This site provides a comprehensive overview of how my practice aligns with each of the seven Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the Proficient level. Every Standard has its own section, contextualised within my SEN secondary teaching setting and drawing on my prior experience in a Year 2/3 composite class, linked to specific evidence throughout. For descriptor-level detail and full annotations, explore the Evidence Library in the navigation menu at the top of the page.
In a Special Educational Needs program within a mainstream secondary school, knowing students deeply is the foundation of curriculum access. I build a detailed picture of each student's cognitive, communication, sensory, social, and functional profile, and I use that knowledge to design and implement teaching that measurably improves their learning. My prior experience teaching a Year 2/3 composite class also informs how I differentiate across the full range of abilities and how I engage families.
I synthesise psychological, medical, and allied health reports, past school reports, and transition documentation into working learning profiles that identify each student's prior achievement, learning gaps, strengths, and developmental stage. I observe students across classroom, playground, transition and unfamiliar environments to identify patterns in engagement, regulation, communication, and independence, and I use these observations to select teaching strategies matched to each student's developmental characteristics rather than their year level.
I design teaching that is responsive to students' linguistic, cultural, religious, and socioeconomic contexts — including families whose home language is not English, families accessing interpreting services, religious observance affecting food, dress, and excursion participation, and socioeconomic factors affecting attendance, equipment, and access to external therapy. I gather student voice through interest inventories, preference sampling and one-page profiles, adapting the method to each student's communication mode.
I embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in ways that are accessible at my students' curriculum levels, drawing on the local community and cultural setting, and I consult Aboriginal Education staff and families where students identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
I structure my teaching programs using explicit instruction, cognitive load principles, TEACCH structured teaching, and trauma-informed practice and I test my planning against collegial advice — co-planning with education assistants, recommendations from occupational therapy and speech pathology, advice from the Head of Learning Area, and mentor feedback on program structure. My professional reading log records the research informing these decisions and the changes I made as a result.
I develop teaching activities incorporating differentiated strategies for students working across a wide span of curriculum levels within a single class, using tiered tasks, scaffolds, adjusted output modes, and assistive technology. I design and implement adjustments consistent with the Disability Standards for Education 2005, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, WA Department of Education policy on students with disability, and SCSA adjustment provisions, documented through IEPs and reviewed with families and support staff.
I track growth against IEP goals, work samples, and assessment data, and I adjust teaching in response. [Insert one concrete example of a strategy changed on the basis of data and the resulting improvement.]
Teaching in a Special Educational Needs program requires knowledge of the Western Australian Curriculum together with the specialised pedagogical knowledge needed to make content accessible, meaningful, and achievable. My students access the Western Australian Curriculum at modified year levels, ABLEWA progressions, SCSA Preliminary Courses (English, Mathematics and HPE), and the ASDAN programme, and my planning is built against the curriculum applicable to each student rather than their chronological year level. I break complex concepts into manageable steps, use concrete materials and visual supports, and connect learning to functional, real-world application so skills transfer beyond the classroom. My prior experience planning Year 2/3 composite Mathematics and English also underpins my knowledge of early literacy and numeracy progressions, which is directly relevant to the developmental levels many of my secondary students are working at.
I teach English, Mathematics, Science, HASS, Health, Digital Technologies, Careers, and Life Skills, and I apply the specific teaching strategies of each area, such as concrete–representational–abstract sequencing in numeracy, explicit vocabulary and comprehension instruction in literacy, demonstration-and-practice cycles in Digital Technologies, and inquiry supported by concrete, first-hand experience in Science and HASS. I develop engaging activities by anchoring content in student interests, hands-on tasks and authentic purpose, so that students see the point of what they're learning.
I design and implement programs using knowledge of curriculum, assessment and reporting requirements: aligning tasks to the applicable curriculum — Western Australian Curriculum outcomes, ABLEWA progressions, or SCSA course outcomes as relevant to each student, designing assessments with adjustments that preserve the integrity of what is being assessed, making judgements against achievement standards, and reporting to families through semester reports, IEP progress reporting, and SCSA course grading where students are enrolled in Preliminary Courses, in line with School Curriculum and Standards Authority and Department of Education requirements.
