For Students

It is essential you familiarise yourself with this document. It will be referred to throughout your program in all courses that contain professional experience.

Please click link below:

Policies and Procedures for Professional Experience 2025

Semester 1 

Bachelor of Education (Primary) 

Master of Teaching (Primary)

Bachelor of Education (Secondary) / Dual Degree

Master of Teaching (Secondary)

Semester 2 

Bachelor of Education (Primary)

Master of Teaching (Primary)

Bachelor of Education (Secondary) / Dual Degree

Master of Teaching (Secondary)

An important reminder: if you do not have a valid Blue Card for the duration of your Professional Experience placement, you are not permitted to attend your host school - a valid Blue Card is a legal requirement.

Apply for/or renew a Blue Card

You are now able to apply for/renew your blue card online. Please follow the following instructions outlined under 'How to apply for a blue or exemption card' at the Blue Card Services page.

**NOTE: You cannot apply for a blue card if you are a disqualified person.

1. Ensure you have a Customer Reference Number (CRN) from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (ie licence number)
2. Register for an online account to verify you identity, provide a photo for your blue card, and access the online application portal
3. Apply for a volunteer/student blue card via the Blue Card Services online application portal. Do not attempt to apply for a paid card.
4. You will reach a point in the portal application where it provides you with an account number. You MUST email this number to the School of Education at education@uq.edu.au via your UQ student email to have your application approved by the School of Education. You will be advised once this approval is complete and can then finalise your application in the Blue Card Services online application portal.
5. You will be notified by Blue Card Services via email when your application is successful and will be sent your physical blue card.

IMPORTANT: You must have a CRN from the Department of Transport Main Roads to be able to register for an online account then apply for your blue card. CRN numbers most commonly appear on government issued ID's (ie licence). For further information on CRN's and how to obtain one see 'Prove your identity' at the Blue Card services page.

You can apply for a Blue Card using a paper based application form. You will still require a CRN number and will need to have a copy certified by an authorised person to apply. Please see 'Submit a paper application' at the Blue Card Services page.

It can take a number of weeks from commencing the blue card application process to when you are issued with your physical blue card. For first time applicants we recommend applying as soon as you commence your program. For existing card holders we recommend applying immediately upon receiving 16 week expiry notification from Blue Card Services or receive renewal notifaction for the School of Education.

Already have a Blue Card through another organisation

If you already have obtained a Blue Card through another organisation (ie sports club, tutoring, or volunteer work), in order for your current Blue Card to be valid, it needs to be linked to the School of Education.

To link your blue card simply email education@uq.edu.au your Blue Card number and expiry date from your UQ student email account. 

Once your Blue Card is successfully linked you will be notified.

Lost Blue Card

This form is to be completed where a Blue/Exemption card has been lost or stolen and a replacement card is required.

• Application for a replacement card (PDF, 116.4 KB)

Please submit directly to Blue Card Services. 

Further information can be found here on the Blue Card Services page.

Apply for a CRN remotely

International, interstate students or students from remote areas no longer need to wait until they arrived in Queensland to apply for their Customer Reference Number (CRN) and get a photo from the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR)

Whether a person is applying for a CRN from overseas, interstate or from a remote area of Queensland, they can now complete a 'Remote Pack' available at the Blue Card Services page.

Please refer to the step by step guide on how to complete the 'Remote Pack'.

 UQ’s placement management system InPlace is where all information regarding your placement is stored.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure your SI-net SEMESTER address is correct as we will only use this address when finding your placement. If you change your Semester address on SI-net anytime after 1st January, you must also email education@uq.edu.au and advise us that you have changed your address. 

You must successfully enter your information on InPlace in order to receive a placement. This includes critical information such as your mode of transport and conflict of interests. If you chose Car/Motorcycle, we will still try to find you a school placement in your area, but it will also give you more options that are easier to travel to than on public transport. 

You must complete InPlace registration as soon as you enrol into the professional experience course.  Without this information, it is very difficult for the Placements Team to organise your placement, and your placement may be delayed.  

Guide to Completing InPlace:

You must complete all required questions in InPlace that are marked with a *. Otherwise, your InPlace dashboard will continue to display 'To Do' items.

To complete questions in each section as per below, expand the section using the and  buttons.

1. Log in to the InPlace portal under 'Staff and Students' using your usual student username and password. Then click on the 'My Details' drop down item under your student username at the top right of your InPlace dashboard.

2. Complete your UQ - Emergency Contact Details.

3. Complete all questions in the Education Student Information. Please note this might look different depending on your particular program, as the questions are tailored to your course placement requirements. Once completed and submitted, we can Verify the details.

4. Do not attempt to change/upload any data under UQ - Working with Children Check - QLD. Even though this is a required field, only UQ School of Education staff should change this data based on the blue card appications you have submitted. However you must check the details to ensure your blue card is valid. If you need to apply/renew/link your blue card please follow online instructions from the School of Education.

