Formal requirements and procedures

Information on the maximum programme completion period, withdrawal from, changes to, and termination of professional practices, and student teacher obligations.

This section provides information about opportunities to pass the programme, the maximum programme completion period, withdrawal from, changes to, and termination of professional practices, and other official requirements and procedures.

Maximum programme completion period

The maximum completion period for one-year programmes is two contiguous years. Applications for an extension to this completion timeframe of up to one further contiguous year, may be made to the associate dean teacher education. Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis in relation to the applicant’s currency of knowledge and ability to engage in sustained practice upon graduation.

Withdrawal from, changes to, and ending professional practice

Schools and centres have the right to end a professional practice, having first communicated their concerns to the relevant programme director. Where the school or centre feels it is appropriate, the programme director, student teacher, and associate teacher(s) may meet to resolve the concern and negotiate the student teacher’s return.

Student teachers may not self-withdraw from a professional practice without having discussed their issues or concerns with the associate teacher or appropriate staff member such as the placement coordinator (in primary or secondary schools) and must also contact the programme director. Non-negotiated self-withdrawal will result in a fail for the professional practice and related course.

The Faculty of Education reserves the right to end a professional practice where there are documented concerns for the wellbeing of students, teachers, the student teacher or members of the school/centre community, or where there is insufficient progress.

If the placement is ended or a withdrawal is negotiated, the education professional practice and partnerships office may arrange a change of teaching placement. The associate dean teacher education will review written information about the student teacher’s progress in order to determine whether a change of placement is offered, having particular regard to the Ngā Tikanga Matatika / Code of Professional Responsibility and Ngā Paerewa / Standards for the Teaching Profession. Student Teachers should be aware that an alternative placement may not be possible to organise, given the demands on schools and centres.

Meeting professional obligations

Professional and ethical practice

Student Teachers are expected to uphold the Ngā Tikanga Matatika / Code of Professional Responsibility. Being a professional includes:

Meeting relevant legislative frameworks, governance and rules that apply within the schools/centres in which student teachers are placed for professional practice.
Not intervening with, or seeking information from, the school/centre, children/students or family/whānau that is beyond the scope of the student teacher’s teaching practice.
Maintaining a high degree of ethical behaviour with particular consideration of confidentiality issues when deciding what to record, develop, and share from professional practices.
Treating professional practice-based information shared by peers within the context of the programme (such as in tutorials) as confidential.
Keeping the identity of children/students, teachers, and the schools/centres in which they teach confidential when presenting information about professional practices through discussions, tutorials, lectures, or assignments.
Not using social media to share any information related to the professional practice.

Positive examples of what the principles of the Code of Professional Practice look like in practice, and examples of behaviour that is unacceptable and would be in breach of these expectations are included in The Code of Professional Responsibility: Examples in Practice.

Primary and secondary student teachers should understand that is okay to be friendly, but that students are not their friends.

Early childhood student teachers are reminded that they need to be responsive and sensitive in their interactions with children. While physical contact between young children and their teachers is necessary and often desirable, student teachers must not impose physical contact, except to ensure children’s safety, and should be sensitive to children’s cues as to their level of comfort with physical contact. Further, student teachers must follow the centre’s policy on changing children. Where the policy allows student teachers to change children’s nappies and clothes this must be done under supervision.

Student teachers must not share their contact details with students or connect with parents and whānau via personal social media accounts. Further, student teachers should take care not to be alone in a private place with a child/student, embrace or touch others inappropriately, interact in a manner which could be interpreted as sexually threatening or as sexual innuendo, or lose their temper or self-control.

All student teachers are expected to abide by the ethical protocols in their centre or school.

Before observing, videoing, or photographing the children, staff or school/centre environment, Student Teachers must have gained written permission using the school/centre’s procedures and permission forms.
Student Teachers must use a school/centre camera or device for taking images of the children or students, except where express permission is given by the Associate Teacher for a Student Teacher to use their own device.
Images of children must not be shared outside the centre or school and Student Teachers must not post photos or comments about the school/centre, staff, or children/students and their families on social media.
Student Teachers are expected to maintain confidentiality in their professional, public and private domains. This means that they must not name teachers, centres/schools or children/students and their families in any forum, including written assignment work, outside of the school/centre.

The Faculty may investigate any serious formal complaint of unprofessional conduct under the Student Conduct Statute. Student teachers should be aware that the Faculty may report to the Matatū Aotearoa | The Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand any matter that calls into question the student teacher’s likely ability to uphold Ngā Tikanga Matatika | Code of Professional Responsibility.

Health and Safety Act

It is the school’s and centre’s responsibility to ensure that student teachers are sufficiently briefed about the policies and procedures under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. The associate teacher and student teacher agreement must be returned to the Education Professional Practice and Partnerships Office as assurance that obligations under the Act have been met.

Schools and centres are reminded that student teachers are not permitted to take classes or groups out of the school/centre without the associate/mentor teacher or other suitably qualified person accompanying them. However, they can accompany excursions and fieldtrips. Student teachers can be included in the ratio of adults to children required for by centres for a trip but may not be included in the ratio of teachers for primary and secondary school trips.

Student teachers must not be asked to carry out relief teacher duties. Their presence cannot be counted towards maintaining staff-child ratios in early childhood centres and they should not be left with the sole responsibility for children in the centre at any time. This includes opening, closing, or waiting for parents who are late at the end of the day. Further, they must not be solely responsible for supervising the whole outdoor or indoor area, for sleeping children or for taking children on an excursion.

For primary and secondary student teachers, if the associate/mentor teacher is absent, it is appropriate for them to take any lessons that they have planned, however a relief teacher should be provided to take responsibility for the class and provide supervision and support for the student teacher.

In the event an emergency (such as an earthquake or fire) that closes or significantly affects the operations of the university or centres and schools, the university will contact centres and schools.

Children’s Act

Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington undertakes police vetting of student teachers on behalf of schools and centres, in accordance with the Children’s Act 2014 and Children’s (Requirements for Safety Checks of Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015. If there is a matter to report, the information provided by the New Zealand Police will be shared with the principal, head teacher, or centre manager. Student teachers are required to immediately disclose any pending charges or criminal convictions that arise during their enrolment in an initial teacher education (ITE) programme to the university.