I integrate literacy and numeracy across all learning areas using consistent strategies, visuals, vocabulary supports, and practical tasks, employing explicit instruction, modelling, guided practice, spaced repetition, and scaffolding to build these skills. I use diagnostic data, such as PAT Mathematics, to identify specific learning gaps and plan targeted intervention. [Insert the concrete improvement figure from your PAT comparison here.]
I provide opportunities for all my students to develop understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, and languages at levels appropriate to their communication and comprehension profiles, including Acknowledgement of Country as a class routine, Noongar seasonal knowledge, Noongar language elements such as greetings and place names, Aboriginal stories and artists in accessible literacy and art tasks, and participation in NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week.
I integrate ICT purposefully rather than incidentally. Students use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Teams, and OneNote to produce and present their own work, adaptive numeracy programs such as Mathletics and Prodigy to practise skills at their individual level, and interactive tools such as Kahoot, Blooket, and Nearpod for engagement and low-stakes formative assessment. Text-to-speech and other access tools support students to reach curriculum content, so that in each case the technology serves a genuine communicative or learning purpose. I also provide alternative modes for demonstrating learning, such as oral responses, scribing, and visual and hands-on tasks, so that a student's difficulty with one mode does not mask what they know.
I monitor progress through formative assessment, observation, work samples and IEP progress data, and I adjust content, pace and mode in response. [Insert one concrete example: a sequencing or strategy change made on the basis of data, and the measurable result.]
Effective planning in a SEN program means balancing structure with flexibility. I design lessons with explicit learning intentions, visible success criteria, predictable routines, and multiple pathways for students to access content and demonstrate understanding. Implementation requires constant monitoring and individualisation based on each student's response, communication needs, regulation, engagement and progress toward IEP goals. My prior Year 2/3 composite experience also informs how I plan whole-class sequences and engage families in early learning.
I set explicit, challenging yet achievable goals for every student, informed by assessment data, curriculum requirements, IEP targets, and individual learning profiles. Goals are made explicit to students in accessible forms, such as visual task boards, individual schedules, and student-friendly IEP goals, so each student understands the direction of the lesson and the steps to get there.
I plan well-structured learning sequences that scaffold skill development, build on prior knowledge, address learning gaps, and promote transfer to real-world contexts. I select relevant teaching strategies to develop the knowledge and skills required by the applicable curriculum for each student, such as explicit instruction, modelling, guided practice, spaced repetition, and structured routines, and adjust pace and pathway in response to student need.
I select, adapt, and create a range of resources, including ICT, to engage students and make content accessible, such as visual supports, task analyses, scaffolded worksheets, adaptive numeracy programs, and customised materials built specifically for individual students' access needs.
I use a deliberate range of verbal and non-verbal communication strategies to support understanding, participation, engagement, and achievement: adjusted language complexity, visual schedules and symbol supports, AAC and Key Word Sign where relevant, modelling, gesture, and extended processing time. Matching communication to each student's profile is central to giving them access to the lesson.
I integrate assistive technology, AAC, visual communication supports, and alternative response methods into lessons, and build in appropriate choice, voice, and opportunities for students to demonstrate learning in ways that reflect their strengths.
I monitor understanding during lessons through observation, questioning, work samples, check-ins, exit tickets, and formative assessment. I then evaluate my programs using this evidence together with student feedback, gathered in accessible ways such as choice-making, thumbs up/down, emotion cards, and engagement observation, to inform future planning, resourcing, grouping, and teaching approaches.
I plan contextually relevant opportunities for parents and carers to be involved in their child's learning, contributing their knowledge of the student to goal-setting, reinforcing IEP targets at home, and using home-school communication that carries learning as well as information.
I work closely with education assistants to ensure consistent implementation of strategies, adjustments, prompts, and behaviour support, and I reflect on lesson effectiveness to adjust future planning in response to student progress.
