Accreditation placement in Early Childhood Education and Care
Welcome to our Accreditation Placement Hub
Discover what you need to know to host a placement student studying:
How does the placement work?
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Step 1
Discuss availability
Our Placement Coordinator contacts your centre by email or phone to check your availability to support our students.
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Step 2
Book placement
Our Placement Coordinator confirms the booking and the student allocated to your centre by email.
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Step 3
Confirm changes
If required, our Placement Coordinator confirms changes (e.g. student allocation, dates, duration) or cancellations by email.
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Step 4
Send documentation
Our Placement Coordinator emails you the practical placement record with a guide for the Centre Supervisor two to three days before commencement.
Please ensure all staff involved read this document. Contact our Placement Coordinator if you have any questions.
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Step 5
Prepare student
We ensure our students understand the placement assessment tasks, as well as the industry expectations and requirements.
Expected key learning outcomes
- To show an understanding and appreciation of diversity in education by completing placements with students from diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
- To learn professional care and communication with children
- To support play learning and basic developmental needs
- To design and implement curriculum in early childhood education and care services
Contact hours
| Placement type | Age group | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate III in Early Childhood, Education and Care | 0–2 years old | 12 days / 90 hours (7 hours per day) |
| Certificate III in Early Childhood, Education and Care |
3–5 years old | 12 days / 90 hours (7 hours per day) |
| Certificate III in Early Childhood, Education and Care | 2–3 years old | 26 days / 168 hours (7 hours per day) |
| Diploma of Early Childhood, Education and Care – Placement 1 | 2–3 years old | 32 days / 266 hours (7 hours per day) |
| Diploma of Early Childhood. Education and Care – Placement 2 | Any age group | 42 days / 294 hours (7 hours per day) |
Requirements for partners
Responsibilities include:
- appointing a representative (with a diploma-level qualification or above) to supervise the student for the placement duration
- providing opportunities for the student to meet the learning objectives of their placement experience
- providing an appropriate orientation for the student such as:
- your centre’s policies and procedures
- occupational health and safety practices (e.g. accident and emergency procedures)
- information on break times
- names and roles of key personnel
- allowing visits by Swinburne to monitor and assess the student's progress
- providing the student with constructive feedback
- verifying the student’s attainment of skills
- assisting the student in communicating with parents for completion of parent permission form and family survey in first two days of placement if required.
If a student has not notified you of their absence and has not attended placement in the first two days, please advise the Placement Coordinator via eceplacement@swinburne.edu.au
Requirements for students
Vaccination and immunisation
- Immunisations if required by Placement Provider
Security
- Working with Children Check (WWCC)
- Police Check
Relevant documents
Our Placement Coordinator will email the student placement resources to your centre two to three days prior to commencement. Please ensure the Centre Supervisor review and understand how to complete the documents.
The student will bring hard copies of the documents to the placement – there is no requirement for you to print. Please note the documents are subject to change.
Practical placement record (PPR)
This is the student’s assessment checklist, which is to be ticked and signed off progressively by the Centre Supervisor prior to the Swinburne Assessor's visit. Please check our sample copy to see how to fill this in.
Attendance record
This is a log of the student hours, which needs to be signed off by the Centre Supervisor at regular intervals.
Practical placement agreement
Swinburne will send the overarching practical placement agreement directly to your centre via email. This will cover all students attending your centre for the current year. Please read over the agreement and return to the Placement Coordinator at your earliest convenience. This agreement is in-principal and does not commit your centre to take on a set number of students per year.
We will also arrange for an agreement to be signed between the student and Swinburne, so all parties are agreeing to the same standards.
Without the practical placement agreement, a student who incurs an injury whilst on a placement may not be entitled to compensation under the Department of Education and Training's (DET) insurance policy.
The practical placement agreement is essential and is designed to:
- activate the DET insurance and be a safeguard if a problem occurs during the placement
- formalise the arrangements and conditions between the placement host and the training organisation, defining the placement so that all parties involved understand their responsibilities and rights; and
- be kept permanently in case any legal or insurance proceedings arise – Swinburne will keep a secure copy on file for seven years.
Frequently asked questions
Any missed day must be made up. It is the responsibility of the student to negotiate a time with the centre.
Yes, all we ask is that the student has the full support of a Centre Supervisor for the placement duration and the Centre Supervisor completes the documentation required for the placement.
A Centre Supervisor with a diploma-level qualification or above can mentor the student.
Swinburne University of Technology’s public liability insurance policy covers Swinburne for any claims made against it related to personal injury to other parties or damage to the property of others.
During the placement, our students are regarded as an extension of Swinburne and the policy protects them against such claims that may arise from activities associated with the placement.
Our students are always reminded to contact the centre before their shift if they are unwell and unable to attend the placement.
If you have not heard from the student after their shift has commenced, please contact the Placement Coordinator and we will follow up with the student.
Have a question?
If you would like to support this placement or require further information, please email eceplacement@swinburne.edu.au.