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Early childhood teacher professional standards and supports

Access capability assessment tools and guides for early childhood teachers and approved providers.

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Capability Assessment Guide

The Capability Assessment Guide (the Guide) and its accompanying tools support eligible early childhood teachers and approved providers to undertake the Capability Assessment outlined in the Victorian Early Childhood Teachers and Educators Agreement 2020 and the Early Education Employees Agreement 2020 (the Agreements) to facilitate teachers to move from Level 2.5 to 3.1 in the career structure.

The information and resources in the Guide have been specially designed for funded kindergarten providers and teachers who are employed under the Agreements (as well as any mirror and equivalent Agreements) and aims to streamline and enhance engagement in the Capability Assessment.

How to use the Guide

While the Agreements do not prescribe a specific process for completing the Capability Assessment, the Guide outlines a straightforward 5 step procedure that ensures both teachers and approved providers can have confidence in the process. The use of this Guide is not mandatory, noting that many providers already have their own Capability Assessment process in place.

The Guide outlines a 5 step process described from both the teachers’ perspective and approved providers.

Who can use the Guide?

The Guide and related tools have been designed to support anyone participating in the Capability Assessment process specified in the Agreements. However, it is important to note that the process outlined is not compulsory. Parties are welcome to utilise aspects of the Guide to support existing processes or to complement protocols that an approved provider already has in place.

Additional advice is offered for volunteer committees of management where applicable.

Roles and responsibilities in the process

The Capability Assessment process, at its best, is collaborative, drawing on the skills and lived experience of both the teacher and the approved provider. As noted in the Guide, the nature of the Capability Assessment discussions are a combination of celebration and accountability and rely on both the teacher and approved provider participating with good faith and a spirit of continuous improvement.

Teachers

Teachers are responsible for requesting the Capability Assessment to commence.

The teacher then ensures they participate in the process as outlined in the Guide, including having the necessary information to enable the approved provider to assess their capabilities.

Approved providers

Approved providers are responsible for managing and completing the Capability Assessment process.

The approved provider ensures that the process is fair and rigorous and that teachers and members of the Capability Assessment committee understand what is expected and that the process is completed in a timely manner.

Tools

A suite of accompanying tools is provided separately to support approved providers and teachers in completing the Capability Assessment process.

The Guide and tools were developed by Catharine Hydon in consultation with the Australian Education Union (AEU), Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and the Early Learning Association of Australia (ELAA) and with support from the Department of Education and Training.

Capability assessment tools

Early childhood education and care

Updated 27 March 2026

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