Frequently Asked Questions: Professional Experience
The Placement: When, How and Where
Our Frequently Asked Questions will help with most of the things you would like to know about Professional Experience placements. If you should have any unanswered questions please email your enquiry to the College Placement Team (placements@jcu.edu.au).
Prior to Placement
Each subject with an embedded Professional Experience has a series of Professional Experience Online Workshops to prepare you for Placement.
JCU has a duty of care to students and placement agencies and seeks to ensure that students who undertake prescribed Professional Experience are academically prepared and emotionally, behaviourally, and ethically prepared for the demands of placements. Review of a Student's Suitability to continue a Course Involving Placement.
For each Placement, students are required through attendance to engage in the scheduled Professional Online Workshops. JCU also has an HEI (Higher Education Institution) official agreement with our placement agencies to prepare Preservice and Graduate Student Teachers for Placement. Non-attendance is a breach of that agreement.
If you are a JCU student currently admitted to a Bachelor of Education, or Master of Teaching and Learning course, you can visit LearnJCU Organisation site “Professional Experience Community’ for further information.
The dates and times are advised through the Subject Outline and on the Professional Experience Community LearnJCU Site. Please note that full attendance is recorded at Professional Experience workshops and attendance is mandatory.
Students undertaking professional placements are required to obtain a Suitability to Work with Children Card before the start of the first Placement. Students must retain a current and approved State’s regulatory authority Suitability to Work with Children Card for the duration of the course 1.4 Professional Experience Placement Requirements Procedure
As stated on the Blue Cards portal, a person does not need to have a physical blue/exemption card before starting work or volunteering with children. Blue Cards do not require you to carry your card with you while working. However, this may be a policy of the organisation's child and youth risk management strategy. If it is your school or centre’s policy to sight a physical card, please advise the Student Placement Team via placements@jcu.edu.au
Your school/centre can validate your blue card/exemption card any time after a person has received their working with children check.
The dates for Professional Experience per subject are published on the College website, and in the Professional Experience Community Site on LearnJCU. The academic year Professional Experience calendar is available in October (approximately) of the previous year to assist you in preparing for Professional Experience in the following year. It is the responsibility of the Preservice and Graduate Student Teacher to be familiar with any planned Placement dates in the year prior to enrolling in the subject in which the placement is embedded. Please refer to your course enrolment planner which outlines any subject with a professional component.
Out-of-step refers to when a student's planned progression of the course and proposed study plan is disrupted. Regarding Placement – Out-of-Step means you are not completing all Placements as indicated on Profex Calendar year within the same calendar year.
If you are a student returning to study after a period of absence or an Out of Step student, it is your responsibility to contact the Student Placement Team NO LATER than the 1st Week of the Study Period before commencing the subject with the embedded placement.
Failure to make contact will mean that a placement will not be found.
Please refer to the Calendar to see when your 'out of step subject' for which you intend to enrol has the scheduled embedded placement.
The Professional Experience Advisory Committee (PEAC) endorses the JCU Professional Experience calendar. It is an agreed calendar that aligns with subject learning and assessment and partnership schools' and centres' capacity to host Preservice and Graduate Student Teachers.
The PST and SBTE cannot negotiate changed placement dates outside the Professional Experience Calendar without written approval from the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator.
Step 1: The Student Placements Team will send the Student Placement Preferences Survey via email to students who potentially meet the requirements of the subject with embedded placement. Complete the Placement Preference survey in a timely manner so the team can determine if you will need a placement sourced.
Step 2: The Student Placements Team source the Placement.
Step 3: You will receive an email from the Student Placements Team with all relevant school details once the Placements have been finalised. This will occur approximately 2 weeks prior to the placement commencement date.
Failure to complete the Pre-Placement Requirement (1.1) of editing InPlace for a placement within the scheduled timeframe means a placement will not be sourced for the student. The University is under no obligation to provide a professional placement to a student who has not completed the Pre-Placement Requirements by the due date.
Students who fail to comply with Placement Requirements (7.4) in accordance with the Professional Experience Placement Requirements Procedure may be withdrawn from their subjects and discontinued from their course.
It is a Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) requirement for program accreditation, including our JCU Nationally Accredited programs to adhere to this requirement of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) responsible for arranging Professional Experience Placements. Therefore, all placements are organised by the JCU Student Placements Team ONLY so Preservice Teachers should not contact sites regarding potential placements under any circumstances.
It is a breach of JCU placement processes for PST/GSTs to attempt to source and arrange a school of choice for a placement. It is a breach to approach or engage in conversation with Principals, Deputy Principals, Head of Departments, Site Coordinators or Site-Based Teacher Educators about being placed at the school. Students cannot choose a school centre or sector*. The process for Preservice and Graduate Student Teachers is to provide 2 preference localities (towns).
