Early Childhood Teacher jobs in Australia

There are no open early childhood teacher roles listed with CrossNation right now. New roles are added as employers brief us, so create a profile to be matched when one opens.

ACECQA describes the role as designing, planning, implementing and evaluating educational programs, leading the wellbeing, learning and development of children, providing pedagogical leadership and coaching, mentoring and supervising staff. The teacher also builds relationships with families and supports other educators to meet service policies and legislation. The regulations do not fix the duties, so the approved provider of each service decides, which is why position descriptions vary between a large long day care centre, a community preschool and a kindergarten on a school site.

To work as a teacher under the National Quality Framework you need an approved early childhood teaching qualification, a former approved qualification that started before 1 January 2012, or a qualification that ACECQA has assessed as equivalent. In Queensland the state describes the standard route as a nationally approved bachelor's degree or higher with an early childhood specialisation. In some circumstances a person actively working towards the qualification can be taken to be a teacher, but regulation 242 does not apply in every state, so ask the service and the regulator. Overseas-trained teachers can apply to ACECQA for an assessment, which has a stated target of 80 calendar days and is currently taking longer.

ACECQA publishes the position by state. Victoria has required all early childhood teachers in a service to be registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching since 30 September 2015. Western Australia has required registration since 6 December 2012, and South Australia has registered teachers since 1976, including those in NQF settings since 1 January 2014. New South Wales requires accreditation with the NSW Education Standards Authority for teachers in approved centre-based settings. Queensland does not require registration in NQF settings, although some employers ask for it. The ACT does not require it for services not attached to an ACT school, Tasmanian kindergartens are part of schools so teachers need registration there, and in the Northern Territory preschools attached to schools require it.

Under the national rules the requirement depends on the number of children in attendance. A service with fewer than 25 children needs access to a teacher for at least 20 per cent of its operating time. A service with 25 to 59 children needs a full-time equivalent teacher, or a teacher in attendance for 6 hours a day if it operates 50 hours or more a week, or 60 per cent of the time otherwise. Larger services need a second teacher or suitably qualified person for part of the time. That is why teacher roles are usually in larger centres and kindergartens, and why a service may want a teacher on fixed days.

The Educational Services (Teachers) Award [MA000077] covers teachers in the school education industry and in the children's services and early childhood education industry, which it defines to include long day care, kindergartens and preschools. The Children's Services Award does not cover employees who are covered by the Teachers Award. Many providers and most government kindergartens use enterprise agreements, which must leave the teacher better off overall than the award. We do not publish teacher pay figures here. Read the award, the agreement and the position description, and check Fair Work for the latest rates.

Search the live roles on the jobs page, then register with CrossNation and upload your CV so a recruiter can consider you when a service briefs us. Put your qualification, your registration or accreditation number and state, your working with children check and your child safety training at the top. Say the age groups and settings you have led, and whether you are available for fixed days, which suits smaller services that only need a teacher part of the week.

Registration: An ACECQA-approved early childhood teaching qualification, plus teacher registration or accreditation where your state requires it. Early childhood teachers do not register with Ahpra. Registration is held with the teacher regulatory authority in the state, and it is not required in every state for NQF settings.

Pay and conditions: usually the Educational Services (Teachers) Award [MA000077] or an enterprise agreement. Check current minimum rates with the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

ANZSCO: 241111 Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher