Head Teacher Eligibility Requirements
Find out the academic qualifications you need when applying for a head teacher position in a high or central school.
Introduction
The NSW Department of Education, NSW Secondary Principals' Council and NSW Teachers Federation recognise the importance of curriculum head teachers and educational support head teachers having relevant academic qualifications to enhance their capacity to provide credible educational leadership.
This page is for teachers and head teachers who apply for an advertised head teacher position in high or central schools.
Head teachers are employed under the Teaching Service Act 1980. Procedures for the selection of head teachers are contained in the Staffing procedure and the Merit selection procedure.
It is the responsibility of the School Recruitment and Placement team when filling head teacher positions to ensure that the person offered the position meets the eligibility requirements for head teachers as outlined in this policy and accompanying implementation documents.
The Head Teacher Qualifications Committee is responsible for the assessment of equivalence in cases where applicants for head teacher positions do not satisfy the eligibility requirements as outlined in the general principles set out in the implementation documents. The Head Teacher Qualifications Committee will then make recommendations to the Director, School Recruitment and Placement.
1. Eligibility requirements for head teacher positions
These revised eligibility requirements apply to all teachers who apply for a head teacher position with an entry on duty date on or after the commencement of term 2, 2009.
A number of transition arrangements apply. (See section 1.3.)
With the exception of where specific transition arrangements are provided (See section 1.3.2) eligibility for head teacher positions with an entry on duty date on or after the commencement of term 2, 2009 will be assessed in terms of the general principles described within this document or by having an equivalence to these requirements. (See section 1.4.)
1.1 General principles
1.1.1 Curriculum head teacher positions
The eligibility requirements for a number of head teacher positions are based on an applicant having tertiary qualifications including a degree with a major study pattern in a single subject/teaching area and related secondary teaching methodology (See section 1.6.1). Where some of these positions encompass more than one related area of teacher accreditation the major study pattern required can be in one of the subjects/teaching areas encompassed by the position (e.g. creative and performing arts which encompasses dance, drama, music, visual arts, photographic and digital media).
The eligibility requirements for head teacher positions that have responsibilities across a number of related subjects/teaching areas are based on an applicant having tertiary qualifications including a degree with a major study pattern in one of these subjects/teaching areas, a minor study pattern in at least one other subject/teaching area, and related secondary teaching methodology in these subjects/teaching areas.
The eligibility requirements for head teacher positions that have responsibilities for subjects/teaching areas across two different faculty areas (namely English/history and mathematics/science) are based on an applicant having tertiary qualifications including a degree with a major study pattern in one of these subjects/teaching areas, a sub-major study pattern in the other subject/teaching area, and related secondary teaching methodology in both of these subjects/teaching dary teacher.
Study patterns in many tertiary degree programs would equate to the following:
a major study pattern being three academic years of sequential study in the particular subject/teaching area
a sub-major study pattern being two academic years of study in the particular subject/teaching area
- a minor study pattern being one academic year of study in the particular subject/teaching area.
1.1.2 Educational support head teacher positions
These head teacher positions include:
access
administration
distance education
female students
Intensive English Centre
sport
teaching and learning
welfare
These head teacher positions require no specific academic requirements for eligibility. An applicant for an educational support head teacher position must have tertiary qualifications including a degree and be accredited as a secondary teacher.
1.2 Transition arrangements
1.2.1 General transition arrangements
General transition arrangements apply until the commencement of term 2, 2009 which enable permanent teachers (including head teachers) to be considered eligible for head teacher categories in accordance with either the previous eligibility requirements or the revised eligibility requirements.
Under this arrangement, for example, applicants for the position of head teacher, social science may have their qualifications considered under the previous requirements or under these revised requirements until the commencement of term 2, 2009.
1.2.2 Specific transition arrangements
Specific transition arrangements will apply until the commencement of term 2, 2012 whereby teachers with a major in history and a sub-major in English, who are accredited to teach history and English, will be considered eligible for the position of head teacher, human society and its environment.
