01 About the program
At Teach For Australia, our mission is to fight educational inequity by recruiting and developing exceptional people like you to teach and lead across Australia. We place Associates exclusively in schools serving low-socioeconomic communities, working in the regions that need the most support.
Through our Leadership Development Program you’ll develop and hone your skills on a personal, professional, and academic level and become the exceptional leader you’re meant to be – all while helping to create lasting social change.
02 Eligibility
Before you apply for the Leadership Development Program, you’ll need to:
- Be an Australian citizen or Permanent Resident at the time of applying
- Hold a Bachelor degree in a discipline other than teaching
- Be willing to accept a placement within a state or territory where we currently place
- Be able to meet the learning area eligibility requirements
We are unable to accept applications from individuals with the following degrees:
| Allied Health | Marketing |
| Anthropology | Natural Medicine |
| Architecture & Urban Planning | Medical degrees (other than nursing) |
| Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) | Occupational Therapy |
| Construction Management | Philosophy, Sociology, Cultural Studies |
| Criminology | Project Management |
| Graphic Design | Science Communication |
| Human Resource Management | Social Work |
| Indigenous Studies | Teaching |
| Interior Design | Tourism and Hospitality |
If you have a degree in one of the areas above, but over 50% of your degree is related to one of the subjects listed in the learning area requirements page, speak to a member of our team with a copy of your transcript handy.
03 How & when to apply
Applications open on 16th February, 2026. Register your interest to be notified when applications re-open.
Candidates who completed their undergraduate degree prior to 2016 must apply before the close of round two. Candidates who completed their degree outside of Australia, USA, UK, New Zealand or Canada must also apply before the close of round two.
Applications are assessed on a rolling basis, and learning areas close progressively as we accept enough candidates to meet school demand. Candidates who apply in rounds one and two are more likely to be placed in their preferred region, and have enough time to resolve any eligibility issues. For information on when to apply, visit our Learning Area Requirements page.
Before you apply make sure you:
- Check your eligibility
- Attend one of our virtual or in-person events or speak to a recruiter
04 Where we place
While we recruit from across the country, our Leadership Development Program currently operates in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and South Australia. Placement regions within these states and territories are broken down into metro, regional, and outer regional or rural areas.
Click on the States and Territories in the map below to learn more about which subjects are in demand.
When joining our program you’ll be invited to share your location preferences with us and we’ll then work to find you a suitable placement in one of our partner schools.
05 The associate journey
1. Open and submit an application
Once you start your application, our team will be in touch to guide and support you. The online application takes 1-2 hours to complete, and you’ll be asked to submit your academic transcripts and location preferences.
The application contains questions aligned with our seven competencies, where you’ll share your motivations for joining the program. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible because learning areas close when we have enough candidates to meet school demand.
2. Assessment Centre
If your application is successful, you’ll be invited to a virtual day of assessment activities. We help you prepare for this and have tools and tips to assist you. Activities include a sample teaching lesson, group activity, and a one on one interview. These events happen on a rolling basis, and within one week of your assessment, you’ll receive a phone call with feedback and an outcome.
3. Conditional offer and allocation
If successful, Australian Catholic University (ACU) will confirm your learning areas, and you’ll receive a conditional offer to join the program. Once you sign the offer, you’ll be allocated to a state or territory and invited to share your placement needs and wants.
4. Placement
Once your placement is confirmed, we’ll support you with the required relocation, onboarding and registration processes to prepare you to start teaching in your new school in January. This process typically starts in June.
5. Summer Semester: pre-work
From mid-to-late September, you’ll be required to complete 25-30 hours of mandatory self-directed coursework to prepare you for the National Initial Intensive. This includes readings, asynchronous lectures, and reflections.
6. National Initial Intensive
Before you step into the classroom, you’ll complete 20% of your Master’s coursework through the National Initial Intensive (NII). NII involves a combination of 2-weeks pre-work, online learning sessions (live), assignments and a 2-week in-school practicum to help you build foundational teaching skills.
The National Initial Intensive starts in October.
7. Regional Intensive and Summer Semester coursework
You’ll continue your coursework in January through a combination of online learning and a four-day face-to-face Regional Intensive held in your placement state or territory.
8. Step into the classroom
You’ll begin teaching in Term 1 and develop your skills throughout the two-year program, where you’ll gain a nationally accredited and internationally recognised Master of Teaching (Secondary) (Leading Learning), delivered in partnership with Australian Catholic University (ACU). You’ll also receive one-on-one coaching and mentoring during this time.
06 Financial support
Most program costs are covered by Teach For Australia, in partnership with the Australian Government, on an assisted scholarship. You will need to contribute a portion towards your Master’s degree (a total of $12,200 paid in instalments by unit each semester) and access to FEE-HELP may be available for those eligible.
You’ll also earn a full salary while you learn (approximately $63,000 – $77,000 base salary, depending on where you’re placed). In some jurisdictions you’ll be able to access relocation assistance and allowances for working in remote communities.
You can read more about the financial assistance available here.
You may also apply for funding through our Access & Equity Fund which aims to provide supplemental support to Incoming Associates experiencing financial hardship during the Summer Semester. Scroll down to our FAQs for more information.