I evaluate the effectiveness of my planning through student progress against IEP goals, engagement and time-on-task data, work samples, and student feedback, and I adjust future planning, resourcing, and grouping in response. [Insert one concrete example: a lesson sequence or resource changed on the basis of student response or data, and the resulting improvement in engagement or achievement.]
Safety and support are paramount in a SEN program. Students need predictable routines, clear and negotiated expectations, sensory-considered spaces, and trauma-informed approaches that treat challenging behaviour as communication. I create environments where students feel valued, where positive relationships enable participation in learning, and where wellbeing and safety are actively managed within school and legislative requirements. My Year 2/3 composite experience also informs my whole-class routine-setting and management of typically developing learners.
I establish inclusive and positive interactions that engage and support every student in learning activities, building trusting relationships through consistency, respect and genuine understanding of each student's profile, and using these relationships to draw students into participation rather than only to maintain a calm climate.
I establish and teach classroom routines and expectations explicitly, using visual supports, schedules, and predictable structures so that transitions are smooth and student time is spent on learning tasks rather than lost to uncertainty or dysregulation.
I manage challenging behaviour proactively and responsively. I use positive behaviour support plans, consistent reinforcement and co-regulation strategies to prevent dysregulation, and I establish and negotiate clear expectations with students at a level they can access. When discipline issues arise I address them promptly, fairly, and respectfully, understanding behaviour as communication and responding in a trauma-informed way.
I ensure students' wellbeing and safety in line with service, school, system, and legal requirements, including Child Protection and mandatory reporting obligations, the Department of Education Duty of Care policy, individual health care and emergency response plans, positive behaviour support and de-escalation procedures, and risk assessments for community access and excursions. I report concerns to appropriate personnel and document safety matters as required.
I incorporate explicit strategies to promote the safe, responsible, and ethical use of ICT at a level appropriate to my students — teaching online safety, privacy, appropriate device use, and cyber-safety awareness within my Digital Technologies program, and modelling responsible use in my own communication with students.
Together these create a predictable, safe, and inclusive environment in which students can regulate, engage, and access the curriculum. [Insert one concrete example: a routine or behaviour-support change and the measurable improvement in engagement, time on task, or reduced incidents.]
Assessment in a SEN program must be flexible, authentic, and focused on growth. I develop and use a range of assessment strategies to capture progress in academic skills, functional abilities, and social-emotional development, provide feedback that is frequent, specific, and multimodal to ensure accessibility, and report clearly and respectfully to students, families, and teams. My prior Year 2/3 composite experience also informs my use of early-years diagnostic assessment and standardised progress measures.
I develop, select, and use informal, formal, diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment strategies matched to each student's profile: diagnostic tools such as PAT Mathematics and standardised reading, spelling and mathematics benchmarks to establish baselines; formative observation, questioning, and work samples during teaching; and formal, summative tasks aligned to IEP goals and the applicable curriculum outcomes. Assessments are adjusted so a student's disability doesn't mask what they know, while preserving the integrity of what is being assessed.
I provide timely, effective, and appropriate feedback to students about their achievement relative to their learning goals, delivered in accessible, multimodal forms — immediate verbal feedback, visual feedback, and structured feedback frameworks built around what the student did well, what the goal is, and the next step. [Reference DOC-01 feedback cover-page template here.]
I understand and participate in assessment moderation to support consistent and comparable judgements — moderating student work samples and IEP progress judgements with colleagues and education assistants, participating in consistency-of-teacher-judgement processes for curriculum grades, and working within SCSA moderation requirements where students are enrolled in Preliminary Courses.
I use student assessment data to analyse and evaluate understanding, identify targeted interventions, and modify my teaching. My PAT Mathematics Learning Gaps Analysis and Intervention Planning Tool is a central example: I analysed PAT data to identify specific learning gaps across the class and for individual students, planned targeted intervention in response, and compared results across two assessment rounds to evaluate impact and refine teaching. [Insert the concrete improvement figures from the two PAT rounds here.]