Specific transition arrangements will also apply until the commencement of term 2, 2012 for educational support head teacher positions and the following head teacher positions:
industrial arts
personal development/health/physical education
technological and applied studies
special education – general
special education – behaviour difficulties
special education – emotional disturbance
special education – hearing impairment
special education – visual impairment.
These specific transition arrangements allow teachers who do not have a degree level qualification to be considered for eligibility for the above head teacher categories.
The department and the NSW Teachers Federation will provide advice to the above teachers who seek information on how to obtain the necessary academic qualifications to satisfy the general principles of the revised eligibility requirements for these positions.
1.3 Assessment of qualifications and equivalence
Applicants for head teacher positions who do not satisfy the eligibility requirements as outlined in the general principles set out in this document in their initial training, and who believe that their training, skills, and experience should be deemed to be equivalent to these eligibility requirements, may seek an assessment of equivalence.
This assessment of equivalence will be undertaken by a Head Teacher Qualifications Committee. The department, NSW Teachers Federation and NSW Secondary Principals’ Council will each nominate one representative and one alternate representative for the Head Teacher Qualifications Committee. The Head Teacher Qualifications Committee will meet on a regular basis, or as required to deal with specific issues of concern.
The Head Teacher Qualifications Committee will make recommendations to the Director, School Recruitment and Placement on the eligibility of applicants for head teacher positions. With respect to individual applicants who have been assessed as not satisfying the requirements for particular head teacher positions, the Head Teacher Qualifications Committee will provide advice to the Director, School Recruitment and Placement on how these applicants may do so.
The Head Teacher Qualifications Committee will review the case for equivalence by having regard for:
tertiary academic studies
teaching methodology studies
teaching experiences
TAFE courses/certificates/diplomas
departmental courses
membership of NSW Education Standards Authority examination committees
participation in School Certificate or HSC marking
other professional development
formal advice from a tertiary institution in terms of any advanced standing it would grant.
To assist in the assessment of head teacher eligibility, representatives on the Head Teacher Qualifications Committee can seek expert advice from within their organisations, as required. Representatives will be informed of the specific nature of the eligibility assessments prior to a Head Teacher Qualifications Committee meeting to enable this expert advice to be obtained to facilitate, as much as possible, the finalisation of the assessment at the meeting.
The Head Teacher Qualifications Committee will review the impact of eligibility requirements on existing teachers and head teachers arising from changing executive structures in schools and make recommendations to the Executive Director, School Workforce as required.
In making assessments of eligibility, the Head Teacher Qualifications Committee will establish a database of precedents which will facilitate consistency in assessments. These precedents may relate to the relevance of particular tertiary studies, TAFE courses and teaching and other experience in terms of equivalence to academic requirements. The Head Teacher Qualifications Committee will also identify anomalies which may exist between a teacher’s area of accreditation, academic study and teaching appointment.
The academic requirements for head teachers will be reviewed regularly by the department, NSW Teachers Federation and the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council, to ensure currency and relevance of the requirements.
1.4 Advice about eligibility to become a head teacher
Advice about the requirements for eligibility for head teacher positions will be provided to all government secondary schools and to universities conducting teacher education programs.
Teachers will be advised about their eligibility to become head teachers by the department at the following stages:
when the teacher’s subject/teaching area accreditation is confirmed as part of the application for employment process
when they are advised of eligibility for additional accreditation after completing additional training
when they seek advice from the department about head teacher eligibility and
when they seek consideration of their case by the Head Teacher Qualifications Committee.
1.5 Specific requirements
1.5.1 Positions where a major study pattern in a single subject/teaching area is required
These curriculum head teacher positions include those that relate to a single area of teacher accreditation (e.g. English) and several positions that relate to more than one related area of teacher accreditation (e.g. creative and performing arts) but where a major in one of the subjects/teaching areas is required for eligibility.
Positions that relate to a single area of teacher accreditation are:
agriculture
English
mathematics
music
PD/H/PE
visual arts.
