DIRECTORS' MESSAGE

Welcome to the September edition of TA Talk.

What a delightful whirlwind September was! 

We started with Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week, which is gaining more momentum year on year! Hundreds of schools planned professional development days for their teams and took advantage of our ‘open’ PD libraries during 1st to 5th September. Ever since, the team has been chipping away at a very long list of certificate requests! 

In addition to all the resources and templates created to help schools celebrate, we also launched a competition to encourage schools to formally acknowledge and celebrate their TA teams. We received an enormous number of entries with photos, videos and stories about how schools celebrated. We loved seeing what you got up to, and whilst the competition for the morning tea was fierce, we managed to settle on a clear winner. More about that below. 

Most importantly, during Appreciation Week, we announced the Australian Teacher Aide of the Year Award winners, Jenny Brown from Gosnells Primary School in WA, and the 2025 Australian Teacher Aide Team of the Year, the Primary Learning Enhancement Educational Support Officers at Sheldon College in QLD. We met to personally congratulate these outstanding educators, and were left with no doubt about the validity of this year’s awards result.  

For the 3rd consecutive year, Australian Teacher Aide has been recognised by The Educator as one of the top educational service providers offering Professional Development to Australian schools. A big thank you to our member schools for putting Australian Teacher Aide forward for recognition again this year. We are enormously proud of this achievement, and of our small team who work collaboratively and conscientiously to provide a 5 star service to our members every day. 

We hope you all have a restful holiday, and we look forward to supporting you and your team through the final term of 2025! 

Warm regards 

Stella and Mandy 

ATA AWARDS WRAP-UP

Celebrating our biggest year of awards yet!

Another incredible year of awards marks the end of our busiest season and a true testament to the remarkable work of teacher aides across the country!

We’ve been inspired by the stories shared and the passion shown by both teacher aides and the schools that support them.

As one nominator beautifully expressed, “They are not simply support staff; they are consistent, trusted adults who see the whole child and work skilfully to support both learning and wellbeing.”

As we wrap up this year’s celebrations, we’re already looking ahead to 2026, with some exciting changes to the awards categories on the way. Stay tuned - big things are coming!

AUSTRALIAN TEACHER AIDE APPRECIATION WEEK

We were thrilled to receive so many wonderful entries for this year’s Morning Tea Competition! It was truly inspiring to see the creative and heartfelt ways schools celebrated their teacher aide teams.

As Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week celebrations come to a close, we’re excited to be announcing the winner of our Morning Tea Competition on our website!

A big thank you to all the schools that entered (listed below). Your efforts made the judging process tougher than ever!

Brisbane Grammar School

Browns Plains State High School

Butler College

Carine Senior High School 

Collingwood English Language School

Dalby State School

Duncraig Senior High School

Eagleby State School

East Maitland Public School

Gin Gin State High School

Gosnells Primary School

Groves Christian College

Gwynne Park Education Support Centre

Harristown State School

Helensvale State School

Illaroo Road Public School

John Paul College - Frankston

King's Christian College

Lakes Entrance Secondary College

Margaret River Independent School 

Marsden Park Anglican College

Mount Cotton State School

Mount St Benedict College

Narrogin Senior High School

Newton Primary School

North Lakes State College

Ocean Reef Senior High School

Padua College - Queensland

Penrith Public School

Prenzlau State School

Riverside Adventist School

Sacred Heart College - Geelong

Salesian College - Chadstone

Salesian College - Sunbury

Salvado Catholic College

Springwood Central State School

St Johns College - Dubbo

St Joseph's Primary School 

St Luke's Anglican School

St Margaret's Anglican Girls School 

Templeton Primary School

The Hall State School

Tully State High School

Warilla High School

Warrah Specialist School

Wellington Point State School

Westminster School

Windaroo Valley State High School

2025 SERVICE PROVIDER AWARD

ATA Wins 5-Star Professional Development Provider Award for the 3rd year running!

Schools across Australia were invited to rate providers on customer service, value for money, evidence-based content, ease of purchase, and speed of access to resources.

We’re incredibly proud to be recognised in all of these areas, and we’re beyond grateful for the positive feedback and support from our partner schools.

Thank you for trusting us to support your professional growth.

UPCOMING EVENT

Allocating Education Assistants to Departments in Secondary School

Tuesday 14 October 3.30pm AEST

Are your school leaders exploring how to make the most of Teaching Assistants in secondary education?