I report clearly, accurately, and respectfully to both students and parents/carers, using accurate and reliable records. Students receive achievement information in accessible forms matched to their communication profile; families receive semester reports, IEP progress reports, and ongoing communication. This reporting is underpinned by systematic record-keeping — assessment trackers, IEP progress records, and data spreadsheets maintained for each student.
The two-round PAT comparison demonstrates measurable growth resulting from data-informed intervention, and progress against IEP goals shows the impact of aligned assessment and feedback on individual learning. [Insert one concrete figure or example.]
Special education evolves constantly, and meeting my students' complex needs depends on staying current with research, reflecting on my practice, and learning with and from colleagues. I treat professional learning as a cycle: identifying what I need to develop, undertaking targeted learning, refining practice through collegial feedback, and applying it to improve student outcomes.
I use the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, together with advice from colleagues and my line manager, to identify and plan my professional learning needs. Mapping my practice against the descriptors in this portfolio has itself been a structured self-audit — identifying areas to strengthen and setting targeted goals, recorded in my performance management plan and linked to specific Standards.
I participate in workshops, courses, and professional reading focused on SEN pedagogy, updating my knowledge and practice in line with both my identified professional needs and school and system priorities. My professional reading log records what I engaged with and the changes I made as a result.
I contribute to collegial discussions and apply constructive feedback from colleagues to improve my practice. I seek feedback from mentors, peers, my line manager and allied health professionals, and I contribute to the professional community by sharing resources and data analyses with classroom teachers and the Head of Learning Area, and reflecting on the discussions this generates.
I undertake professional learning specifically designed to address identified student learning needs, then apply it directly and document the impact. When I identified that my students required a highly structured approach to access numeracy and literacy, I researched and implemented the TEACCH method — sourcing the learning myself where formal training was unavailable — and evaluated the resulting improvement in student engagement and achievement.
I document the link between professional learning and student outcomes — for example, [TEACCH implementation → measurable engagement/achievement gain] and [PAT-informed intervention → improvement across two assessment rounds] — so that my learning is evidenced through its effect on students, not just attendance at courses.
Collaboration is the lifeblood of effective SEN practice. I work within a multidisciplinary team of education assistants, allied health professionals, mainstream teachers, school leadership and families, and I engage beyond my school through professional networks. Professional, respectful, ethical communication and shared decision-making are essential to achieving the best outcomes for students.
I meet the codes of ethics and conduct established by the regulatory authority and my employer — including the TRBWA Code of Ethics, the Department of Education Code of Conduct, and my school's professional expectations. I maintain confidentiality of student and family information, observe appropriate professional boundaries, and give proper credit to colleagues and sources in the materials I develop.
I understand the implications of and comply with the legislative, administrative and organisational requirements relevant to my role — including the Disability Standards for Education 2005, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Child Protection and mandatory reporting obligations, Duty of Care, and SCSA and school policy requirements. I complete mandatory training and apply these requirements in my daily planning, documentation and practice.
I establish and maintain respectful, collaborative relationships with parents and carers regarding their children's learning and wellbeing. I communicate regularly using accessible language and multiple modes, and I work in genuine partnership through IEP meetings, case conferences, three-way conferences and ongoing home-school communication — recognising that in a SEN context families hold essential knowledge of their child that shapes effective teaching.
I collaborate closely with education assistants through briefing, co-planning and feedback, consult with therapists to embed allied-health strategies into teaching, and liaise with mainstream teachers to support inclusive practice and transitions. [Cross-referenced to 3.7, 6.3.]
I participate in professional and community networks and forums beyond my school to broaden my knowledge and improve my practice — including [SEN/special education teacher networks, relevant subject associations, online professional communities, allied-health or disability-sector forums, and Department platforms such as Connect]. I reflect on what I gain from these networks and apply it in my classroom.
Coordinated, ethical collaboration across the team and with families produces consistent strategies across school and home and ensures my practice is informed by current, external expertise — directly improving the support my students receive. [Insert one concrete example.]
Standards Overview