5. If you are in a SECONDARY Program, please review your EDUC - Confirmed Teaching Areas. This will only display for Masters of Teaching (Secondary) or Bachelor of Education (Secondary) students in their third/fourth year. This has been based on your SI-net enrolment, or if you are a Masters of Teaching student, you will have had this confirmed when accepted into the Program. Students cannot update this information. If details are incorrect please email education@uq.edu.au 

Please Note: Your InPlace registration will continue to display the item below in your ‘To Do’ list until the School of Education receives notification that your blue card application/link is completed and successful.  Once the School of Education receives this notification, your Blue Card information will be updated accordingly.

You can request to complete a regional/rural/remote placement for any course that does not include single day observations. 

Prior to completing the application form, it is preferable if you call to our office to discuss your options: Room 403, Social Sciences Building (24), St Lucia Campus, (between 9am - 4pm)

Please complete the application form (fillable PDF, click link below) and email to: education@uq.edu.au Please also attach your last Professional Experience Final Report (in PDF format only). Applications will not be considered if you do not attach your last PEx report.

 Regional, Rural & Remote PEx Application Form 

Visit the Teach Queensland website for information about, and to apply for, the Regional Professional Experience Grant and Beyond the Range Professional Experience Grant. Please note that the grants are only available to students completing placements in Queensland State Schools.

Where possible students are encouraged to request placements in towns/regions where they have support networks (ie family/friends) or attend along with fellow students to support them while completing the placement.

If this is not possible, or you are unsure of a RRR location you wish to attend for placement we recommend speaking to fellow students or Placement Officers about appropriate locations, along with doing your own research.

We also work closely with the TECe Teacher Enhancement Centre based at Kelvin Grove State College who offer RRR placements for your final PEx.

If you would like further information on Regional, Rural or Remote placements and available options please call into our office.

How will my Professional Experience Placement be organised?

The School of Education Placements team will organise your placement. 

VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure your SI-net SEMESTER address is correct. We will use this address when finding your placement. If you change your Semester address on SI-net anytime after 1st January, as well as updating SI-net, you must also email education@uq.edu.au and advise us. 

Please ensure you complete in full, the InPlace Student Registration Details page (see information in thread above). If you have a Car/Motorcycle please let us know, we will still try to find you a school placement in your area, but it will also give you more options that are not available on public transport journey times.

Professional Experience is a fulltime commitment, and you are expected to be at your school at least 45 minutes before school starts and may be required to stay for the same length of time at the end of the school day. You will also need to consider staff meetings and other related activities which may be outside school hours. Now is the time to start planning to ensure you have time off work, childcare and family commitments organised, etc. so that you can meet the professional experience requirements. Absences for events such as weddings, parties, holidays, or work commitments will not be approved.

PLEASE NOTE: Placements are limited depending on your teaching areas and may not always be available in your local area, you maybe required to travel up to 90 minutes to attend your host school. 

Can I request which school I want to attend Placement?

No, we do not offer school preferences to students, and students should not contact schools themselves to organise placements. The exception to this is if you are attending a RRR placement, or you have been contacted about returning to a previous school. 

If an instance arises where a school approaches you directly to request to complete a placement with them, please advise the school to contact us: prac@uq.edu.au 

What are the dates of my Placement?

Please refer to the calendars above for placement dates for each course.

PLEASE NOTE: PEx dates are set and cannot be changed, or have variations. All course progression must be followed, and courses cannot be taken outside of periods stated in the calendar. Absences for events such as weddings, social occasions, holidays, overseas trips, sporting events or work commitments will not be approved.

When will I receive confirmation of my Placement?

You will be advised approx 10 days prior to the commencement of placement. 

If you have requested a regional/rural/remote placement you will likely be advised well in advance of the commencement of your placement, to allow you sufficient time to prepare for the placement.

Once you receive this confirmation you need to make immediate contact with the School Coordinator (contact details will be on your InPlace portal) to introduce yourself and organise the logistics of your placement.

Conflicts of Interest (CoI)

It is important that you advise us of any schools where you may have a potential conflict of interest.

There is a potential for the supervising teacher to either unintentionally favour or unfairly disadvantage the pre-service teacher due to an existing relationship. This dynamic can make it challenging for the pre-service teacher to raise concerns or question decisions, and equally difficult for the supervising teacher to provide objective feedback or maintain accountability. Even if the supervising teacher remains impartial, the perception of bias may still arise, which can compromise confidence in the fairness of the process. To ensure transparency, fairness, and professional integrity we do not send students to schools where there is a potential conflict of interest.

Examples of a Conflict of Interest are: 

• A partner, spouse or family member who is employed at the school,
• Your own children, or children of family members are enrolled at the school,
• You are employed (or have previously been employed) at the school in any capacity, including as a teachers aide, OSHC worker or extracurricular tutor/coach

 Please add any CoI to your InPlace Student Registration page.

Pupil Free Day while on placement?

If you have a Pupil Free Day while on your Professional Experience, please advise your host school that you can attend any staff Professional Development session. In the event that this is not possible, you can engage in independent planning at home as directed by your supervising teacher/school coordinator.

If your school does not permit you to attend the PD session, or you have not been tasked with planning at home, you take the day off and make this day up at a later date.

There is a public holiday during my placement, what should I do?

You will need to organise a 'make up' day with your supervising teacher, as close as possible at the end of the regular placement dates.

Can I attend a school excursion/camp while on PEx?

Approval is required. We may need to complete a Risk Assessment if you are participating in any high-risk activities such as abseiling, high ropes, canoeing etc. Please email education@uq.edu.au to request approval. Should your application be approved, it is on the strict condition that you are not permitted to supervise any school children on your own.

Please note, we require a minimum 3 working days notice to assess an application.

Contact Us

If you have further questions regarding your Professional Experience courses, please:

Call to our office: Room 403, Social Sciences Building (24), St Lucia Campus (between 9am - 4pm)

Or email: education@uq.edu.au  

Reporting absent days on placement

Placement is a significant commitment and must be completed during the scheduled calendar dates. Pre-Service Teachers are expected to make necessary arrangements in advance (e.g., work, childcare, personal or family commitments) to ensure full availability. 

Absences for events such as weddings, social events, holidays, sporting events or work commitments will not be approved. Missing placement is discouraged, though we recognize it is occasionally unavoidable.

If you are unwell or unable to attend placement: 

Two or less days of absence:

It is the responsibility of the Pre-Service Teacher to communicate an absence effectively.

Email is the most preferred method of communication. 

1. You must email the following people no later than 6:30am on the day of the absence.
   1. Supervising teacher
   2. School coordinator
   3. cc'd Placement Team AND your PEx Facilitator
2. You must provide lesson materials if you are scheduled to teach a lesson segment on the day of your absence. 

Three or more consecutive days of absence:

In addition to the four parties listed above and the steps, you must provide:

1. Medical certificate – provided to the School of Education (and host school if requested). 

Make-up days:

1. You must inform the Placement team education@uq.edu.au, your PEx Facilitator and your Course Coordinator (or lead tutor) in writing of any ‘make-up’ days you negotiate with your placement school due to absence. 
2. Please ensure you contact your Course Coordinator if your ‘make-up’ days are after the course's scheduled completion date OR if they impact your final report.

Your safety on placement, including when you are travelling to and from your placement, is one of UQ’s highest priorities. However, you also have a responsibility to prioritise your own personal safety.

Below are some tips for staying safe on placement – we recommend you review these regularly. Remember, safety includes both physical as well as psychosocial safety.

Travelling to and from placement

• Do you have a communication plan in place?  Does someone know where you are and when to expect your return?  Review the Queensland Police Adult Safety website. This website provides situational safety strategies for various settings including public transport, workplaces and private vehicles.

• Use these strategies as a starting point for conducting an informal risk assessment for yourself and develop a personal safety plan. A personal safety plan is comprised of safety strategies chosen by you to suit your lifestyle and abilities. When formulating your personal safety plan, consider placement scenarios such as transport to and from your placement and your accommodation arrangements if you are living away from your usual place of residence while on placement.

• Are you driving to a placement outside Brisbane? Driving in rural Australia is challenging and brings with it additional risks. Review the Queensland Government regional driving webpage for recommended precautions if you are driving on country roads for your placement. Remember that some remote locations have limited mobile phone coverage. You should check this prior to commencing your journey and ensure you notify people of your travel plans. 

• Are you being asked by your placement provider to drive your own vehicle or a host's vehicle while on placement?  You should check with your UQ Education Placements team for further advice as UQ has firm guidelines in relation to this type of activity.

• If you need to travel within Australia or internationally for your placement, ensure that you understand your obligations as a student and have followed the relevant travel procedures outlined in the Student Travel Procedure.

• Do you commute to and from placement in a host school polo shirt or host school branded attire? This identifies you as a professional-in-training within the workplace which is a positive. However, outside in the wider community it can make you vulnerable to undesirable attention. By covering up your school attire or changing into other clothes when travelling to and from placement it prevents you being identified as a certain profession and being approached by individuals who may have negative associations, or who may be looking to prey on the empathy of your profession for other reasons. We also recommend that you remove your name badge when in public. Wearing a name badge can increase risk in the form of someone who pretends to already know you, taking advantage of your trust.

Incidents and hazards on placement

• Your personal safety includes both physical as well as psychosocial safety.