In this exclusive webinar, ATA guest presenter Rebecca Rourke, Head of Learning Diversity and Inclusion at St Mark’s Anglican Community School (WA) will share how her school has taken a bold, innovative approach to deploying Education Assistants (EAs) and is transforming the way support can be provided across the secondary setting.

Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how St Mark’s has reimagined the allocation of EA time and take away ideas you can adapt for your own school.

 NEW RESOURCE

Stronger Together: Resilience Through Better Communication and Relationships

In today’s busy and ever-changing school environment, resilience and strong relationships are more important than ever — but how do you put them into practice?

International mindset speaker, Patty Duque, takes the complex science of resilience and makes it simple, practical, and directly relevant for teacher aides.

In this new resource Patty shows how something as straightforward as labelling an emotion can reduce its impact and discusses why effective communication eases stress so you can stay calm under pressure.

Discover everyday tools you can use to build your own resilience, support students more effectively, and strengthen the way you work with colleagues.

SPOTLIGHT ON ATAPS IN ACTION

Dalby State School, QLD

The teacher aides at Dalby State School have recently begun using ATAPS to guide their professional growth and development.

Under the leadership of an experienced teacher aide, their team engaged in a professional development day where they explored the ATAPS framework.

The session began with a presentation, followed by rich discussions as staff reflected on their skills, plotted themselves against the standards, and shared their perceptions of their current practice.

The PD was well received, with one TA commenting, “I found the sessions very empowering for myself and the ATAPS journey has been received [by the team] with eager anticipation ”

With great enthusiasm, the school has already planned further sessions to continue the journey by collaborating, sharing ideas, and building capacity as a team.

Congratulations Dalby State School on taking the first steps in your ATAPS journey!

Could ATAPS support your school’s improvement agenda? Now is the perfect time to start the conversation. Discover how the ATAPS framework can elevate the work of your support staff.

ATAPS FACILITATOR TRAINING

8 More ATAPS Facilitators!

Congratulations to another eight school leaders who have completed the ATAPS Facilitator training with ATA this month.  

Mary, a school leader who recently completed ATA’s ATAPS Facilitator training, reflected on the real impact of aligning professional learning with standards: 

“I was so pleased I decided to participate in the training. I am now armed with more information and a better understanding of the standards so that I can help our department to make better use of more specific areas of training.” 

Kurt, another trained ATATPS facilitator summed up the workshops by saying “This is an incredibly comprehensive resource and system that was clearly communicated. Thank you!” 

Discover how ATAPS facilitator training can equip you with knowledge, tools and strategies for successfully implementation. 

UNDERSTANDING ATAPS - ONE FOCUS AREA AT A TIME

Understand how students learn.

It is important to understand how students learn so that we can help them succeed.

This means that we need to know that students learn in different ways. Being able to recognise how a student learns is the first step to supporting students effectively. 

Knowledge & Skills to develop: 

• Learn about how the brain learns new concepts 
• Learn strategies to activate prior knowledge 
• Understand what cognitive load is and how you can reduce it 

Want to go deeper: 

• ATA Webinar: Neurodiversity and Brain-based Learning
• AERO Website: How students learn
• Explore the TA Standards more!

 READ OUR LATEST BLOG

Map your professional growth with ATAPS

Every teacher aide’s role is dynamic, and growth looks different for everyone.

Our latest blog explores the Australian Teaching Assistant Professional Standards (ATAPS) Professional Growth Map — a practical tool designed to help teacher aides reflect, set goals, and track their career journey.

Whether you’re just beginning or already thriving, the Growth Map can guide you to identify strengths, highlight areas for development, and take purposeful next steps.

Read the full blog on our website and discover why reflection matters, how small, achievable goals can make a big difference, and how ATAPS can support you to deepen your impact in the classroom.

ATA AT THE NATIONAL EDUCATION SUMMIT - MELBOURNE

We always love meeting ATA members when we go along to expos, and the National Education Summit in Melbourne did not disappoint!  

Here are some fun facts from our time at the NES in Melbourne: 

• 200+ ATA notebooks were gifted to school leaders
• 27 schools entered to win a 12-month ATA membership
• 24 schools wanted to know more about ATA
• 55+ connections made with experts

Did you miss seeing us at the NES? No worries – contact our friendly team today to learn more about the benefits of a school membership with ATA. 

