Teaching and Education Placement FAQs

Once you’ve enrolled, your course will appear in InPlace. This lets the Professional Experience Office (PEO) know you're ready to begin the placement process.

Log in to InPlace to start adding your preferences and completing any prerequisite requirements.

You’ll also receive a Welcome Email from the PEO before your placement block begins. This will outline important information and next steps.

The Welcome Email includes important information about your placement block—such as key dates, expectations, and who to contact for support.

You’ll receive a Welcome Email each time you enrol in a Professional Experience (PE) course.

 Make sure your contact details are up to date in your student record to avoid delays in receiving this email.

Prerequisite requirements are mandatory steps you must complete before the placement team can release your placement details. These steps ensure you're eligible and prepared to participate in your professional experience placement.

Some prerequisites are required for all preservice teachers, while others depend on your specific program. It is your responsibility to upload valid and current evidence of these requirements to InPlace by the deadlines provided in your Welcome Email.

Failure to meet these requirements on time may result in withdrawal from your placement or course. If this occurs after the census date, it could lead to a fail grade and extend your program duration.

Mandatory prerequisites for all preservice teachers:

• Preservice Teacher Placement Agreement

• Working with Children Check (WWCC)

• Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Education and Care (RRHAN-EC)

>> Learn more about Program Prerequisites

Each Professional Experience (PE) course has set placement blocks that are determined the year before and cannot be changed. These dates are fixed and cannot be altered based on individual schedules.

You can find your specific placement block dates in the calendar provided for your course.

>> Learn more about Placement Dates

If you live in a listed regional area, you will receive priority for placements within that region. This is based on the residential address you provide in your UniSA student portal, so make sure your details are up to date.

If you live in a metropolitan area, you can request a regional placement. These requests are considered where possible, but placement in a regional area is not guaranteed.

Metro: Includes the Adelaide metropolitan area, Adelaide Hills, and Barossa.

Regional: Includes the following areas:

• Far North
• Eyre and Western
• Yorke & Mid North
• Murray & Mallee
• Fleurieu & Kangaroo Island
• Limestone Coast

For more information, please visit the Regional Placements page

Yes. To work with children in education and care settings, all Preservice Teachers must have a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) from the Department of Human Services (DHS) before starting any placement.

>> Learn more about the WWCC application process

If you don’t already have a WWCC, you should apply as a Prospective Employee. This type of check will best position PSTs to be work ready when teaching opportunities present.

• Volunteer or Student WWCCs will be accepted for placements in 2025.
• All UniSA Preservice Teachers are expected to transition to a Paid Employee WWCC for future placements.

Note: If you begin paid teaching work and only hold a Volunteer or Student WWCC, you must apply for a Paid Employee WWCC within 28 days of starting employment. 
>> Learn more about  teacher registration and WWCC

Yes. Visit  the SA GOV website for current fee information.

Apply as early as possible - processing can take up to six weeks. UniSA has no control over timelines or outcomes.

Once approved, upload the DHS confirmation email to InPlace for verification.

Note: please ensure that you have uploaded this to InPlace and that it has a ‘verified’ status, by the deadline outlined in your welcome email.

If you already have a WWCC screening, please upload the current clearance via InPlace (login required) for verification by the PEO team.

Note: make sure that your clearance is valid for your placement block dates.

If you fail to obtain a clearance for any reason you will not be allowed to undertake a Professional Experience placement or any other Professional Experience activity which requires contact with children and young people.

Ultimately, if you cannot undertake any of the compulsory Professional Experience placements or any other Professional Experience activities, you cannot graduate with an Education degree from UniSA.

The WWCC requirements differ state to state. You will need to check the relevant states Department for Education website for further details.

>> Learn more about Interstate Teaching Placements

Yes. All Preservice Teachers placed in Birth–3, Preschool, Primary, or Secondary settings must complete the full RRHAN-EC training prior to starting placement. This includes:

• 2-hour online Fundamentals course (self-paced)
• 4-hour Masterclass (facilitator-led, online or in-person)

>> Learn more about RRHAN-EC training

You must complete both components to receive certification:

• Fundamentals Course
• Self-paced, online (approx. 2 hours)
• Create an account on Plink to access the training
• Masterclass (Facilitator-led, in-person or online)
• Facilitated online or in-person (approx. 4 hours)
• You must complete the Fundamentals Course before booking

Yes. Fees are dependent on the individual provider. Please refer to the Department for Education website for further information on approved training organisations.

