How to become a primary teacher in Australia

Primary school teachers make up a large proportion of the workforce in Australia—and with good reason. Not only does this role give an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people, but with our ever-increasing population, demand for primary school teachers is expected to grow.

To become a primary school teacher in Australia, you must first complete an accredited teaching qualification, such as a four-year Bachelor of Education (Primary) or a two-year Master of Teaching (Primary) for those who already hold a bachelor's degree. During your studies, you will need to pass the national LANTITE literacy and numeracy test, obtain a Working with Children Check, and successfully complete a Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA) after undertaking supervised professional placements in schools. Once you have graduated and met these requirements, the final step is to apply for registration with your state or territory's teacher registration authority, which makes you eligible to apply for primary teaching roles across the country.

As of 2025, there were 162,819 primary school teachers across Australia. With SEEK reporting a typical salary of $103,000 and a 5.1% projected job growth rate over the next 5 years, now is a great time to become a primary educator who is empowered to make a positive difference for children, families and communities.

In this article, we will explore what a primary school teacher does and the steps you need to take to become a primary teacher in Australia.

What does a primary school teacher do?

A primary school teacher in Australia is responsible for the education and wellbeing of primary school students, typically aged between 5 and 12 (from Foundation to Year 6). Their role is multifaceted and extends beyond just classroom teaching, encompassing the delivery of a broad curriculum that includes core subjects as well as creative expression and personal development.

Supporting students' academic, emotional, and social development is a key responsibility for teachers, with student support being an essential part of the workload alongside planning, marking, and administrative duties. Teachers also often lead extracurricular activities such as coaching sports teams or organising excursions, which play a significant role in supporting children's social and physical development outside regular classroom educational programs.

Primary education graduates can pursue careers not only in primary school teaching but also in areas such as school administration, education reform, curriculum design, and corporate training.

Primary school teacher duties and responsibilities

Key responsibilities for qualified primary teachers include:

• Planning and delivering lessons: Creating engaging lesson plans that align with the Australian Curriculum or state-based versions (e.g., NSW Syllabus, Victorian Curriculum). They teach a wide range of subject areas, including English, mathematics, science, humanities and social sciences (HASS), the creative arts, and health and physical education (HPE).
• Assessing student progress: Using a variety of methods such as tests, assignments, classroom observations, and evaluating student work to monitor students’ academic, social, and emotional development. They provide regular feedback to students and parents.
• Classroom management: Establishing a safe, inclusive, and positive learning environment where all students feel supported. This involves setting clear expectations for behaviour and managing classroom dynamics.
• Differentiating instruction: Adapting teaching methods and materials to meet the diverse needs of students, including those with learning disabilities, gifted students, and students from different cultural backgrounds.
• Communicating with parents and carers: Holding parent-teacher interviews, writing school reports, and maintaining regular communication about a child’s progress and wellbeing.
• Collaboration and professional development: Working with other teachers, school leaders, and support staff to improve teaching practices and contribute to the school community. They also access support services and undertake ongoing professional learning to stay current with educational research and standards, enhancing both teaching practice and student learning.
• Pastoral care: Looking after the social and emotional welfare of their students, which can involve managing conflicts, offering support, and liaising with school counsellors or psychologists when necessary.
• Extra-curricular activities: Supervising students during playground duty, school camps, excursions, and sporting carnivals.

What skills do primary school teachers need?

Primary school teachers need a diverse set of skills to effectively educate and nurture young students.

Understanding how children develop is fundamental for primary school teachers, as it enables them to teach foundational skills like literacy and numeracy effectively and adapt their methods to suit different stages across all primary years, from early to upper primary.

Adopting a holistic approach is essential, as it considers not only academic learning but also the social, emotional, and developmental needs of students throughout the primary years. These skills can be grouped into several key areas:

Foundational teaching skills

• Curriculum knowledge: A strong understanding of the subjects they teach (such as math, science, literacy or social studies) and the curriculum standards for their grade level.
• Lesson planning: The ability to design engaging and age-appropriate lessons that meet diverse learning needs.
• Classroom management: Techniques to create a safe, orderly, and positive learning environment. This includes setting clear expectations and managing student behaviour effectively.
• Assessment and evaluation: Skills to monitor student progress through tests, observations, and assignments, and to use that data to inform instruction.

Interpersonal and communication skills

• Patience and empathy: The ability to understand and respond to the emotional and developmental needs of young children.
• Clear communication: The skill to explain complex concepts in simple, understandable terms for children.
• Active listening: Paying close attention to what students say to understand their questions, concerns, and ideas.
• Collaboration: Working effectively with other teachers, school staff, and parents to support student learning.

Adaptability and problem-solving

• Flexibility: The ability to adapt lessons and teaching methods on the fly to respond to unexpected classroom situations or student needs.
• Creativity: Finding innovative and fun ways to present information and keep students engaged.
• Problem-solving: Quickly identifying and addressing challenges, whether they are academic, social, or behavioural.

