Guidelines

Who is eligible for a NEiTA Award?

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NEiTA Awards are open to dedicated professionals within the education sector who meet the following criteria:

• Must be qualified and registered educators or directors within early childhood centers, or teachers and principals in primary, special, and secondary schools in Australia or New Zealand.

• Must have a minimum of two years’ teaching experience.

• Must be currently employed, meeting the following minimum average employment levels.

• Primary, special, and secondary teachers: at least 0.6 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) per week.

• Kindergarten and preschool teachers (teaching pre-prep programs): at least 28 hours every fortnight.

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We are looking for nominations for those who have excelled in the following area: 

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• Leadership:

  • Exceptional school and community leadership, notably by principals and deputy principals.

• Knowledge:

  • Demonstrated expert knowledge in their field.

• Teaching Practice:

  • Innovative and exemplary approaches to teaching.

• Community Engagement:

  • Outstanding engagement with parents, carers, and the community, particularly in supporting student well-being.

• Professional Engagement:

  • Significant contribution to colleague development, including mentoring.

 

NEiTA reserves the right to verify the information related to nominations to ensure eligibility criteria are met.

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Who can nominate?

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• Educational Bodies:

  • Through parent associations, student councils, or management committees.

• Individuals:

  • Parents, grandparents, or guardians of students.

• Community Organisations:

  • Independent nominations accepted.

• Teachers:

  • May nominate educators from their children’s schools/centres or their colleagues.

  

Note:

Finalists must have their applications endorsed by their principal, school head, or centre director before interviews. School leaders require endorsement from the school council, which can be completed via NEiTA’s online platform.

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Family members of teachers, or individuals associated with the NEiTA program, are excluded from nominating. 

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​​Nomination and acceptance process

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• Step 1:

  • Community members are invited to nominate an eligible teacher, principal, or early childhood educator for a NEiTA 2025 Award via the online nomination form on the Award Force platform.​

• Step 2:

  • Eligible nominees will then be invited via email from NEiTA to complete a brief online application form comprising only five or six questions.​

• Step 3:

  • As applicants they will be asked to highlight aspects of their teaching/leadership background and accomplishments.  

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Note:

NEiTA welcomes supporting letters from the school principal, centre director, school board/council, parent association, committee of management, or other relevant authority. Any other material submitted will not be considered by the selection panel. Providing such a letter in the Stage 1 application phase will obviate the need to provide principal endorsement should the nominee become a finalist and progress to the final interview at Stage 2.

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Selection criteria for finalists

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• Selection Panel:

  • Comprises experienced teachers, principals, educationalists, and former NEiTA winners.

• Criteria:

  • Based on AITSL Australian Professional Standards for Teachers and AQF standards for Early Childhood Education, focusing on leadership, knowledge, innovative teaching, and professional community engagement.

• Process:

  • Shortlisting of outstanding teachers, principals, and early childhood educators by the judging panel, without feedback for unsuccessful nominations.

• Announcement:

  • Winners to be revealed on the NEiTA website and communicated to media.

• Retiring Recipients:

  • If award winners retire or leave the profession within 12 months, their grant is allocated to their school or centre for pre-approved community projects.

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​​Recognising and celebrating all Nominees

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Every nominee receives a digital Certificate of Nomination. We suggest principals, centre directors, and school councils publicly present this certificate to celebrate the educators' recognition by their community.

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Confidentiality

NEiTA will not:

​a) Disclose the nominator’s identity to the early childhood educator, centre director, teacher, or principal without the prior permission of the nominator.

b) Disclose the nominated early childhood educator, centre director, teacher, or principal’s details to the media or any other organisation without their prior permission (see NEiTA Privacy Statement).

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Key dates for 2025 Awards are still to be finalised

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