How do I become a relief teacher in Adelaide and South Australia?
Are you thinking about working as a temporary relief teacher (TRT) in Adelaide or somewhere else in South Australia? Here’s your updated guide on what to study, what extra qualifications you’ll need and how and where to apply.
Gain your qualifications
Like other regions of Australia, relief teachers in Adelaide and South Australia are required to complete tertiary qualifications before they are eligible to teach. In order to meet the requirements of the Teacher’s Registration Board of South Australia, teachers must complete higher education qualifications of at least 4-years full-time that include an approved teacher education qualification such as:
- An approved undergraduate teacher education qualification that includes a component of supervised teaching practice
- An approved postgraduate teacher education qualification that includes supervised teaching practice, as well as a non-teaching undergraduate qualification of at least 3 years of full-time study.
Get your Authority to Teach and join the Employable Teacher Register (ETR)
The next box to tick for prospective temporary relief teachers in South Australia is to get an Authority to Teach. You can do this by applying for the Employable Teacher Register (ETR) — more information on that here.
Once you have submitted your ETR application and demonstrated that you meet the minimum requirements of employment, you will receive an email with your Authority to Teach certificate attached. The good news is, once you’ve completed your ETR you will only need to resubmit it when your details change.
Complete mandatory training
In South Australia, all educators including relief teachers must complete some mandatory additional training. This includes Responding to Abuse and Neglect Training — a full day course which must also be updated regularly throughout your employment as a teacher, as well as a current first aid training certificate.
Get your South Australian Teacher Registration
All teachers in Adelaide and South Australia—whether full-time, TRT, or something in between—must be registered with the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia. You can lodge your application online via the board’s website. You will need to include the following information:
- Identification (e.g. birth certificate, passport)
- Official transcript/s showing all completed higher education study
- Certificate from Responding to Abuse and Neglect mandatory training
- South Australian Working With Children Check (WWCC)
- For non-Australian residents: English language test results & overseas criminal history check
Finding Relief teacher jobs in Adelaide and SA
For temporary relief teachers in Adelaide and the rest of South Australia, there are a few different ways to find and apply for jobs. Here are a few strategies to get you started.
Search for jobs advertised by South Australia Education
The South Australian Department of Education has a job board with a list of open education roles across the state, including temporary relief teacher positions. Search by job title, subject, year level, location and more to find teaching roles near you. Visit the South Australian Department of Education jobs board.
Connect with schools near you on ClassCover
ClassCover was launched over 10 years ago by two former teachers who wanted to create a better way to connect casual relief teachers with schools. These days, tens of thousands of relief teachers in South Australia and around the country use ClassCover on a daily basis to find and book work. The platform is completely free for teachers, meaning you will always be paid your full rate for every day you teach.
So how does it work?
The first thing you need to do is create your free teacher profile — click here to do that. Once you have completed your profile there are two ways to connect with new schools.
Reach out to schools in your area
Once you have created your teacher profile, you’re ready to start connecting with schools in your area. From the Find New Schools page, browse the list of schools near you or filter by post code, school name and more.
Here’s what it looks like searching for schools in Adelaide:
Once you see a school you like the look of, you can request to be added to that school’s list of casual teachers. Your Teacher Profile will automatically be sent to the school with an overview of your qualifications, work experience and any other details you have added. Once the school accepts your request, you’ll begin getting booking requests for that school. It’s as simple as that.
Browse open job ads
Another great way to find work on ClassCover is by using our education-only jobs board, ClassCover Jobs. As well as callouts for casual teachers, ClassCover Jobs is your one-stop-shop for full-time, part-time, and contract teaching roles in South Australia and all over Australia. If you’re looking for a particular teaching role—say a contract maths teacher role near Glenelg—you can even set up a job alert to be notified when suitable jobs are posted.
Register with a TRT (Temporary Relief Teacher) Cluster Scheme
In Adelaide and South Australia, relief teachers looking for work have the option of applying to join a TRT cluster scheme. These schemes manage the booking of temporary relief teachers for all the schools in a certain area. For teachers, the benefit of working with a TRT scheme is the opportunity to be booked at a range of different schools once you are approved to join the scheme. Because a number of TRT schemes use ClassCover to manage their relief teachers, it’s a good idea to claim your free teacher profile on ClassCover in advance to hit the ground running.
Relief teacher pay in SA and Adelaide
How much do relief teachers get paid in South Australia? Relief teacher pay in SA and Adelaide for educators working for South Australia Department for Education schools is a daily rate based on experience ranging from $358.32 up to $519.69. Here is the full relief teacher pay range in SA and Adelaide:
- Tier 1: $358.32 per day
- Tier 2: $376.79 per day
- Tier 3: $395.28 per day
- Tier 4: $413.74 per day
- Tier 5: $432.28 per day
- Tier 6: $450.75 per day
- Tier 7: $469.22 per day
- Tier 8: $494.22 per day
- Tier 9: $519.69 per day
This information is accurate as of 13/05/2022 per the South Australia Department for Education.
Relief Teacher professional development South Australia
Teachers in South Australia are required to complete 100 hours of professional learning per 5-year registration term. This requirement is the same for all active teachers, regardless of whether you are teaching full-time, part-time, or as a temporary relief teacher. Per the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia, here are the standards for PD:
- PD must be over and above the normal duties of a teacher (activities like preparing lesson plans, assessing students’ work, and reporting does not count towards the professional development requirement)
- Professional learning must be in line with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST)
- All PD must be recorded on the teachers portal with evidence of study
So, what’s the best option when it comes to professional development for teachers in SA?
While full-time classroom teachers tend to have the benefit of being paid to undertake PD by their employers, most casual relief teachers aren’t so lucky. If you’re looking for a flexible, cost-effective way to complete your teacher PD, ClassCover Learn has over 100 hours of on-demand, online teacher PD that’s in line with the APST. Unlimited access is available for $45 per quarter or $99 per year. We even have a range of free professional development for teachers.
Learn more about ClassCover Learn.
Teacher Resume in SA
Before you begin applying for casual relief teacher roles in SA, it’s a good idea to make sure your resume is up to scratch. We know it can be tricky figuring out which information to include on your resume as a teacher—particularly if you are new to teaching or haven’t updated it in a while. Here’s some key information to include on your Australian teacher resume:
Contact info
It may sound basic, but having up to date contact information displayed front and centre on your teacher resume can mean the difference between getting the teaching job of your dreams or being left high and dry. At a minimum, it’s a good idea to include your phone number and email address. If you’ve already created your teacher profile on ClassCover, you can even include a link to your ClassCover Teacher Portfolio, which acts like a digital CV.
Your availability
Particularly if you’re applying for applying for casual relief teaching roles in SA, it’s important to include your general availability for schools to see quickly. This will make life easier for the person doing the hiring and increase your chances of getting a callback.
Your work history
Your previous teaching work experience is also important to include on your CV. If you’re new to teaching, use this space to include in-school prac placements or any work experience that is related to the role you are applying for.
Qualifications and PD courses
To help you stand out from other candidates and help yourself snag the teaching role of your dreams, make sure you include any relevant qualifications and PD courses you have completed.
