Teaching Excellence Program

The Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) is a year-long professional learning program for highly skilled teachers, supporting and challenging them to become even better teachers. 

Through the program, teachers analyse their teaching practice to deepen pedagogical content knowledge in their chosen discipline, and across the key discipline areas. They access contemporary, evidence-informed research and apply this learning to their students’ learning needs through a practitioner inquiry approach. The Academy’s TEP teachers will expand their knowledge, capability and confidence to teach even more effectively in their context.

The TEP is open to highly skilled teachers with a minimum of 3 years’ teaching experience from the government, Independent and Catholic sectors, and across all classroom settings.

Supported by a team of Master Teachers-in-Residence, the TEP teachers engage with national and international expert educators in a diverse range of learning events and activities, including Discipline Days, Teaching Excellence Learning Community (TELC) Days, conferences and practitioner inquiry.

Teaching in the disciplines

The TEP is structured around key disciplines, including: 

• The Arts
• English, including English as an additional language
• Health and Physical Education
• The Humanities
• Languages
• Mathematics
• Science
• Technologies.

Information sessions, videos and guides

Teachers and principals can learn about the 2025 Teaching Excellence Program and how to apply via our:

• online information sessions - separate sessions for teachers and principals
• videos - separate videos for teachers and principals
• program overview and how to apply guide.

TEP 2025: information sessions, videos and guides

Structure of program

Over one school year, teachers are expected to engage with and contribute to:

• orientation session (online, 90 minutes)
• conferences (2 days) in Melbourne
• discipline days (4 days) in Melbourne
• Teaching Excellence Learning Communities (TELCs) days (4 days). These are place-based (closest Academy location: Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Melbourne, Mildura, Moe, Shepparton).

Please connect to an information session to find out more.

Conferences

TEP teachers attend 2 conference days to learn from national and international leaders in education, and collaborate to generate new understanding and knowledge. Conferences are held in Melbourne during Term 1 and Term 4.

Discipline Days

The TEP Discipline Days are a unique opportunity to deepen understanding through an exploration of essential questions related to teaching and learning in the disciplines. Discipline days involve teachers in active dialogue, problem solving, sharing and modelling. Subject matter experts provide evidence-informed stimulus to inform practitioner inquiries, enabling teachers to network in discipline focused groups.

Teaching Excellence Learning Communities (TELCs)

The TELCs are where the magic happens. In TELCs, teachers come together from across sectors, disciplines, school types, year levels, and locations to apply their discipline-focused learning to their specific classroom and school contexts.

TELCs support teachers to enhance their expertise through professional dialogue, connection-making and practitioner inquiry. TELC Days are conducted at Academy locations across Victoria.

Practitioner inquiry

TEP teachers will use the TEP Inquiry Cycle to conduct 2 practitioner inquiries, one collaborative and one independent, as a part of their self-directed learning. Through practitioner inquiry, TEP teachers develop an inquiry stance. They learn to elicit and closely examine evidence of student learning, consider the actions they will take and how they will know whether their inquiry makes a difference.

TEP Graduation Requirements

To graduate from the TEP, teachers are required to:

• attend at least 90% of TEP professional learning events
• develop and submit required learning tasks aligned with quality indicators.

The TEP Alumni Network

Graduates of the program become Academy alumni and are invited to join the TEP Alumni Network. The network offers alumni the opportunity to engage in further, exclusive professional learning events and an online community to engage in focussed discussions, share practice and resources, and provide support to each other.

Following graduation, TEP alumni can apply for a Teaching Innovation Fellowship to design, lead and implement an innovation project that transforms teacher practice and student learning in their classrooms or schools.

Audience

The TEP is designed for highly skilled teachers from the government, Independent and Catholic sectors, and across all classroom settings. To be eligible for the program you must:

• have minimum 3 years’ teaching experience
• have your principal’s endorsement and ongoing support (a manager can replace a principal where necessary)
• be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident
• have full teacher registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching
• be in an education-based role in Victoria (full-time or part-time)
• have access to a classroom setting to conduct a practitioner inquiry.

Fees and financial support

Fees are fully subsidised by the Victorian Government for government, Catholic and Independent school TEP Teachers.

All government schools are eligible for a participation subsidy, equivalent of up to 10 -14 days of CRT, up to the value of $7000 per TEP teacher.

Independent and Catholic schools may be eligible for a participation subsidy, equivalent of up to 10 to 14 days of CRT, up to the value of $7000 per TEP teacher. Eligibility is determined based on an equity formula, which will be assessed after successful applicants accept their offer for a place in the 2025 TEP.

All regional and rural schools will be eligible for a separate regional subsidy, to support TEP teachers travel and accommodation to TEP events. This amount will vary, depending on the school’s location.

Application process

Acceptance into the 2025 TEP depends on the outcome of a selection process.

To apply, you must select one discipline. It is recommended that you select a discipline in which you have the greatest expertise and passion, as many of the learning activities occur by discipline group.

If you are from a primary or a specialist school, you may naturally be drawn to the English or Mathematic disciplines, and we welcome your applications. However, if you have specific skills and interests and wish to deepen your knowledge in the learning areas of The Arts, Health and Physical Education, The Humanities (History, Geography, Civics and Citizenship), Languages, Science and Technologies, we encourage you to apply for these disciplines.

Stage 1: Application

The first stage involves submitting your online application. Your application might take approximately 2 to 3 hours to complete. 

Pre-application

To start your application, you will need to provide your personal details, select your discipline, and agree to the program’s terms and conditions. You can only apply to one discipline. 

Online Application

You will be sent a confirmation email that includes a link to Award Force, the platform the Academy uses to manage online applications for the TEP.

Create an account to begin your online application.

Due to the high demand for the program, we encourage you to submit your application within 21 days of starting it so the selection panel can make a timely assessment.

As part of your application, you will need to:

1. upload a video (no longer than 5 minutes) responding to the following 3 questions.
   • Why are you applying for the 2025 TEP and how do you think it will enhance your teaching practice?  
   • Tell us about a learning or wellbeing initiative from your classroom that you have implemented. How do you know it was successful?  
   • Is there anything you would like to add to further support your application?

A strong video will demonstrate alignment to the selection criteria below. 

• A deep understanding of the selected discipline.
• Analysis of evidence to identify student learning needs.
• An understanding of the importance of student wellbeing and the connection of wellbeing to quality learning.

The video can be uploaded as an avi, m4v, mov, mp4, mpeg, mpeg4, mpg or wmv file 

2. complete a short 250-word statement about why you would like to participate in the program
3. submit your current curriculum vitae
4. submit 2 working examples that demonstrate exceptional teaching and practice. At least one example must be from your selected discipline
5. obtain your principal or manager’s endorsement. Please see important principal endorsement steps below. 

Principal/manager Endorsement

If you are in a school setting, you will need your principal’s endorsement. If you are in another setting, you will need your manager’s endorsement.

After you have finalised all the steps in Award Force and clicked submit on your application, your principal/manager will automatically receive an email asking them to click on a link and tick a box to endorse your application. Your application will not be completed until your principal has completed this step.

Please remember to:

• allow time for your principal/manager to complete their endorsement before applications close
• provide your principal/manager’s correct and direct email address. 

Selection criteria

Make sure you consider the selection criteria when developing your application. You will be assessed on 3 key selection criteria.

• Demonstration of a deep understanding of the selected discipline.
• Analysis of evidence to identify student learning needs.
• Demonstration of an understanding of the importance of student wellbeing and the connection of wellbeing to quality learning.