Associates’ salaries and employment conditions vary between States and Territories. Just like other teachers, you will be eligible for salary increases with experience and progression.
07 Why choose TFA
The Leadership Development Program is more than a Master’s. Here’s what makes the Teach For Australia experience unique:
- Our wrap-around support and regular leadership coaching and mentoring is designed to set you up for success as you settle into your new role and school.
- When you join the Leadership Development Program you become a part of the TFA family. You’ll enjoy access to a national and international network of active and engaged Alumni through our Teach For Australia and Teach For All networks. This network can open up a wealth of career opportunities all over the world.
- We have a long and proud history of collaboration with Berry Street and offer the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) as part of our Leadership Development Program, which supports Associates to implement trauma-informed strengths-based strategies in the classroom. BSEM’s evidence of impact is based upon its longitudinal research and practices supporting schools across Australia and beyond.
- Our program fosters a journey of learning and unlearning towards reconciliation through your academic coursework and local on Country experiences, as we work in partnership with our communities to give every child access to an education that honours their unique identity, strength, and rightful place in our nation and empowers them to thrive.
08 Coaching & support
Here’s how we support you during the program:
Teaching and Leadership Coach (TLC)
An experienced teacher who will provide one-on-one coaching, regular classroom observations and pastoral care to guide your development as a teacher and leader throughout the program.
ACU Academic Advisor
Your Academic Advisor will support and supervise your progress throughout the degree and guide your achievement of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
School Mentor
An experienced teacher at your placement school who will provide day-to-day practical support and help with integration into life at the school and within the local community.
09 What we look for
We’re looking for candidates with these six key competencies:
Motivation
You are committed to addressing educational inequity, driven by your values. You have a clear and purposeful vision for the impact you want to make, both during and beyond the program.
Leadership Potential
You lead with purpose and impact, showing the mindset, initiative and influence to make a difference. You set bold expectations for yourself and others, grounded in belief and possibility. You take action, leverage strengths and follow through to achieve meaningful outcomes.
Relationship Building
You build empathetic, respectful and connections with people and their communities. You are aware of interpersonal and environmental nuances, engaging across lines of difference with openness and humility. You contribute to inclusive, collaborative relationships that honour lived experiences and support shared goals.
Communication
You communicate clearly, coherently and appropriately across verbal and written formats. You express ideas in a structured and accessible way, adapting your style and tone to suit audience, purpose and setting. You communicate professionally and responsively to support effective collaboration and learning.
Learning Growth
You take responsibility for your personal growth and development. You demonstrate self-awareness, seek feedback, and use it to improve. You actively reflect, adapt and pursue learning opportunities with a positive and proactive mindset.
Adaptive Thinking
You analyse complex problems deeply and with clarity, identifying root causes across individual, structural, and systemic levels. You apply flexible, creative and context-aware solutions, adapting strategies to challenges to achieve sustainable outcomes.
Perseverance
You analyse complex problems deeply and with clarity, identifying root causes across individual, structural, and systemic levels. You apply flexible, creative and context-aware solutions, adapting strategies to challenges to achieve sustainable outcomes.
10 FAQs
Will I be teaching full-time?
Associates will teach 0.8 full-time equivalent (FTE), allowing the remaining 0.2 FTE for study.
Depending on your school’s needs, this could be teaching eight days each fortnight and having two days off for study, or teaching six full days, four half days and study four half days.
While the Master’s requires more hours of study than 0.2 FTE each week, this time is allocated to reduce the amount of study Associates need to complete outside of work hours.
Incoming Associates have the option to extend their Master’s to 3 years, allowing more time for study (and therefore reducing academic workload).
I’m not ready to apply yet. Can I register my interest for another year?
Of course. You can register your interest here and we will keep in touch.
Can I choose where I teach?
During the application process, we ask you for your placement preferences. We work hard to set you up for success, with a strong emphasis on making sure that, where possible, you are placed with or near other Associates.
Keep in mind that the greatest need for our work is often in regional and remote communities, so ‘near’ can sometimes be a few hours away.
Am I guaranteed a teaching role if I receive a conditional offer?
While we make every effort to find a suitable placement for you, we can’t guarantee a placement – it depends on the workforce needs of our partner schools and the flexibility of your location preferences.
In the unlikely event that we can’t find you a placement, we will work with you to identify the next steps, which may involve a deferral to a subsequent cohort of the LDP.
I don’t have a Bachelor’s degree but I have career experience. Can I still apply?
To be eligible for the Leadership Development Program, you must be qualified at a Bachelor degree level in a discipline other than teaching and able to enrol in at least two learning areas – which are the subjects you’re qualified to teach.
If you don’t have a Bachelor degree, you may qualify for our Undergraduate Teaching Program. Register you interest here.
We are not able to take experience into account when determining learning areas.
Where will I be placed?
We place Associates exclusively in schools serving low socioeconomic communities, working in the areas that need the most support. We currently operate in Victoria, Western Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and South Australia. If you receive an offer to join the program, you’ll be invited to share your location preferences with us. The more flexible you are, the more likely you are to be placed.
How can I find out more?
Please email apply@teachforaustralia.org or register for one of our upcoming events.