Pre-service teacher placement process

Refer to the Professional Experience matrix and Professional Experience calendar. Please familiarise yourself with these dates to ensure you are aware of your scheduled placement dates.  Do not arrange holidays or other commitments during your professional experience. If you are employed, make sure that you have made required leave arrangements. 

2024

• Professional Experience Calendar 2024 (PDF 330 KB)
• Professional Experience Matrix 2024 (PDF 128 KB)

2025

• Professional Experience Calendar 2025 (PDF 259 KB)
• Professional experience Matrix 2025 (PDF 101KB)

As soon as possible after you have enrolled into an education course that has a professional experience component, log into InPlace and complete the request to source placement online. All supervised placements other than internships must be sourced by the Work Integrated Learning Team, whether you are undertaking a placement at a new site or a return placement where you will return to your previous site.

When requesting a placement it is important that all information you supply is correct and up to date to ensure you receive the most suitable placement available. Students are not permitted to approach schools or centres in Queensland to negotiate placements as outlined in the Partnership Agreements included in the Professional experience reporting framework.

For the purposes of an education placement a day is defined as 8 hours, e.g. being on site from 8am to 4pm. Any absences must be made up as a course requirement to complete the placement and ensure eligibility for QCT registration. 

1. Fully enrol in your professional experience course. Please note, your enrolment will not appear in InPlace until 24 - 48 hours after you have enrolled in a professional experience course and you will not be able to finalise your request for placement until this has occurred
2. Log in to InPlace. Please refer to How do I log in to InPlace? for further assistance with accessing InPlace if needed
3. Select the drop down arrow beside your Student ID in the top right of the page and go to your My Details page
4. Check that all questions under the Request to Source Placement heading are correct and acknowledge this under mandatory acknowledgement tab
5. UniSQ’s number one priority is the health, safety and well-being of our students, staff and community and we are asking students to upload their COVID-19 vaccine evidence to their InPlace profile, if available.
6. You will also need to ensure you have applied and hold a current and valid blue card or state equivalent if you are outside Queensland
7. When your placement is confirmed you will receive a confirmation email from the Work Integrated Learning Team as per the communication flow chart

Please note:It is in your best interest to make sure that this information is submitted prior to the commencement of the Semester you are enrolled in a placement course. The sooner you complete your request, the sooner the Work Integrated Learning Team can begin sourcing your placement.

To prepare students for their first professional experience placement, the School of Education has acknowledged that in addition to embedded placement course work, a key aspect of preparing for the profession is to engage in targeted mandatory training. This module is designed to help prepare students for their first professional experience as it unpacks the key information you need to know and understand. This module must be completed prior to students first placement. The module contains a quiz at the end. Students need to work through the entire module and then answer all the quiz questions correctly before it will be recognised that you have completed this module.

The module can be accessed here.

All students attending their first Education placement will be required to complete this pre placement module and upload the certificate to InPlace when you enrol in the placement course (EDU1100/EDC1400/ESP1200/EDE2010/EDM5000). This MUST be received before your placement can be confirmed.

If you have negotiated your placement please complete and return a Professional Experience Placement Application Form A (PDF 374KB).

In the instance that you cannot return to a previous site for your Internship contact the Work Integrated Learning Team as soon as possible for assistance.

Students intending to undertake a placement overseas are required to source their own placements. Once a suitable supervised placement has been secured, students will be required to submit a  Professional Experience Placement Application Form A (PDF 374KB) to WIL@unisq.edu.au for processing.

It is recognised that international schools observe different school years and terms to Australian schools. Students are encouraged to complete their placements as close to the dates outlined in the UniSQ Professional Experience Calendar as possible.

Students are able to attend placements overseas using the accepted curriculum for the context, providing they are supervised by a suitable teacher (must be QCT registered or registrable) and the majority of placements are attended in Australian educational settings e.g. the GTPA prac in the Australian Curriculum and a total of at least 40 days (undergrad), or a total of at least 30 days (postgrad), in Australian schools/childcare centres. e.g. English National Curriculum, Montessori, International Baccalaureate.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that, prior to commencing their overseas placement, they have met the requirements for the local jurisdiction e.g. the Working with Children/Criminal History Checks, and any pre-requisite training.

Students intending to undertake their placement at a Queensland State School are not to approach schools (including Senior Guidance Officers/Guidance Officers) directly for placement. Students intending to undertake placement outside of the Queensland State School setting are to liaise directly with the Senior Guidance Officer (or equivalent) at the intended site. Further information around the placement process will be provided to students via email upon enrolment.

Once your placement has been finalised with the SGO (or equivalent), EDU8336 Guidance and Counselling placements require the submission of the Professional Experience Guidance and Counselling Placement Application (Form G) (PDF 499KB) to the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Team.

Please note: completing this form provides students with an opportunity to identify site contacts. The Work Integrated Learning Team will then collaborate with regional Senior Guidance Officers to confirm a suitable placement. While we endeavour to provide placements identified this cannot be guaranteed. For any questions please contact the Work Integrated Learning Team.

From January 2022, textbooks, student stationery, technology, uniforms and UniSQ course wear can be obtained online through School Locker.

A range of stationery and technology can also be sourced from the Post Office located on Toowoomba campus; UniSQ Cafés at Ipswich and Springfield; and on-campus vending options.

• COVID - 19 Frequently Asked Questions