilities teachers hold toward students, colleagues, and the broader community.
The Code outlines a set of guiding principles that define both the professional competence and personal conduct expected of teachers. These principles are grounded in the core values of integrity, respect, and responsibility, and serve as a reference point for teachers in all professional contexts.
The purpose of the Code is to:
- Promote adherence to the professional values that educators collectively recognise as foundational to the teaching profession
- Provide a clear framework to guide teachers' everyday conduct, including support in navigating ethical dilemmas and complex professional situations
- Affirm the public accountability of the teaching profession and clarify the standards the community can expect from its teachers
- Foster public trust and confidence in the teaching profession through transparency, consistency, and professional integrity
In alignment with the Code, all Pre-Service Teachers are also required to complete Safer Learners training, which ensures an understanding of legal and ethical responsibilities related to child safety, professional boundaries, and duty of care. This compulsory training supports teachers in maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct in all learning environments.
Additionally, the expectations set out in the Code of Conduct are embedded within the Inherent Requirements for initial teacher education courses. These requirements describe the essential capabilities — including ethical behaviour, emotional resilience, interpersonal skills, and reflective practice — necessary for successful completion of professional experience and eventual entry into the profession.
Together, the Code of Conduct, Safer Learners training, and the Inherent Requirements provide a comprehensive ethical foundation that ensures Pre-Service Teachers are well-prepared to meet the responsibilities of the teaching profession with integrity, professionalism, and care. For Early Childhood, refer to the National Model Code for Early Childhood Education and Care.
All professional experience placements are coordinated centrally by the Professional Experience Office (PEO).
The School of Education (SoE) expects all students to complete their placement on a full-time basis. Part-time placements will only be approved under exceptional circumstances. Placements of less than three days per week are not permitted except in rare and approved exceptional circumstances. Placements under 30 hours per week (three days or less) are not eligible for the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) under government guidelines.
Key aspects of placement arrangements include:
- Definition of placement: Professional experience refers to supervised teaching and learning in an approved educational setting, conducted under the guidance of a qualified educator. It is governed by university and accreditation requirements, and must not be substituted with paid or voluntary work.
- Priority over paid work: Placements are a core course requirement and take precedence over any paid employment. Schools/settings are under no obligation to accommodate your external work schedule.
- Geographic placement boundaries: You will be placed within approximately 60 minutes (by public or private transport) of the primary address you have recorded in InPlace, the official placement management system. It is your responsibility to ensure that your address and transport information are current and accurate in InPlace. After initial enrolment, if you change your address or transport information you must email the PEO as well as updating Student Connect. Failure to do so may result in a placement being arranged near your previous address, which cannot be altered once placements have been released.
Please note: Pre-Service Teachers (PSTs) enrolled in certain secondary teaching methods and in early childhood may be required to travel beyond this 60-minute guideline due to the limited availability of suitable placement sites. In these cases, professional experience will be within 90 minutes travel time. If the travel time is beyond 60 minutes the PEO will contact you to discuss.
- Conflict of interest restrictions: Schools/settings where you are currently or have recently been employed – in some cases you may complete a placement here, however this will be considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure it meets course and assessment requirements. To maintain placement integrity and the university’s relationships with partner schools/settings, the PEO will also usually avoid placing you at a site where a conflict of interest exists. This includes:
- Sites where family members (e.g. children, siblings, close relatives) are currently enrolled or employed
- Your former school (if recently graduated, especially in secondary contexts)
- Placement change requests: Placement matching begins at least three months prior to the scheduled placement period. Any requests for changes to placement arrangements within three weeks of commencement will only be considered:
- On grounds of equity, health, or documented hardship.
- Through submission of an appeal to PEO Allocations.
- Important: If your appeal is approved, it may not be possible to accommodate you within the originally scheduled dates. In such cases, you may need to complete your placement during an alternate placement window, which may delay your progress in the course.
- Completion of required placement days: You must complete the full number of days for your professional placement as specified in your Unit Guide and attend on the officially scheduled dates. All placement days must be completed as whole days. Failure to complete the required days or to meet the performance expectations of placement will result in a grade of 'N' (Fail) for the unit. An 'N' result in a professional experience unit leads to a referral to the Faculty Academic Progress Committee.
Pre-placement briefings are a preparatory component of the Professional Experience program and are essential for all cohorts. These sessions are conducted at the beginning of each academic Trimester, typically one to two weeks prior to the commencement of placements. Specific dates and times will be published through the Unit Cloud site.