For the FINAL suite of Placements ONLY– Professional Experience A & Professional Experience B (Undergraduate) Final Graduate Professional Experience (Master of Teaching and Learning), students may provide a preference for a sector*.
JCU works to avoid placing PST/GSTs at a partnership school or centre representing a conflict of interest. The assessment of a Professional Experience must not be subjected to positive or negative bias for either the PST/GST or the Supervising Teacher.
A conflict of interest refers to a school or centre where a Preservice and Graduate Student Teacher is employed, including a Permission to Teach, or has been recently employed or where a child or close family member* attends or is employed.
JCU works to avoid placing PST/GSTs at a partnership school or centre representing a conflict of interest. The assessment of a Professional Experience must not be subjected to positive or negative bias for either the PST/GST or the Supervising Teacher.
A conflict of interest refers to a school or centre where a Preservice and Graduate Student Teacher is employed, including a Permission to Teach, or has been recently employed or where a child or close family member* attends or is employed.
Family members* mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, or in-law immediate family member
Under the Coursework Enrolment Procedure (6.1), PSTs/GSTs may be required to attend placement in any location to meet the Placement Requirements at their own expense. However, if they have particular circumstances that would mean that severe hardship would result from an out-of-town placement, a PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION APPLICATION can be submitted to Student Placements Team for the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator's approval. The application requires supportive documentation and is to be submitted at the time of your InPlace editing dates. Please see the Professional Experience Calendar for InPlace editing dates for the subject with the embedded Placement.
Applications submitted either without supporting documentation OR after placement requests close will not be considered
Students receive an email from the Student Placements Team to advise that their placement is sourced and to log into InPlace to view their confirmed placement. This will occur approximately 2 weeks prior to the placement commencement date.
Once students have been notified of a placement school/centre, no change is permitted as the placement has been sourced under the Guidelines for Professional Experience
Students can apply for travel grants "Beyond the Range" or the “Regional Professional Experience Grant” to assist them in completing their Professional Experience in rural or remote Queensland if by a Department of Education school. Application for these grants will be advised at the Professional Experience Online Workshops and the Teach Queensland website.
We encourage PSTs to have at least one placement in a remote setting.
Students are expected to plan financially to be able to undertake placements away from their home base as per the Coursework Enrolment Procedure 6.1. A student may apply for special consideration if financial planning to undertake a Professional Experience outside your local area is disrupted due to exceptional or unforeseen circumstances. You are unlikely to be granted special considerations under these circumstances more than once.
Students are to contact the listed Site Coordinator via email to introduce themselves and to arrange an Induction meeting time prior to Placement.
Health and Wellbeing While on Professional Experience
If you have recently suffered a medical condition that you believe will impact your Professional Experience and your ability to complete the required duties and learning tasks of the placement, advise the Student Placements Team as soon as it becomes apparent. Submit a PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION APPLICATION form to the Student Placement Team. Inherent requirements for each course are found in the Course and Subject Handbook. A medical certificate may be required from your medical practitioner stating that you are fit to be in the workplace, meeting the required learning tasks and inherent requirements of the placement. This medical certificate is required by Workplace Health and Safety legislation and needs to be provided to the Student Placement Team.
If you are studying with a documented disability, injury, illness, short or long-term health condition, including learning disabilities and mental health conditions, you can register with Accessibility Services
If you are pregnant, you need to obtain a medical certificate from your medical practitioner stating your expected due date and fit to be in the workplace. This medical certificate is required by Workplace Health and Safety legislation and needs to be provided to your school or centre and a copy to Student Placement Team at placements@jcu.edu.au
If you have a medical condition that arises and can potentially limit your capacity to participate in all work involved in teaching duties for Placement and requires both a change and/or a significant change to the Placement outside of the Professional Experience Calendar scheduled finishing time frame, you must apply for a Professional Experience Special Consideration Application. Significant means if continued Practicum overlaps with course work or interferes with the integrity of the Placement requirements.
If the condition prevents you from meeting the Professional Experience requirements with the scheduled timeframe you need to consider withdrawing from the subject. Please refer to Coursework Enrolment Procedure to review requirements regarding withdrawing to avoid academic and financial penalties.
Completing the required number of Professional Experience days for the subject in which the placement is embedded is a requirement to pass the subject. If the following situations arise:
- PST/GST is ill
- A family member (e.g., child) is sick
- An unforeseen (i.e., unexpected, unusual or uncommon) family situation arises
Due to one of the above situations, the Preservice or Graduate Student Teacher is required to:
- Contact the school or centre via email before the working day begins (usually by 8 am) and advise that they will not be in attendance for that day
- If the PST/GST had required planning for the day forward it to the SBTE so lessons can continue without disruption
- Provide a medical certificate to the school or centre (in accordance with the individual school/centre's policy) and a copy to the Student Placements Team
- Make up the day for the illness the following week to ensure the placement requirement of attending days consecutively
Note: It is not possible to make up missed days when lectures or tutorials are scheduled
If significant changes (3 days or more) require the negotiated days of placement outside the Professional Experience Calendar scheduled time frame, the PST/GST is required to apply for a Professional Experience Special Consideration Application. The Professional Experience Academic Coordinator can only approve the application.