• UQ is committed to ensuring that the work and study environment for all employees, students and volunteers is safe, respectful and free from all forms of sexual violence, assault and misconduct. Refer to the UQ Respect page for information on:

  • support and information for survivors of sexual assault and misconduct

  • options for reporting sexual assault and misconduct if you choose to

  • information about consent, and UQ's policies and procedures

The Sexual Misconduct Support Unit (SMSU) is a safe and supportive place for the UQ community to receive free, confidential guidance and support around sexual assault and sexual harassment.  Even if you choose not to formally report an incident involving sexual assault or sexual harassment, you can still access support from the Sexual Misconduct Support Unit. UQ will ensure that your privacy is protected when you discuss an incident.

• Incidents of a non-sexual nature that occur while on placement should be reported both to the placement host and to UQ. Incidents should be reported as soon after an incident as possible, when you are in a safe environment. This ensures the incident details are fresh in your mind and you can provide sufficient detail to enable an effective investigation and resolution. Your UQ contact for these incidents is either your Facilitator, Placement Coordinator or Course Coordinator. If you are not able to contact any of these UQ Staff members, you can also report it to education@uq.edu.au or call (07) 3365 6550. UQ will ensure that your privacy is protected when you report an incident.

• If undertaking a rural or regional placement you should also consider potential hazards that are specific to the location.  This includes increased risk of bushfires during the Spring and Summer months (September to March).  We recommend you review this UQ safety alert related to bushfire risk. You should also carry a record of local emergency numbers and keep up to date with local environmental warnings via social media or government website alerts. Ensure you have adequate supplies in reserve such as food, water, personal items and medications for situations where you may be forced to remain onsite longer than intended.

Provide safety feedback

Work conditions unsafe? Have you been involved in an incident?

We work with our partner schools to ensure your safety and we are keen to make sure your experiences are positive and safe. Please share any safety concerns you may have with your UQ Placement Coordinator or Facilitator. It's important that you let us know as soon as you think there is a problem so it can be addressed and resolved quickly. UQ will ensure that your privacy is protected when you report any concerns.

Student Support

The University of Queensland, School of Education, is committed to supporting our Pre-Service Teachers and valued partner schools through Permission to Teach opportunities. Only approved teachers may undertake the duties of a teacher in a state or non-state school in Queensland. Approved teachers include registered teachers and persons approved to teach under PTT. Holders of a PTT are not registered teachers. PTT approval is granted within strict parameters. 

Employment at a school through PTT is an arrangement between yourself, the employing School, and the Queensland College of Teachers. This arrangement is not endorsed or approved by The University of Queensland, but we are required to engage with you and inform you of how this may impact your studies and how we can support you.

Generally, courses in Initial Teacher Education programs at The University of Queensland are designed to be taken in-person.  Course coordinators may be able to make some adaptations to learning (e.g., through recorded videos of lectures), but we are not able to fundamentally alter our teaching and learning for students who are employed through PTT.

We also know that employment through PTT can impact your time available for studies and academic performance. Careful time management and prioritisation will be important if you are employed through PTT, and it is important that you know that PTT (alone) will not be considered as grounds for an extension on assessment tasks in your courses. Please familiarise yourself with Census Dates and make use of all support systems available to you to stay on track with your studies. 

If you have any questions about your studies at UQ while employed through PTT, you should contact your program director or relevant course coordinator. In all cases, employment through PTT should be considered carefully, and the short-term benefits of employment should be weighed against the importance of successful completion of your program.

UQ Pre-Service Teachers wishing to apply for PTT must first refer to the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) website. The PTT school is responsible for initiating this process. 

Before accepting an employment contract, we strongly recommend you read the QCT Principles for Permission to Teach 

Further information can also be found on the QCT Applying for Permission to Teach in Queensland - Fact Sheet and QCT Permission to Teach Policy document.

Seeking Approval from UQ and Requesting a Statement of Acknowledgement

At The University of Queensland we support students to undertake Permission to Teach in their final year, final semester of study. In order to start the approval process and access a statement of acknowledgement to undertake the PTT, all students must complete and submit the Permission to Teach Application Form - see below. Upon assessment of your application, and if you meet the required criteria, UQ will generate a Statement of Acknowledgement and submit it to the QCT. If further information is required, The School of Education will be in contact.

 Permission To Teach Application Form

Please note: your application form and documents must be submitted at least 4-weeks prior to the commencement of your placement.

Any further enquires please contact: education@uq.edu.au

Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP)

If you have any questions, need additional information, or wish to apply for the CPP, please click the following link: Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) 

Teach Queensland Prac Placement Grant

This is for FINAL YEAR students ONLY, completing your FINAL Professional Experience placement in SEMESTER 2.

For all queries and information, please refer to: Teach Queensland Prac Placement Grant