Each cohort attends a briefing tailored to their stage of progression through the program. These sessions focus on critical placement information, including expectations, assessment requirements, conduct and professional standards, and how to prepare for a successful placement. Content may include updates to policies, key procedures, the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APSTs), and site-specific considerations.
Attendance at the pre-placement briefing is strongly advised, as it ensures that you are equipped with the information and support required to undertake placement responsibly and successfully.
To ensure a smooth and professional start to your placement, you are expected to take the following steps:
Before Placement Begins:
- Contact the Pre-Service Teacher Coordinator at the school/setting 1–2 weeks prior to the start of your placement. Request the name(s) of your mentor/s. Schools/settings are busy places and there may be occasions where you may not hear back from the PST Coordinator or your mentor. If you do not hear back do not panic and just turn up early on the first day.
- If possible, arrange a visit to the school/setting in advance to:
- Introduce yourself
- Familiarise yourself with the environment
- Discuss expectations and initial arrangements with your mentor/s
On Your First Day:
- Confirm the placement schedule, including:
- Start and finish times
- Timetable of classes and breaks
- Yard duty or supervision responsibilities
- Discuss and confirm the expected arrival and departure times with your mentor/s.
- Ask practical questions, such as:
- Where to park
- Access to photocopiers, staff rooms, and the library
- Whether a contribution is expected for tea, coffee, or milk — and bring a mug if needed
During Placement:
- Conduct yourself professionally at all times — this includes your attitude, conduct, communication, and responsiveness to feedback.
- Dress appropriately for the school/setting context. Both your appearance and language should reflect the professionalism expected of a teacher/educator.
- Be punctual: arrive at the time agreed upon with your mentor/s. If you are delayed or running late, notify the school/setting as soon as possible.
- Accompany your mentor/s to all relevant activities, including:
- Staff meetings
- Room set-up/pack-down
- Yard duty
- School/setting events or extra curricular activities
- Engage with the school/setting community: mix with other pre-service teachers and staff and take opportunities to learn from experienced educators.
- Maintain strict confidentiality at all times. This includes information about students, staff, and the internal operations or policies of the school/setting.
Emergency Contact Information:
You must complete the Emergency Contact Form and submit it in a sealed envelope to the Pre-Service Teacher Coordinator at the school/setting. This ensures the site has access to your emergency details if required.
Pre-service teachers are expected to prepare lessons during personal time (at home or in designated breaks), not during class observation or while assisting their mentor/s.
Effective lesson planning is essential and should include:
- Thorough preparation using the agreed planning format.
- Prior discussion of plans with the mentor.
- Resources and materials organised ahead of time.
- Submission of lesson plans to the mentor at least 24 hours in advance, to allow time for feedback and adjustments.
Changes to Professional Experience days during placement, including missed days
Professional experience placements are a mandatory and scheduled component of your course. Students are expected to undertake their placements as outlined in the Course and Unit Guides and attend for the full duration of the designated placement block.
All days missed during placement—including public holidays—must be made up to ensure the student completes the full number of required placement days. Arrange with their mentor to make up any missed days promptly.
Adjustments to placement schedules are only permitted in exceptional circumstances, and must preserve the integrity of the experience. Approved adjustments must not compromise the quality of engagement or the student's capacity to meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Graduate level).
Short-Term adjustments (1–4 Days)
- Students may negotiate adjustments of up to 4 days across the placement block directly with their mentor/s and placement school/setting.
- These adjustments must be:
- Approved by the mentor/s
- Managed in a way that maintains continuity and integrity of the placement experience
- For placements of 10 days or fewer, students may negotiate up to 2 days only
- Mentors plan their schedules around supporting your placement. Requests should be made sparingly and only in exceptional cases (e.g. illness, emergency)
Extended adjustments (5 Days or More)
- Any proposed adjustment involving 5 or more days requires:
- Submission of a formal request to the Professional Experience Office Allocations Team
- Approval from the Unit Chair
- Requests must:
- Be submitted before placement begins
- Include supporting documentation (e.g. medical certificate, statutory declaration)
- Demonstrate that the student can still meet all placement learning outcomes
- Approval is not guaranteed and depends on placement availability, timing, and the nature of the request
Missed days during placement
- If you are absent for 4 or less days you are not required to submit documentation to the PEO (for placements of ten days or less this is 2-days).
