Teacher Standards

The Teacher Standards guide the preparation, support and development of teachers throughout their careers. They include seven Standards grouped into three teaching domains.

Teaching domain The Standard

Professional knowledge

1. Know students and how they learn.

2. Know the content and how to teach it.

Professional Practice

3. Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning.

4. Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments.

5. Assess - provide feedback and report on student learning.

Professional Engagement

6. Engage in professional learning.

7. Engage professionally with colleagues, parents or carers and the community.

The four career stages reflect the continuum of teachers’ developing expertise from teacher preparation through to becoming an experienced, exemplary classroom practitioner.

Each Standard has a set of Standard Descriptors for each career stage:

  1. Graduate: Describe the knowledge and skills graduates must demonstrate before being eligible for registration. These descriptors underpin the design and accreditation of initial teacher education programs.
  2. Proficient: Describe the practices of accomplished teachers. These descriptors underpin processes for full teacher registration and support the requirements of nationally consistent teacher registration.
  3. Highly Accomplished: Describe the work of experienced teachers who are supporting colleagues to improve practice. These descriptors underpin the national process for formally recognising and certifying experienced teachers as Highly Accomplished.
  4. Lead: Describe the work of teachers who are leading colleagues and the profession towards better teacher and student outcomes, whilst continuing to teach. These descriptors underpin the national process for formally recognising and certifying experienced teachers as Lead teachers.
Last updated:
2 September 2026