If you are injured, seek medical assistance during a placement, report the injury to your Site-Based Teacher and Site Coordinator, and comply with the school or centre policies and procedures regarding incident and injury. Complete an accident report form at the school or centre; notify the Student Placement Team as soon as possible.
Completing the required number of Professional Experience days for the subject in which the placement is embedded is a requirement to pass the subject. In the case of a Public Holiday or local gazetted holiday falling during the practicum period, PST/GSTs are required to make the day up, as closely aligned with the placement structure of consecutive days to meet the full required number of days of placement.
Note: Making up the day is to be avoided in clashing with lectures or tutorials scheduled according to the JCU Timetable.
JCU's Counselling Service provides a professional, confidential, and free counselling service for PST/GSTs. Professional Experience can become a stressful time for several reasons. Making those times less stressful is an important goal of the counselling staff at JCU Student and Wellbeing
Whilst on Professional Experience, personnel are in place to support the PST or GST. Initial support is provided by the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator or assigned Academic Liaison (final year), the Subject Coordinator, and the Course Coordinator. The College academics are there to support the PST/GST as they navigate the placement.
The 'Request for Intervention' is a 4-step process designed for Preservice and Graduate Student Teachers to trigger a response from the Student Placement Team at JCU requesting support during a Placement.
The form is located on the LearnJCU Professional Experience Community Site.
Upon receipt of the Intervention Notification, the Student Placement Team will notify the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator or Academic Liaison to contact the PST/GST to discuss the concern. If necessary, the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator or Academic Liaison will visit the school to discuss the matter with the parties concerned.
To discuss the learning requirements of your Professional Experience, the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator is your first point of call.
While on Professional Experience
On the commencement of a placement, present your JCU Student ID Card either on a lanyard or within a plastic badge holder to the school/centre office. Your identification is to be always worn during the placement.
PST/GSTs must be at and signed in at the school or centre before the commencement of the school/centre's official start time. Time of arrival should be negotiated with your school's Site Coordinator during your introduction meeting prior to commencing.
Follow the school's policy and code of conduct for late arrival to the placement and note that the school or centre may lodge a complaint with the Student Placements Team if you are continuously late. This will result in a failed placement for not meeting the required days specific to the practicum.
It is a requirement to meet the required days (full school day) of a specific placement. To meet placement requirements, one of which is shadowing the SBTE and modelling the responsibilities and duties of an Educator, you cannot leave early from placement.
Each school and centre will have its own specific dress code policy, including sun-safe protective clothing. You will be required to adhere to the school's dress code policy – including hair and jewellery requirements during your placement. Address the school’s dress code for Teachers during the Placement Induction meeting with the Site Coordinator.
'Standards of Practice' supports the Queensland Public Service Code of Conduct. This is a summary: "It is essential we ensure that our personal appearance and presentation is professional. As a general guide, the appearance and dress of departmental employees should be clean, tidy, and appropriate to their duties and the people with whom they are dealing. Examples of inappropriate dress for DET's work environment include thongs, singlets, revealing clothing or clothing with offensive slogans. Each of us also needs to ensure that in compliance with our duty of care under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, and the requirements of the Code, we do not wear clothing or footwear that could put our own workplace health and safety at risk."
For Department of Education schools, there is no departmental policy in relation to tattoos or piercings. Jewellery may be a hazard when undertaking some activities. There is no requirement to cover a tattoo unless it is offensive or inappropriate. Independent, Catholic, and Private schools may have specific standards concerning the requirement to cover a tattoo.
Take a sun-safe hat (not a cap) for outdoor learning activities and playground duties.
For each Placement, students are provided with relevant support materials, including observation templates and lesson plan templates. All resources are located in the Professional Experience Community Site. Preservice and Graduate Student Teachers are encouraged to download the required materials, including the Professional Experience Handbook for Placement.
JCU Handbooks, Digital Reports and supporting documentation to assist SBTEs in assessing PST/GSTs in making formal evaluations are provided to schools and centres by the Student Placements Team each year via the JCU Professional Experience Resource Portfolio.
During placement, the following resources are required:
- Work Integrated Learning Professional Experience Student General Handbook
- Year Level Professional Experience Handbook
- Digital or Word Templates specific to the placement –located in Year Level Folders on the LearnJCU Professional Community Organisation Site
- Other resources you may require are outlined in the Professional Experience Online Workshops and Professional Experience Handbook
- Please refer to the Professional Experience Community Site for the School Back Pack with suggested ideas for what to take on a Placement
If the SBTE is absent during placement, the Site Coordinator at the school or centre will assist with what is required. You will still need to be prepared to teach lessons under the supervision of the relief teacher. It is not legal for you to teach without supervision. The Legal Rights and Responsibilities.