- If you are absent for more than 5-days across the placement block you must submit documentation to PEO Support as soon as practicable for approval. Not submitting documentation within a practicable time frame may impact placement completion.
- Arrange with their mentor/s to make up any missed days promptly.
Note: Students must take responsibility for ensuring that any schedule changes do not impact their engagement with coursework and class attendance, assessment deadlines, or unit progression.
Occasionally, issues may arise during a placement, and it is important that these are addressed appropriately and without delay.
If a student believes an issue requires resolution, they should follow the correct protocol. In the first instance, the student should attempt to resolve the matter with their mentor/s. If this is not successful, the student should then contact the school or setting’s Coordinator of Pre-service Teachers. Conflicts are generally best managed at the level closest to where they occur, rather than involving external parties too early.
This process does not prevent any party from contacting the Professional Experience Office (PEO) Support and Unit Chair directly for advice or support at any stage.
If the student does not feel comfortable raising the issue with the school/setting coordinator, they may contact the PEO Support and Unit Chair directly for guidance on how to proceed.
It is essential to raise concerns as early as possible, as many issues—often due to simple miscommunication—can be easily resolved. Students are strongly encouraged to reach out to the PEO Support and Unit Chair with any concerns during their placement.
Harassment in the workplace
Harassment is any unwelcome, uninvited, and unreciprocated behaviour that humiliates, offends, or intimidates a person, and is based on attributes such as race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, disability, or age.
Pre-service teachers must be mindful of their own conduct at all times and are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the school or setting’s procedures for identifying, reporting, and managing incidents of harassment.
If a student experiences harassment while on professional experience placement, they should:
- Raise the concern with the Professional Experience Coordinator at the school or setting, where appropriate.
- If this is not possible or appropriate, they should contact the Professional Experience Office Support Team and Unit Chair for support and guidance.
- Alternatively, students may contact the Safer Communities team if you feel threatened or unsafe at any time.
Addressing concerns early is important for ensuring a safe and respectful placement experience. All reports are taken seriously and will be managed in accordance with relevant policies and procedures.
If a pre-service teacher is experiencing difficulties during placement, it is essential that the mentor or the Coordinator of Pre-Service Teachers notifies the Professional Experience Office (PEO) Support as early as possible. This should be done via the PULSE Survey. If you require the link to the PULSE to be resent, please contact PEO Support.
Deakin academic staff will visit each student at least once during their Initial Teacher Education program. Students identified as requiring further support may receive additional visits, support, and advice. Students are required to respond to visiting staff promptly to arrange a suitable time for the visit.
Camps
School camps that occur during the placement period can be counted toward the required practicum days, as they offer valuable professional learning experiences.
There is no limit to the number of camp days that can be included, provided the camp is part of the placement and supports the student’s learning and professional development.
If you are attending a camp during placement and are unsure about how it applies, please contact the Professional Experience Office (PEO) for clarification.
Excursions
Excursions can be counted toward the required practicum days if they occur during the placement period and the mentor approves the pre-service teacher’s participation. The mentor must also confirm that the excursion is considered a meaningful part of the placement experience and is to be included in the total number of required placement days.
Participation in excursions can provide valuable opportunities for observation, engagement, and professional learning in real-world educational settings.
If there is any uncertainty about whether an excursion can be included, please contact the Professional Experience Office (PEO) for guidance.
If a student anticipates a scheduling conflict between their placement and another academic commitment (e.g., performance, science practical, examinations), they must contact the Professional Experience Office Allocations and Unit Chair as early as possible to discuss alternative arrangements.
Where possible, students must notify the PEO at least three months in advance. This ensures:
- Other students may be offered any cancelled placement.
- Schools/settings are given timely notice.
- The likelihood of securing an alternative placement is maximised.
Late requests may result in the student being unable to reschedule their placement.
Professional Experience reports summarise a student’s learning and performance during placement. The evaluation process includes:
- Written feedback from mentor/s, provided throughout the placement.
- Formal and informal discussions between the student and mentor/s.
The final report should reflect ongoing feedback and contain no surprises. Students are encouraged to discuss the report with their mentor/s before final submission.
Completion requirements: The practicum must be satisfactorily completed before enrolling in the next professional experience unit.
Students will receive a copy of their final professional experience report after it has been submitted.
If a school or placement setting has serious concerns about a student’s performance—such as risk of receiving an ‘at risk’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ assessment—they must submit a PULSE report or contact the Professional Experience Office. The PEO will then arrange for a Deakin staff member to liaise with the placement. A student cannot be given an unsatisfactory grade without input from a Deakin staff member. Early communication with the University is critical if any issues arise.
