345 Independent school teachers across NSW recently achieved their Experienced Teacher accreditation status.  

Experienced Teacher accreditation provides an opportunity for eligible teachers to have their expertise recognised and be accredited by ISTAA.

Changes to the 2023 Experienced Teacher Accreditation process offered teachers a more flexible and streamlined approach to showcase how their teaching practice is beyond the level of Proficient.  

Key changes to the accreditation requirements included: 

  • a principal attestation of a teacher's practice which provides evidence for a significant portion of the Standard Descriptors  
  • the introduction of a school-based lesson observation to provide evidence of a teacher's practice in the classroom 
  • a reduced range of documentary evidence required to be submitted. 

Key changes to the process included: 

  • simplified online submission of evidence through a dedicated OneDrive folder for each teacher 
  • extended submission period to enable teachers to submit when they’re ready and get their result sooner 
  • holistic evidence review processes looking at a teacher's evidence and annotations as a package. 

Staff at the International Grammar School were part of the 2023 cohort of Experienced Teacher recipients

Caraline Cloke, Head of Regulation and Accreditation at AISNSW said: 

“The quality of submissions this year were fantastic.

“We clearly saw teachers embrace the opportunity to take a more flexible and holistic approach to the collation of their evidence to reflect their own context.

"This resulted in teachers submitting more cohesive sets of evidence that demonstrated their in-depth knowledge of their students. It also showed their capacity to be able to adjust their practice to meet the needs of their students at any given time.”

Douglas Melrose-Rae, AISNSW Associate Chief Executive, Regulation and Accreditation also commented: 

“It is wonderful to see so many teachers engaging in such considered reflection on their practice. 

“I give thanks to all of the principals, supervisors and school leaders who supported their colleagues to achieve Experienced Teacher accreditation. 

“The community spirit within and across Independent schools adds to the richness and quality of the education Independent school students receive.”    

Teachers at Stella Maris College in Manly receiving their accreditation certificates.

Here’s what some of the successful applicants from the 2023 cohort had to say about their experience: 

“Completing Experienced Teacher Accreditation allowed me to refine my own teaching practice, collaborate more with colleagues to plan and inquire together as well as use evidence and research to align my evidence against the Standards.” 

“Working with my supervisor and principal to gain feedback and reflect on my practice throughout my ET journey was highly beneficial.” 

“I was pleasantly surprised to receive my results of my successful application within a few weeks.” 

Find out more about Experienced Teacher Accreditation from the AISNSW website.