To be eligible for consideration for one of the above head teacher positions an applicant must:
hold tertiary qualifications including a degree with a major study pattern in the subject/teaching area and secondary teaching methodology in this subject/teaching area and
- be accredited to teach the subject/teaching area.
Positions that relate to more than one area of teacher accreditation are:
commercial studies (encompasses commerce, economics, business studies)
creative and performing arts (encompasses dance, drama, music, visual arts, photographic and digital media)
history (encompasses history ancient and history modern)
learning support (encompasses English as a second language, careers, support teacher learning assistance, library)
science (encompasses physics, chemistry, biology and earth and environmental science).
To be eligible for consideration for one of the head teacher positions of commercial studies, creative and performing arts or history an applicant must:
hold tertiary qualifications including a degree with a major study pattern in one of the subjects/teaching areas encompassed by the position and secondary teaching methodology in this subject/teaching area and
be accredited to teach the subject/teaching area.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher learning support an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree and/or including recognised qualifications in one of these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach this subject/teaching area.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, science an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in one of the science subjects/teaching areas and a related secondary teaching methodology and
be accredited to teach science*.
*The requirements for science accreditation include accreditation in at least two of the four science subjects/teaching areas, provided one of the sciences is either physics or chemistry.
1.5.2.1 Positions where a study pattern in more than one subject/teaching area is required
These positions are:
computing studies
home economics
human society and its environment
industrial arts
languages
social sciences
technological and applied studies.
Subjects/teaching areas in this faculty area include:
computing studies (years 7-10) (becomes information and software technology from 2005)
information processes and technology
software design and development.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, computing studies an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in computing which includes a minor study pattern in either software design and development or information processes and technology and related secondary teaching methodology in these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach computing studies (years 7-10) and one/or both of software design and development or information processes and technology.
Subjects/teaching areas in this faculty area include:
textiles and design
food technology
design and technology
community and family studies.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, home economics an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in one of these subjects/teaching areas, a minor study pattern in one other of these subjects/teaching areas and a secondary teaching methodology in these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach both of these subjects/teaching areas.
Subjects/teaching areas in this faculty area are:
Aboriginal studies
Asian social studies
business studies
commerce
economics
geography
history (including history ancient and history modern)
legal studies
society and culture
studies of religion.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, human society and its environment an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in one of these subjects/teaching areas, a minor study pattern in at least one other of these subjects/teaching areas and secondary teaching methodology in these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach both of these subjects/teaching areas.
Subjects/teaching areas in this faculty area are:
design and technology
engineering studies
industrial technology/technical drawing – graphics
industrial technology/technics – automotives
industrial technology/technics – building & construction
industrial technology/technics – electronics
industrial technology/technics – metals
industrial technology/technics – multimedia
industrial technology/technics – plastics
industrial technology/technics – wood.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, industrial arts an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in one of these subjects/teaching areas, a minor study pattern in at least one other of these subjects/teaching areas and secondary teaching methodology in these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach both of these subjects/teaching areas.
Subjects/teaching areas in this faculty area are:
- Aboriginal languages
Arabic
Armenian
Chinese (Mandarin)
Croatian
Czech
Dutch
Filipino
French
German
Greek classical
Greek modern
Hebrew classical
Hebrew modern
Hindi
Hungarian
Indonesian
Italian
Japanese
Khmer (Cambodian)
Korean
Latin
Latvian
Macedonian
Malay
Maltese
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Punjabi
Russian
Serbian
Slovenian
Spanish
Thai
Turkish
- Vietnamese
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, languages an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in one of these subjects/teaching areas and a minor study pattern in at least one other of these subjects/teaching areas and secondary teaching methodology in these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach both of these subjects/teaching areas.
Note: Only post-introductory or post-HSC level study is counted towards a major or minor study pattern.
Subjects/teaching areas in this faculty area are:
Aboriginal studies
Asian social studies
business studies
commerce
economics
geography
legal studies
society and culture
studies of religion.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, social sciences an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in one of the subjects/teaching areas, a minor study pattern in one other of the subjects/teaching areas and related secondary teaching methodology and
be accredited to teach these subjects/teaching areas.