Students who receive an unsatisfactory grade will be referred to the Faculty Academic Progress Committee for review.
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA), disability encompasses physical, intellectual, psychiatric, sensory, neurological, and learning impairments—whether current, past, future, or imputed—as well as disfigurement and the presence of disease-causing organisms.
Pre-service teachers with a disability who have registered with Deakin’s Disability Resource Centre (DRC) may be eligible for reasonable adjustments to support their equitable participation in professional experience placements. These adjustments aim to enable students to meet the course’s inherent requirements on an equal footing with their peers.
Inherent requirements are the essential skills and tasks necessary to successfully complete the professional experience component. These typically include the ability to:
- Communicate effectively with students and colleagues
- Maintain professional relationships
- Fulfil supervision and duty-of-care responsibilities
- Manage classroom and learning environments
- Apply curriculum knowledge in practice
Reasonable adjustments might include:
- Modified placement schedules
- Use of assistive technologies
- Physical access accommodations
- Support from an aide (e.g., a sighted guide)
However, adjustments must not compromise the integrity of the professional experience or exempt students from demonstrating the core competencies and inherent requirements of teaching.
To be eligible for adjustments, students must:
- Be registered with the Disability Resource Centre (DRC), and
- Notify the Professional Experience Office Allocations (PEO) well in advance of their placement.
For guidance and to discuss suitable adjustments, students are encouraged to contact both the DRC and the PEO as early as possible.
Once a placement has commenced, students should not withdraw independently. The following protocols apply:
- If you are unable to continue due to illness, you must provide a medical certificate to the Professional Experience Office (PEO) and your Unit Chait as soon as difficulties arise, regardless of the university’s standard unit withdrawal dates.
- If your difficulties are not health-related, you must contact the PEO and your Unit Chair immediately to discuss possible alternatives.
- Students are not permitted to cancel or withdraw from placements on their own. If you are unable to complete the placement during the scheduled dates, you must consult with the PEO and your Unit Chair at the earliest possible opportunity.
Late notification or unauthorised withdrawal from a placement may seriously impact Deakin’s partnership with schools and early childhood settings, and may affect your academic progress.
Schools or settings may ask students on professional experience to sign a privacy or confidentiality agreement. Students must respect and uphold these obligations, maintaining confidentiality both during and after the placement.
Pre-service teachers do not have legal status as registered teachers and must be supervised at all times when teaching. They must never be left alone with sole responsibility for a class or group of students, and they are not permitted to undertake yard duty or similar supervisory roles without a registered teacher present.
Mandatory Reporting is a legal obligation for all registered teachers as well as other professionals such as doctors, nurses, and police officers to report any suspected child abuse to the relevant authorities. The types of abuse covered include grooming, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and family violence.
While anyone can make a mandatory report at any time, only certain professionals are legally required to do so. However, regardless of legal obligation, all Pre Service Teachers have an ethical, moral, and professional responsibility to report if they hold a reasonable belief that a child is at risk of harm.
Key points to understand:
- Upon becoming a registered teacher, you become a mandated reporter. This shifts your responsibility from a moral and professional duty to a legal requirement to disclose suspected harm and protect children in your care when there is reasonable belief of abuse or neglect.
- The specific types of abuse you are required to report, and the agencies to which reports must be made, vary according to State and Territory legislation across Australia.
- It is mandatory to report any suspicion of the five recognised forms of abuse and neglect: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to family violence.
For further details and guidance, please refer to the Safer Learners module on mandatory reporting.
If an accident occurs during a professional experience placement, the Professional Experience Office Support (PEO) must be notified immediately. A written incident report will be required.
- Students injured on placement are covered under Deakin’s Student Personal Accident Insurance policy. Claim forms are available from the Deakin University Student Association (DUSA) or the University’s insurance office. More information can be found on Deakin’s insurance webpage.
- The University’s Public Liability Insurance covers claims made by third parties for bodily injury or property damage. Host organisations/employers are also covered under public liability insurance.
- Important: These insurance policies do not cover loss or damage to students’ personal belongings, including vehicles parked on school or placement premises.
On days when teachers are undertaking industrial action, students should:
- Attend the school or placement setting as usual unless advised otherwise by the Pre-service Teacher Coordinator or the Principal.
