The recent agreement between SCEA schools in Perth (Western Australia) and St Philip’s Teaching School in Newcastle (New South Wales) provides aspiring teachers with the opportunity to work and teach in an independent school from the outset, offering an immersive introduction to Christian education from the first day of their training.
How does this differ from a Bachelor of Education through Edith Cowan University (ECU) or Notre Dame?
And why do these undergraduates get paid from the first day of their university training?
Put simply, the majority of Australian teachers will have studied their curriculum at university before undertaking practicums of varying lengths in both independent and government schools.
While they are studying, they are probably working part-time or casually to pay the bills as they await that career-defining moment when a school hires them and their vocation as an educator can begin.
This new system, pioneered by the St Philip’s Teaching School and other Christian institutions over the last decade, actually employs the undergraduate teacher trainee from Day 1 on an Education Assistant’s wage, with the trainee working with a classroom teacher on an annual rotation for the entirety of their university study period.
The lectures are delivered on selected evenings through Christian Heritage College (CHC), and the results have been remarkable for the St Philip’s Teaching School.
Graduates have a deep grounding in Christian education, the school has a long-term working relationship with the trainee over a significant period of time, and the classroom is familiar to both the undergraduate trainee, the students and the classroom teacher.
St Philip’s Teaching School, led by Mrs Samantha Van de Mortel (Executive Principal Tertiary Education – St Philip’s Teaching School) and Mr Graeme Irwin (Chief Executive Officer – St Philip’s Christian College) hosted representatives from the SCEA Central Office last week (9-11 March 2026), with Mrs Melissa Meloni (Head of the CHARIS Teacher Training – SCEA) speaking to undergraduate teacher training students, course graduates and school leaders about the process that has led to more than 56 graduates from the St Philip’s Teaching School since its inception in 2018.
“We are excited about bringing the expertise of this program to our seven schools in the Perth region of Western Australia,” said Mrs Meloni.
“Our goal is to work closely with our counterparts at St Philip’s to ensure that the program launches successfully in Western Australia and upholds the highest of standards for Christian teaching across the country. We would also like to welcome other Christian schools in Western Australia to participate in this method of teacher training as we seek to serve our communities with excellent Christian educators,” said Mrs Meloni.
Expressions of interest for SCEA’s CHARIS Teacher Training School (due to launch in 2027) will open in Term 2, 2026.
For more information, visit www.scea.wa.edu.au/charis-teacher-training-school/