School of Education

Limited Registration

Pre-Service Teachers Working under Limited Registration

The Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA) is the accrediting body for our initial teacher education (ITE) courses. As part of this accreditation ECU is required to meet a number of accreditation standards, including those which relate to professional experience arrangements.

ECU’s School of Education and the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA) value the importance of well-structured and supervised professional experience placements in shaping competent and confident teachers and trust Limited Registration (LR) Pre-service Teachers understand the importance of adhering to our ITE accreditation requirements and the clear distinction between paid employment and professional experience.

The following guidelines represent the position of the TRBWA and ECU in relation to LR and professional experience placements:

• Professional experience placements are expected to be undertaken in accordance with arrangements between the ITE provider and the school. As such, whilst a Pre-Service Teacher is undertaking professional experience at a school, they should not be employed as a casual/relief teacher at that school.
• In this context, it should be noted that employment as a teacher and a professional experience placement are considered to represent two forms of engagement with a school that is intended to be distinct and separate from one another. Professional experience is unpaid and must be conducted under the supervision of a full-time subject specialist mentor always present and assessed by an ECU University Supervisor.
• Employment as a teacher is not a replacement/substitute for a pre-service teacher’s professional experience placement. The primary focus of a professional experience placement is fundamentally educational in nature – one that is subject to supervision, oversight, professional feedback and assessment.
• There is a fundamental difference between being employed to teach and being placed in a school to undertake a supervised practical learning experience, one which is designed to allow for ITE students to put into practice the pedagogical knowledge gained through the ITE program.
• Although a Pre-Service Teacher may, subject to meeting eligibility criteria, be registered (under Limited Registration) to teach in a school prior to graduation, any such engagement should be separate from any professional experience placement within an ITE program.

By adhering to these guidelines, LR Pre-service Teachers can gain a comprehensive understanding of teaching practices and contribute positively to the education system while undergoing their ITE program.

Professional Experience Whilst Employed Initiative

Starting in 2025, ECU’s School of Education have introduced a protocol enabling final-year Pre-Service Teachers working with Limited Registration to undertake Professional Experience while being employed. This initiative aimed at strengthening our partnerships with schools and supporting both the teaching workforce and our Pre-service Teachers is approved by the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia and complies with all accreditation requirements.

The program currently applies to:

1. Final-year Pre-Service Teachers.
2. Participants in the High Achieving Teachers (HAT@ECU) program.

Schools interested in this initiative are encouraged to contact the Professional Experience Office for more information.

High Achieving Teachers Program (HAT@ECU)

Get paid while studying to become a teacher.

Exclusive to ECU, the High Achieving Teacher Program offers an exciting new earn as you learn pathway to a Master of Teaching in either Early Childhood, Primary or Secondary Education.

To address Australia’s teacher shortage, ECU, in partnership with the Federal Government, has introduced an exciting new employment-based pathway.  Through HAT@ECU, eligible students will be paid while attaining teaching qualifications. For more information, visit the HAT website.