NESA is the only authority in NSW to make teacher accreditation decisions for mandatory levels of accreditation and some voluntary levels of accreditation for NSW teachers.

NESA’s teacher accreditation policies are published in NESA’s NSW Teacher Accreditation Manual (TA Manual).

The TA Manual outlines the requirements, conditions and criteria for teacher accreditation in NSW. The TA Manual applies to every school in NSW. It also applies to all early childhood education services (EC services), including EC services provided by schools.

Relevant Links 

• NESA’s Teacher Accreditation website
• NESA’s NSW Teacher Accreditation Manual
• NESA Professional development framework
• NESA’s Policies and Procedures Index
• AISNSW Resources: Regulation of teacher accreditation in NSW
• NESA’s Suitability to teach information
• AITSL website

Independent schools must have “evidence that demonstrates the school implements NESA teacher accreditation policies and procedures to support teachers in attaining and maintaining teacher accreditation” (requirement B3.1 the NSW Registered and Accredited Individual Non-government Schools Manual).

Schools must implement the requirements in NESA’s TA Manual. To do this a school must have internal procedures for implementing NESA’s requirements for teacher accreditation that are consistent the requirements in the TA Manual.

These requirements also apply to registered early childhood services (e.g. preschools or long day care centres) provided by schools.

A school’s internal teacher accreditation procedures replace all past TAA policies and procedures.

From February 2023, suitability to teach requirements came into effect. Schools are not required to do anything in relation to these requirements as they are implemented by NESA.