Connecting with schools for relief teaching opportunities

• If you are already registered, you can connect with schools on ClassCover and receive job notifications through ClassCover jobs.
• If you are not yet registered, you can sign up for free by following the steps outlined in the New to ClassCover section below.
• Reach out to the school via email or phone, even if you have connected via ClassCover.
• Check and subscribe to JobFeed to receive notifications for temporary relief teaching roles.
• Consider joining the Casual Teacher Viva Engage community to connect with colleagues across the department, ask questions, share ideas, and receive notifications about upcoming relief teaching opportunities.

Using ClassCover for relief teaching opportunities

ClassCover is the department's preferred solution for booking casual teachers. Follow these steps to maximise your casual teaching opportunities, showcase your skills and build connections with schools.

Enhance your ClassCover profile

• Include the following information in your ClassCover profile:
  • teaching experience
  • key learning areas and any additional subjects you are willing to teach, for example, special needs education
  • contact details
  • Working with Children Check (WWCC) number and expiry date
  • Approval to Teach
  • CV and any other relevant certification or documentation
  • references.
• Personalise your profile with a photo so schools can easily recognise you.
• Indicate your teaching level (e.g., primary or secondary) so that schools can identify you when searching by teaching level.
• Ensure your calendar is up to date with your availability so that schools know when you are available to be engaged.
• Consider adding a personalised introduction video to your ClassCover profile to showcase your skills and stand out to prospective schools.

Verify your profile with the NSW Department of Education

Teachers who wish to teach at NSW public schools are required to enter and verify their data with the department. The verification status is integrated with the department's system and is designed as a time-saving tool for all NSW public schools to check that a teacher is accredited, approved to teach, and has completed all required mandatory training (staff only).

To learn more about verification status, visit the ClassCover website.

ClassCover etiquette tips and tricks to create connections with schools

• Send requests to join a school’s list.
• Accept schools' invitations to join their school list as soon as possible.
• Turn on ClassCover job alerts via your smartphone and/or on ClassCover website.
• Respond promptly to booking requests - you can do this either via the ClassCover app on your smartphone, SMS, or on the ClassCover website.
• Turn off your profile when you are on leave or on a temporary contract.

Consider broadening your experience and reach by working with new schools

• Add any additional subjects you are willing to teach outside your Key Learning Areas, such as special needs education, to your ClassCover profile.
• Consider reasonable travel time from your location and make your selection of schools as wide as possible when requesting to join a school’s list.
• If you are relocating to a new area, we recommend that you communicate with schools in the new location by email so that the schools can accept your ClassCover request to join their school’s list.

Positive school connections – etiquette and expectations

To promote best practices for casual teachers and increase their opportunities for receiving repeat invitations from schools, we recommend the following:

• Arrive early to ensure ample time to:
  • meet with the school staff
  • familiarise yourself with the environment
  • access resources and be classroom-ready
  • undertake school induction if it is your first engagement.
• Dress professionally.
• Leave a detailed handover note on the classes delivered and any relevant student information.

Casual teacher information sessions

For interactive information on enhancing your ClassCover profile to optimise school bookings and build positive connections with schools to boost employment, you can watch the recording from the Term 4 casual teacher information session (staff only). If you do not yet have a department login, you can access the recording in Brightcove.

The information sessions were delivered throughout 2024 providing information on professional learning for accreditation, mandatory training, explicit leaning, classroom management and staff wellbeing. To view all session please visit casual teacher information sessions (staff only).

Attending or watching the session can count as professional development to help maintain your accreditation. For more information, refer to NESA’s professional development requirements for teachers.

Mandatory training and professional development

• Complete necessary role-specific mandatory training for casual teachers (staff only), or email Learning@det.nsw.edu.au for any mandatory training inquiries.
• Locate mandatory training, professional development and relevant resources on MyPL (staff only).
• Check out the MyPL useful support documents.
• Attend or watch casual teacher information sessions (staff only) – these can be counted as professional development to help maintain your accreditation. Additional information about the new mandatory training update for 2025 is available in the recording of the casual teacher information session held in Term 4, 2024 (staff only).
• Access information on the Performance and Development Framework for Casual Teachers. Further information on the Performance and Accreditation Support is available in the recording of the casual teacher information session held in Term 3, 2024 (staff only).
• Explore the Q+ platform (staff only) - the digital solution to simplify and modernise planning for teachers and principals. Q+ clarifies steps and provides links to tasks associated with professional planning and accreditation.

New to ClassCover

If you are not currently using ClassCover, we encourage you to register and explore the platform for free by following the steps below.

Returning teachers

If you are returning to teaching in NSW public schools following a break, you may need to renew or update the following:

• Renew your Working with Children Check (WWCC) (if expired), and/or send your current WWCC clearance to wwccrenewals@det.nsw.edu.au.
• Change your NESA Membership Status Accreditation from ‘Leave of Absence’ to ‘Active’, please refer to How to take yourself off a leave of absence.
• Manage your NESA accreditation, or call them on 1300 739 338.
• Manage your Approval to Teach.
• Check if your mandatory training (staff only) is up-to-date so that you are classroom ready.
• Reactivate your ClassCover account.
• Log in to your departmental account through the Staff Portal (staff only) to ensure all information, including banking details, is up to date.

Resources

Further information for teachers on the department's website:

• Casual and temporary teaching (nsw.gov.au)
• Step-by-step guide to becoming a teacher in a NSW public school

Information for teachers on ClassCover website:

• Teachers: Using ClassCover | ClassCover Support (intercom.help)