As a primary teacher you will have a creative, challenging and rewarding career helping and inspiring children to develop important lifelong skills. You will become adept at managing social, cultural and developmental diversity. You can choose from a range of subject areas in English, mathematics, health and physical education, Indigenous education, languages (Spanish or Italian), science and technologies, religious education and arts. These subject areas enable the development of deep knowledge and highly effective classroom teaching. By selecting religious education and/or theology units, you will be eligible to teach in Catholic and other faith-based schools.

Away From Base (Strathfield): If you are of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent you may be eligible to participate in the Away From Base program following an interview with the course coordinator and staff from the Indigenous Higher Education Unit.

Professional experience

80 days. Year 1: Community engagement, minimum of 35 hours. Year 2: 15 days, 15 days. Year 3: 15 days. Year 4: 5 days, 30 days. Students who choose languages as a subject area are required to undertake an additional 10 days.

Work placement

All initial teacher education programs must include a defined period of professional experience, where pre-service teachers practise teaching in a school under the direct supervision and guidance of an appropriately qualified teacher.

The current requirements are for a minimum of 80 days of professional experience that occurs in structured supervised settings. Supervised professional experience is at the heart of all our pre-service teacher education courses and the faculty will find appropriate placements to suit the needs of your course.

Professional recognition

Graduates are eligible for registration as primary teachers in government, independent, Catholic, and other faith-based schools. This program has been listed on the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) accredited programs list and meets the teacher education component of the qualification requirement for registration (accreditation) as a primary school teacher in all states and territories. 

Careers

Our graduates have pursued careers in:

• primary school education
• policy development
• community centre education
• private colleges
• inclusive education settings
• adult education
• education and training roles in other sectors – e.g. zoos
• correction facilities for youth or adults
• research
• special education

Employment rates

87% of Primary Teaching students are employed full-time within 4 months of graduating. (2019 Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) Graduate Outcomes Survey )