- In solidarity, Not conduct classes unless supervised by a qualified teacher.
- In solidarity, Not take classes of teachers who are participating in industrial action.
- Avoid involvement in any local industrial action activities.
Note: One day of industrial action (strike day) can be counted towards the required days of school or placement experience. Students who are union members should follow their union’s recommendations regarding participation in industrial action.
If a student has concerns about any aspect of the placement process, they should initially contact the Professional Experience Office (PEO) and Unit Chair. If necessary, issues can be escalated to the academic Course Director for further consideration, who will consult with the Academic Director of Professional Experience
As this course is an accredited Initial Teacher Education (ITE) program, Deakin does not grant credit for professional experience (placement) units, regardless of your prior work or voluntary experience in schools.
This includes:
- Paid or unpaid teaching or teacher aide work (qualified or unqualified)
- Voluntary work in classrooms or educational settings
- Teaching experience not completed as part of a supervised, accredited education program
All students must complete the required professional experience placements as part of their course, in order to meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at Graduate level.
While you may be eligible for credit in other units based on prior formal study, professional experience units must be completed in full.
Visit Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for more information.
An interstate placement is a professional experience placement undertaken in a state or territory other than the jurisdiction in which the student is normally based. Interstate placements are available only to students enrolled in an Initial Teacher Education (ITE) program. Interstate placements are not approved for first placements or final placements associated with the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA), unless the University determines that exceptional circumstances apply.
Students seeking an interstate placement must lodge a formal written request with the Professional Experience Office (PEO). The request must specify the proposed interstate location and provide a clear and substantiated rationale. Requests that do not meet these requirements will not be considered.
Approval of interstate placements is not automatic and remains wholly at the discretion of the University. The PEO will review the request and seek explicit written approval from the relevant Course Director. No interstate placement will be arranged or confirmed without this written approval.
Students approved for an interstate placement are fully responsible for meeting all legislative, regulatory, and school-system requirements in the host jurisdiction, including but not limited to Working with Children or equivalent clearances, jurisdiction-specific onboarding processes, local child-safety obligations, OHS requirements, and mandatory reporting expectations. The University may require evidence of compliance at any time.
The University may decline, withdraw, or cancel an interstate placement if compliance, supervision, or safety requirements cannot be met to its satisfaction.
The School of Education adheres to the Department of Education’s policy and operational requirements regarding pregnancy and workplace arrangements. Any student who is pregnant, or who intends to undertake professional experience while pregnant, must review the Department’s pregnancy-related guidelines prior to any placement planning.
Students who are pregnant are required to notify the Professional Experience Office (PEO) as soon as practicable. Engagement with the PEO is mandatory to allow for assessment of health, safety, and duty-of-care considerations, and for determining whether a placement is appropriate. No placement planning will proceed until formal disclosure has occurred.
Students may be required to provide a current medical certificate from a registered health practitioner confirming fitness to undertake professional experience duties and detailing any necessary workplace adjustments. The University may request updated medical certification at any time where safety or risk-management considerations arise.
A placement will not proceed unless the University determines, at its sole discretion, that the proposed placement complies with all relevant Department policies, site-specific risk controls, OHS obligations, supervision standards, and any medical or workplace adjustments required to protect the student, school staff, and children. The University reserves the right to delay, modify, suspend, or refuse a placement where these requirements are not satisfied.
https://www.education.vic.gov.au/PAL/parental-absence-teaching-service-guide.pdf
Placements in alternative educational settings, including Specialist schools, Steiner schools, and other non-mainstream educational environments, are considered only in limited circumstances and only for units where such settings are educationally appropriate. Alternative settings are not permitted for first placements or final placements linked to the Deakin Teaching Performance Assessment (DTPA), except in exceptional circumstances and with explicit written approval.
Students wishing to nominate an alternative setting must submit a formal request to the Professional Experience Office (PEO) via peo-allocations@deakin.edu.au The request must clearly identify the proposed setting and provide a justification demonstrating its suitability. Incomplete requests will not be considered.
Approval of placements in alternative settings is not presumed and is subject to the University’s discretion. All such placements require explicit written approval from the relevant Course Director. Approval will only be granted where the proposed setting demonstrably meets unit learning outcomes, supervision standards, assessment requirements, compliance obligations, and regulatory expectations.
The University reserves the right to refuse or withdraw approval for any alternative-setting placement where compliance, safety, regulatory alignment, or supervision standards cannot be assured.