Personal qualities

• Passion and enthusiasm: A genuine love for teaching and a desire to inspire a lifelong love of learning in students.
• Organisation: Strong organisational skills to manage lesson plans, grading, administrative tasks, and classroom resources.
• Resilience: The ability to handle the stresses and demands of the teaching profession with a positive attitude.

Steps to become a primary school teacher

To teach in an Australian primary school, you must earn an accredited teaching qualification from an accredited provider. Studying teaching through a recognised higher education provider, such as VU Online, ensures you graduate with the right qualification to register as a teacher in your state and begin teaching.

Recognised teaching courses, such as a Bachelor of Education or Master of Teaching, are standard pathways that qualify graduates for both primary teaching and secondary teaching roles. A primary education degree is a specialised qualification designed to prepare you for teaching across all primary grades, often including practical placements and opportunities for specialisation in a primary education environment.

Step 1: Choose your teaching degree

To become a primary school teacher in Australia, you need to complete a university-level qualification. While a Bachelor of Education (Primary) is a four-year, full-time undergraduate degree, a Master of Teaching (Primary) can be completed in as little as two years.

Postgraduate teaching programs aren't just for those with an education background. With an ongoing demand for qualified teachers in Australia, courses like VU Online's Master of Teaching (Primary Education) provide entry pathways for people from diverse backgrounds. This ensures that anyone who holds a bachelor's degree and meets the entry requirements for study can pursue this rewarding career path.

VU Online’s Master of Teaching (Primary Education) is a flexible, part-time postgraduate degree that you can study online. This flexible structure means you can continue working while you study. It also allows you to draw on your unique work and life experiences, bringing a wealth of knowledge from your previous studies and career into the classroom.

One of the best tips for choosing a tertiary teaching degree is to select a university that gives you extensive professional experience through supervised placement. Entry requirements often consider tertiary study and previous study, ensuring a holistic admissions process. A university like VU Online offers the support you need to become classroom-ready.

 

Step 2: Research any additional qualifications you need

So other than a teaching degree, what qualifications do you need to be a teacher? The answer may surprise you, because there are also a few additional qualifications you’ll need, including the successful completion of required prerequisite studies or courses.

Some of these qualifications will be required before you apply for VU Online’s Master of Teaching (Primary Education), while others become relevant during your studies.

Complete a non-academic attributes assessment

The Victorian Government has aligned the selection framework for Initial Teacher Education (ITE) courses with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) guidelines, which require the assessment of non-academic capabilities or personal attributes. All students need to pass the CASPer test or institute-specific Non-Academic Attributes (ANAA) interview prior to admission into an ITE course.

This is one of the first steps to becoming a primary school teacher in Australia, and you’ll need a computer with a video camera, microphone and either the Firefox or Chrome web browser.

Pass your LANTITE test

Initial teacher education students must pass the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) as part of the accreditation requirements before they can graduate and begin their professional experience placements.

The Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE) is compulsory for all aspiring teachers in Australia. This is because before you can test student progress in English literacy and numeracy, you’ll need to prove that your literacy and numeracy skills meet the required standard.

To meet the Victorian Government requirements for initial teacher education, you must achieve a LANTITE test result in the range expected of the top 30 per cent of the population in Australia.

Now this is a test that you’ll want to study for, but not necessarily straight away. You can actually complete a large part of VU Online’s Master of Teaching (Primary Education) before you need a LANTITE result—including classes on language, literacy and mathematics.

The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) run the LANTITE test, and they also provide a test-taking strategy to help you perform at your best. ACER conduct LANTITE tests at four different times each year at test centres across the country, as well as remotely in scheduled test windows.

Master of Teaching (Primary Education) students will need to pass the LANTITE test in order to demonstrate that their literacy and numeracy skills are within those expected of the top 30% of the population in Australia.

Obtain your Working with Children Check

Until you become a fully qualified teacher registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT), you’ll need to hold a valid Working with Children Check before you step into a primary school classroom. As a student of VU Online’s Master of Teaching (Primary Education), you’ll be heading into the classroom as part of 65 days of placement (more on that in a moment).

A Working with Children Check is a process managed by the Victorian Government to ensure workers meet the requirements of the Worker Screening Act 2020. This screening process reviews the criminal history and relevant professional conduct findings of applicants to assist in protecting children from sexual or physical harm.

Obtaining your Working with Children Check is as simple as heading into a Post Office with your proof of ID and application fee. While you’re there, the Post Office will take your photo for your Working with Children Check card. This process can also be completed online; just make sure you have all the required documents ready to go.

Working with Children Check applications can take 3-12 weeks to process, so don’t leave it too close to your placement date to apply.

Complete your Teaching Performance Assessment

A significant final hurdle for students studying education in Australia is the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA). This assessment comes after you have completed placements, and you will be prepared for the process during your studies.