For placements requiring the SBTE's signature for the Professional Experience Attendance Record, the relief teacher is eligible to sign the Record of your attendance. If they are unavailable, having the Site Coordinator sign is acceptable.
Concerns/Problems, At Risk or Failing
The 'Request for Intervention' is a 4-step process designed for Preservice and Graduate Student Teachers to trigger a response from the Student Placement Team at JCU requesting support during a Placement. The form is located on the LearnJCU Professional Experience Community Site.
Upon receipt of the Intervention Notification, the Student Placement Team will notify the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator or Academic Liaison to contact the PST/GST to discuss the concern. If necessary, the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator or Academic Liaison will visit the school to discuss the matter with the parties concerned.
To discuss the learning requirements of your Professional Experience, the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator is your first point of call.
On receipt of the At-Risk Notification Form:
- Student Placements Team contact the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator
- Contact is made with the Site-Based Coordinator to discuss the concerns
- Based on conversations, an arrangement is made for either the Profex Coordinator or Academic Liaison to visit to support the PST/GST and the Supervising Teacher
- In collaboration, the JCU Team, School and PST/GST develop an action plan of support that serves the best interest of all parties, including a time for review
- The Professional Experience Academic Coordinator [Education] may elect to terminate the Professional Experience
The placement can be terminated at any time if the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator considers that progress or performance in the placement is not satisfactory or the PST/GST has not conducted themselves in a professional manner.
If further action is required, the Site Coordinator should contact the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator via email: trisha.telford@jcu.edu.au or phone
A successful Professional Experience is a requirement to pass the subject in which the placement is embedded.
For embedded Professional Experience, a successful completion of placement and coursework (and associated assessment) is required to pass the subject overall.
All subject requirements must be completed in the same study period in which the PST/GST is enrolled. If repeating a subject with embedded Professional Experience, the reattempt of all subject requirements, including the placement, is required**. (A successful placement completed in a previous enrolment does not count).
A PST/GST is required to attend an interview with the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator to review the reasons for the unsuccessful placement. An action plan to support the PST/GST’s continuation of the program is discussed, and options to seek alternative study plan options.
The Professional Experience Academic Coordinator maintains the right to require a student to undertake a failed Professional Experience placement in Townsville or Cairns and participate in a support program to prepare for the next attempt at the placement.
Students have the right to one subsequent attempt at any given placement unless failure has resulted from unethical or inappropriate behaviour. According to JCU’s Unsatisfactory Academic Performance Procedure, failing a second or subsequent attempt of a subject identified in Appendix 2** of the Appendices to the Unsatisfactory Academic Performance Procedure will result in exclusion from the Bachelor of Education (refer to Appendix 4 courses).
Note:
**Placement required This determines the student as an Out of Step Student. Please refer to the information regarding Placement For Out of Step Students.
Appendix 2 ** Professional Experience subjects are Appendix 2 subjects
If PST/GST has a successful Professional Experience but fails the coursework assessment component of the subject, then the next enrolment in the subject requires reattempting all subject requirements (i.e., a Practicum completed in a previous enrolment does not count). This determines the student as an Out of Step Student. Please refer to the information regarding Placement For Out of Step Students.
All subject requirements must be completed in the same study period in which you are enrolled.
It is a student's responsibility to email the Student Placement Team as per the information Placement for Out of Step Students. Failure to make contact will mean that a placement will not be found.
Before withdrawing, we encourage students to discuss their options with the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator to support making an informed decision.
If the PST/GST decide to withdraw from their placement prior to commencing the Practicum, the PST/GST is to Inform the Student Placements Team via email so the host school may be notified.
If a PST/GST decides to withdraw from their placement during a placement without meeting with the Professional Experience Academic Coordinator to seek support, the following action is required:
- Inform the Student Placements Team via email
- Inform both the Site Coordinator and Site Based Teacher Educator via email
Please refer to Coursework Enrolment Procedure
3.1 A student may apply in writing for withdrawal without academic penalty if special circumstances apply.
3.2 An application for Withdrawal without Financial and Academic Penalty due to Special Circumstances must be submitted within 12 months of the subject’s withdrawal date.
In exceptional circumstances, an application may be made outside of the 12-month application period. In these cases, additional supporting documentation must provide detailed evidence of the exceptional circumstances and clearly state why it was not possible for the student to apply before the end of the application period.
Please refer to Withdrawal without Financial and/or Academic Penalty due to Special Circumstances
to understand what constitutes special circumstances.