Welcome to our Accreditation Placement Hub

Discover what you need to know to host a placement student studying Certificate IV in School Based Education Support (CHC40221).

How does the placement work?

  • Step 1

    Discuss availability

    Our Placement Coordinator contacts your school by email or phone to check your availability to support our students.

  • Step 2

    Book placement

    Our Placement Coordinator confirms the booking and the student allocated to your school by email.

  • Step 3

    Confirm changes

    If required, our Placement Coordinator confirms changes (e.g. student allocation, dates, duration) or cancellations by email.

  • Step 4

    Send documentation

    Our Placement Coordinator emails you the practical placement record with a guide for the School Supervisor two to three days before commencement.

    Please ensure all staff involved read this document. Contact our Placement Coordinator if you have any questions.

  • Step 5

    Prepare student

    We ensure our students understand the placement assessment tasks, as well as the industry expectations and requirements.

Expected key learning outcomes

  1. To learn how to work alongside a teacher to guide and facilitate learning in a range of educational settings
  2. To develop the skills needed to support students in literacy and numeracy, and to work with students with a specific learning need or disability
  3. To develop the skills to support students with individual learning or behavioural needs

Contact hours

The placement requires 115.5 contact hours, which will be taken:

  • 2 days per week for the first term
  • 1 day per week for the second and third terms

Requirements for partners

Responsibilities include:

  • appointing a representative to supervise the student for the placement duration
  • providing opportunities for the student to meet the learning objectives of their placement experience
  • providing an appropriate orientation for the student such as:
    • your school’s policies and procedures
    • occupational health and safety practices (e.g. accident and emergency procedures)
    • information on break times
    • names and roles of key personnel
  • allowing visits by Swinburne to monitor and assess the student's progress
  • providing the student with constructive feedback
  • verifying the student’s attainment of skills


If a student has not notified your school of their absence and has not attended placement in the first two days, please advise the Placement Coordinator via eceplacement@swinburne.edu.au.

Requirements for students


Security

  • Working with Children Check (WWCC)
  • Police Check

Relevant documents

Our Placement Coordinator will email the student placement resources to your school two to three days prior to commencement. Please ensure the School Supervisor review and understand how to complete the documents. 

The student will bring hard copies of the documents to the placement – there is no requirement for you to print. Please note the documents are subject to change.

In addition, the student will also discuss the assessment tasks required for the placement with the School Supervisor in the first two days.

Practical placement record (PPR)

This is the student’s assessment checklist, which is to be ticked and signed off progressively by the School Supervisor prior to the Swinburne Assessor's visit. Please check our sample copy to see how to fill this in.

Attendance record

This is a log of the student hours, which needs to be signed off by the School Supervisor at regular intervals.

Practical placement agreement

Swinburne will send the overarching practical placement agreement directly to your school via email. This will cover all students attending your school for the current year. Please read over the agreement and return to the Placement Coordinator at your earliest convenience. This agreement is in-principal and does not commit your school to take on a set number of students per year.  

We will also arrange for an agreement to be signed between the student and Swinburne, so all parties are agreeing to the same standards. 

Without the practical placement agreement, a student who incurs an injury whilst on a placement may not be entitled to compensation under the Department of Education and Training's (DET) insurance policy.

The practical placement agreement is essential and is designed to: 

  • activate the DET insurance and be a safeguard if a problem occurs during the placement
  • formalise the arrangements and conditions between the placement host and the training organisation, defining the placement so that all parties involved understand their responsibilities and rights; and
  • be kept permanently in case any legal or insurance proceedings arise – Swinburne will keep a secure copy on file for seven years.

Frequently asked questions

Any missed day must be made up. It is the responsibility of the student to negotiate a time with the school.

Yes, all we ask is that the student has the full support of a School Supervisor for the placement duration and the School Supervisor completes the documentation required for the placement.

Any teacher with at least two years of experience can mentor the student.

Swinburne University of Technology’s public liability insurance policy covers Swinburne for any claims made against it related to personal injury to other parties or damage to the property of others.

During the placement, our students are regarded as an extension of Swinburne and the policy protects them against such claims that may arise from activities associated with the placement.

Our students are always reminded to contact the school before their shift if they are unwell and unable to attend the placement.

If you have not heard from the student after their shift has commenced, please contact the Placement Coordinator and we will follow up with the student.

Have a question?

If you would like to support this placement or require further information, please email eceplacement@swinburne.edu.au.

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