Assessment for Graduate Teaching (AfGT) is an approved Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA). TPA programs are reviewed and endorsed by an expert advisory group that is part of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL).

The goal of the TPA is to ensure that teaching graduates are classroom-ready. As it’s an integral part of your first hands-on teaching experience, we hope you’ll enjoy your TPA in the same way you enjoy your placement.

As a pre-service teacher, you’ll collect evidence of your activities while on placement to satisfy your TPA. If you choose to study with VU Online, your supervising teacher and VU Online academics will also gather evidence throughout your placement as part of this process.

 

Step 3: Become classroom-ready with placements

One of the most exciting parts of your postgraduate experience will be completing your classroom placement. Professional placements are a critical component of teacher education programs, allowing students to gain practical experience and start teaching in real classroom settings.

Students in teacher education programs are typically required to complete a set number of hours in professional placements before they can qualify as teachers in Australia. With VU Online, you will spend 65 days on placement, where you’ll apply creative and critical thinking in your teaching practice under the supervision of a registered teacher, from lesson plans to teaching, assessing and reflecting.

Did you know that VU offers more placement days than most other universities? That extra time in the primary classroom was one of the key reasons why Irena Sugarevski chose to study with Victoria University.

“I truly believe my placements enabled me to become the teacher I am today—without them I don’t think this job would have been offered to me,” says Sugarevski.

Placement is a valuable opportunity to develop the skills you need to seek employment as a primary teacher and use self-reflection to improve your practice. Professional placements can occur in various educational settings, including government, Catholic, and independent schools, providing diverse experiences for pre-service teachers.

“During one of my placements, I did some team-teaching with another student teacher, and we were both offered jobs at the end of it!”

Like Sugarevski, you’ll spend 65 days in a primary school classroom—learning by doing.

How do teachers prepare for placement? Before and during your experiential learning, you’ll have personalised support on the phone and by email from VU’s Project Partnership Office.

We’ve put the support and processes in place to help you succeed in the classroom. You’ll also gain essential real-world experience and have the opportunity to improve your professional practice through self-reflection.

Success for us is when you achieve your goals.

“My new position is part-time and at a local independent school—exactly what I set out to achieve,” says Sugarevski.

Students may also receive financial support while on placement through the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) program. Eligible students can receive $338.60 per week (amount benchmarked to the single Austudy rate on 1 January each year) while they are undertaking a mandatory placement in a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in teaching.

 

Step 4: Apply for registration

Once you have completed your Master of Teaching (Primary Education) and all the additional qualifications, one of the final entry requirements to become a primary school teacher in Australia is to apply for registration as a teacher.

All primary school teachers are required to be registered. This accreditation confirms their qualifications and commitment to ongoing professional development.

Teacher registration in Australia is managed at the state or territory level, and individuals must register with the relevant authority after completing their qualifications before they can work in a school.

More information on registering as a primary teacher in each state can be found via the state governing body:

• Victoria: Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT)
• New South Wales: NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)
• South Australia: Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (TRB SA)
• Western Australia: Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA)
• Northern Territory: Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory
• Tasmania: Teachers Registration Board Tasmania (TRB TAS)
• Queensland: Queensland College of Teachers (QCT)
• Australian Capital Territory (ACT): ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI)

Registration and professional accreditation require the completion of an initial teacher education degree, supervised practicums, and passing the National Literacy and Numeracy Test (LANTITE). To apply for registration, you’ll need your academic transcript for all relevant qualifications, as well as evidence of the number of supervised practice teaching days completed during your initial teacher education. With registration active, you can apply for various primary teaching jobs across different school networks.

 

Step 5: Apply for primary school teaching roles

Once you're qualified and registered, it's time to start applying for jobs. The main recruitment period for permanent and long-term contract positions usually happens in Term 3 and Term 4 (July to December) for the following school year. Keep an eye on the job portals for your state's Department of Education, as well as Catholic and independent school websites.

If you're finding it difficult to secure a permanent role straight away, consider relief or casual teaching. It's an excellent way to gain experience, build relationships with schools in your area, and get your foot in the door. Many permanent teachers start their careers as relief teachers.

Your primary teaching qualification also opens doors to other career pathways. You could explore roles in secondary teaching (which may require some additional study), early childhood education, special needs education, or even tutoring and educational consulting.

Take the first step towards a rewarding teaching career with VU Online

Remember the teacher who made a real difference in your life? The one who believed in you. The one who understood you and the way you learned. With VU Online’s Master of Teaching (Primary Education) you can become that teacher for the next generation of students.

Good teachers do more than teach — they understand that learning is a dialogue, that every person has a voice, and every place is a learning opportunity.

They create classrooms where teachers and students care about each other, where there is equity and opportunity, where the foundations for success are set, and a lifelong love of learning begins.

Ready to be the difference and become a primary school teacher? Build a resilient teaching practice and gain hands-on experience with VU Online’s Master of Teaching (Primary Education) or speak to a Student Success Advisor for further information on how to become a primary school teacher.