Subject/teaching areas in this faculty area are:
agriculture
computing studies (years 7-10) (becomes Information and software technology from 2005)
design and technology
engineering studies
food technology
industrial technology/technical drawing –graphics
industrial technology/technics – automotives
industrial technology/technics – building & construction
industrial technology/technics – electronics
industrial technology/technics – metals
industrial technology/technics – multimedia
industrial technology/technics – plastics
industrial technology/technics – wood
information processes & technology
software design and development
textiles and design.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, technological and applied studies an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in one of these subjects/teaching areas, a minor study pattern in at least one other of these subjects/teaching areas and related secondary teaching methodology in these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach these subjects/teaching areas. If these subjects/teaching areas do not include the mandatory design and technology course (technology from 2005) then the applicant must also be accredited to teach the mandatory design and technology course (technology from 2005).
1.5.3 Positions covering two different faculty areas
Subjects/teaching areas encompassed by this position are:
English
history (including history ancient and history modern).
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, English/history an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in English or history, a sub-major study pattern in the other subject/teaching area and a related secondary teaching methodology in both of these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach both of these subjects/teaching areas.
Subjects/teaching areas encompassed by this position are:
mathematics
science
physics
chemistry
biology
earth and environmental science.
To be eligible for the position of head teacher, mathematics/science an applicant must:
hold a tertiary qualification including a degree with a major study pattern in one of either mathematics or science, a sub-major study pattern* in the other subject/teaching area and related secondary teaching methodology in both of these subjects/teaching areas and
be accredited to teach both mathematics and science*.
* The requirements for science accreditation include accreditation in at least two of the four science subjects/teaching areas (i.e. physics, chemistry, biology or earth & environmental science), provided one of the sciences is either physics or chemistry. A sub-major in science is interpreted as one academic year of study in one science and another academic year of study in a second science, provided one of the sciences is either physics or chemistry.
1.5.4 Other specialised positions
Special education head teacher classifications are:
special education – general
special education – behaviour difficulties
special education – emotional disturbance
special education – hearing impairment
special education – visual impairment.
To be eligible for one of these head teacher classifications an applicant must:
hold recognised tertiary qualifications including a degree and related secondary teaching methodology
have completed approved special education training related to one or more of these classifications and
be accredited in the relevant area of special education.
Subjects/teaching areas in this faculty include all the vocational education and training industry framework areas as well as Work Education 7-10 and Work Studies 11-12.
To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must hold recognised tertiary qualifications including a degree and a related secondary teaching methodology which allows for departmental accreditation as a secondary teacher.
As well an applicant must have undertaken a school VET teacher training program either through a departmental retraining program or as a component of preservice or postgraduate teacher training.
There are no specific subjects/teaching areas in this curriculum area.
To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must hold recognised tertiary qualifications including a degree and a related secondary teaching methodology which allows for departmental accreditation as a secondary teacher.
This curriculum position has no specific additional academic requirements for eligibility.
1.5.5 Educational Support Head Teachers
These head teacher positions include:
access
administration
distance education
female students
Intensive English Centre
sport
teaching and learning
welfare.
To be eligible for consideration an applicant for a head teacher position in one of these educational support areas must:
hold tertiary qualifications including a degree and
be accredited as a secondary teacher.
2. Overview of eligibility for head teacher positions
2.1 Positions requiring a study pattern in one subject/ teaching area
| Positions requiring a study pattern in one subject/ teaching area | Eligibility criteria |
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2.2 Positions requiring studies in more than one subject/teaching area
| Positions requiring studies in more than one subject/teaching area | Subjects/teaching areas encompassed | Eligibility criteria |
|---|---|---|
Computing studies |
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Home Economics |
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Human Society and its Environment |
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Industrial Arts |
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Languages |
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* Comprising post-introductory or post-HSC level study |
Social Sciences |
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Technological and Applied Studies |
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