These fees are managed externally and not by the University.

1. Create a Plink account, or if you already have one, log in.
2. On your home page, scroll to find the RRHAN-EC course.
3. Read course titles and descriptions carefully to ensure you select the correct training.
4. Click ‘Register’ and follow the prompts.

You must complete and pass the Fundamentals course before registering for the Masterclass.

• Visit the Plink support page
• Or email: rrhanec@sa.gov.au

Certificates are valid for three years, aligned with set training cycles.

• Current cycle: 2024–2027 (expires 31 December 2027)

Refresher Course

• 6 months prior to expiration, a refresher course can be completed
• If your certificate expires and you miss the refresher window, both courses must be completed again

You can download your certificate by logging into your Plink account.

Upload your certificate to InPlace and ensure it has a ‘Verified’ status by the deadline listed in your welcome email.

If your certificate is rejected on InPlace, please view the comments for further information.

>> Learn more about placement requirements

>> Learn more about placement requirements

In May 2024 the Australian Government announced the establishment of the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP).

The CPP, available from 1 July 2025, will be available to eligible students studying teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work programs to help them manage the costs associated with undertaking a mandatory placement. The CPP will be means tested and valued at up to up to $319.50 per week while eligible students are undertaking their placement.

Further information about the CPP is available on the Department of Education web page here.

Information about how to apply for the CPP at UniSA will be available closer to the initiative commencing. You can find updates here.

Please refer to the InPlace user guide for information about how to submit your preferences.

During the preferencing period you can log into InPlace and make changes. After the preference deadline date you will no longer be able to view your location preferences. If you want to keep a record of the preferences you have submitted please take a screenshot or write them down.

*Please note that you cannot change your address in InPlace, you need to update this in your Student Portal*

Please refer to the InPlace user guide for information about how to apply for internship opportunities. Please note these may not currently be available.

Please refer to the InPlace user guide for information about how to submit evidence you have met all prerequisites for an internship.

Understanding the Prerequisite Evidence Verification Process

After you upload your prerequisite evidence it must be verified by the PEO. InPlace automatically notifies the PEO of your upload. Please allow two business days for your documents to be verified. It is your responsibility to ensure your documents are verified and have not been rejected. Please read the Verification Comments section on the home screen, which will display if your document has been rejected.

Initial Upload

The initial upload of a document will appear as a blue status bar. Once uploaded, InPlace will automatically set the status to Submitted and the document will be sent for verification by the PEO.

Approved Upload

If your document is approved the verified status bar will turn green and be set to Verified. No further action is required.

Rejected Upload

If your document has not met the requirement standards, or you have failed to attach the appropriate documentation, the verified status bar will turn red and be set to Rejected. You will need to note and action the PEO comments displayed in Verification Comments on the home screen.

Home Screen – To Do – Verification Rejected

InPlace’s To Do widget alerts you when your upload does not meet the appropriate requirement. You are required to action the ‘Verification Feedback’ provided by the PEO.

Home Screen – To Do – Placement Requirements Required

InPlace’s To Do widget will also alert you when there are outstanding placement requirements that require action from you.

Approved Upload

After your document is approved the verified status bar will turn green and be set to Verified. You don’t need to take any further action.

Please allow up to two business days for your prerequisite documents to be verified and updated by PEO staff. After two days we recommend you log into InPlace to ensure that documents have been recorded correctly, verified, and set to yes.

If your document has been rejected, please read the comments entered by PEO staff and follow the instructions provided.

You cannot view your allocated placement until you have met all the prerequisite requirements for placement.

Please upload your prerequisites to InPlace and allow 48hrs for PEO staff to verify and update the status.

Please refer to the InPlace user guide for information about how to enter assessment report comments.