OUTSTANDING PARTICIPATION IN ATA PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

Congratulations to the following schools for achieving most highly, over the past month, in their professional development journey:

King's Christian College QLD
Alexandra Hills State High School QLD
Emmanuel College - Warrnambool VIC
Kenmore State High School QLD

Keep up the great work, everyone!

OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CHAMPION SCHOOLS

9-year Professional Learning Champions

Dakabin State High School QLD
Prince of Peace Lutheran College QLD

8-year Professional Learning Champions

St Mary of the Angels Primary - Guyra NSW
The Rock Central School NSW
Indooroopilly State High School QLD

7-year Professional Learning Champions

Knox Grammar School NSW
St Xavier's Primary School - Gunnedah NSW
Biloela State School QLD
Brisbane State High School QLD
Kelvin Grove State College QLD
Crest Education VIC

6-year Professional Learning Champions
Abbotsleigh Junior School NSW
St Mary's Primary School - Armidale NSW
Bell State School QLD
Benowa State School QLD
Giru State School QLD
Gympie Special School QLD
Sunshine Beach State High School QLD
West Moreton Anglican College QLD
Northside Christian College VIC
Oxley Christian College VIC

5-year Professional Learning Champions
Bankstown South Infants School NSW
Bombala High School NSW
Broughton Anglican College NSW
Corrimal East Public School NSW
Monaro High School NSW
Mount View High School NSW
Padstow Park Public School NSW
Singleton Public School NSW
St George Christian School NSW
Tottenham Central School NSW
Wyee Public School NSW
Guardian Angels Primary School - Ashmore QLD
Kenmore State High School QLD
Mirani State School QLD
Mudgeeraba State School QLD
Murrumba State Secondary College QLD
Scarborough State School QLD
Springfield Central State High School QLD
St Anthony's Primary - Alexandra Hills QLD
Taroom State School QLD
Melton Secondary College VIC
Newbury Primary School VIC
Arbor Grove Primary School WA
Bletchley Park Primary School WA
Insight Training Group Australia WA
Narrogin Senior High School WA

WELCOME TO OUR NEW SCHOOLS AND TRAINING ORGANISATIONS

NSW
Aspect Hunter School
Avondale School
Blue Hills College
Central Coast Sports College
Heritage College Lake Macquarie
Hoxton Park High School
Hurstville Adventist School
Leeton High School 
Manning Valley Anglican College
Morisset High School
St John's Catholic Primary School - Narraweena

QLD
Aquinas College - QLD
Arcadia Valley State School
Baringa State Secondary College
Blair State School
Bymount East State School
Caloundra State High School
Canterbury College
Clearview Christian College
Cooloola Christian College
Djarragun College
Dunkeld State School
Elanora State School
Endeavour Christian College
Helensvale State School
Holy Spirit College - Mackay
Hope Adventist School
King's Christian College
Matthew Flinders Anglican College
Mount Molloy State School
Nirimba State Primary School
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School - Yeppoon
St Andrew's Catholic College - Redlynch Valley
St Mary's Catholic Primary School - Mackay
St Matthew's Primary School - Cornubia
St Peter Claver College
Thornton State School
Tiaro State School
Western Suburbs State Special School

VIC
Boneo Primary School
Box Hill High School
Donvale Christian College
Echuca East Primary School
Grey Street Primary School
Harrisfield Primary School
Launching Place Primary School
Mill Park Primary School
Miners Rest Primary School
Parade College
Portarlington Primary School
St Francis Xavier Primary School - Montmorency
Strathcona Girls Grammar
The Knox School

WA
Belmont City College
Carcoola Primary School
Living Waters Lutheran College
Lumen Christi College
Rossmoyne Senior High School
St Helena's Catholic Primary School
St Kieran Catholic Primary School
The King's College

SA
Harvest Christian College - Kadina
Tyndale Christian School - Salisbury East
Tyndale Christian School - Strathalbyn

WHAT'S TRENDING ON THE ATA FACEBOOK PAGE

You know you’re a teacher aide when walking into the room feels like walking onto a red carpet. 

Our most popular Facebook post celebrated the special impact teacher aides have in the classroom. It struck a chord with our community by capturing the joy, energy, and appreciation students feel when you walk in - reminding everyone just how important teacher aides are every day.

32,876 views
172 reactions, 21 comments and 29 shares

Leaders in Professional Learning for Schools

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