AI HALT Evidence Planner: Highly Accomplished & Lead

In short

HALT certification (Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher) is a voluntary, national certification run by state and territory certifying authorities and assessed by trained external assessors. You must show evidence against every descriptor of the Standards at your chosen career stage. The planner tests an evidence annotation against its descriptor, finds gaps and suggests a sharper rewrite.

How to use the ai halt evidence planner

1

Choose Highly Accomplished or Lead

Pick the career stage you're applying for. The descriptors, and what counts as strong evidence, differ between the two.
2

Pick a descriptor

Choose the focus area and descriptor your evidence is meant to show.
3

Paste your annotation

Add the annotation you've written for a piece of evidence, and a one-line description of the artefact itself.
4

Read the gap analysis

See how well the annotation matches the descriptor's language, what's missing and a tighter rewrite that keeps your own evidence.

What HALT is, and what it's worth

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers set out four career stages: Graduate and Proficient (needed for registration) and Highly Accomplished and Lead (voluntary). HALT certification is nationally portable and run by each state's certifying authority. AITSL doesn't set pay; each employer decides what certification is worth.

What HALT pays in government schools, October 2026

State	HALT pay
NSW	HA/Lead rate $141,997 (Step 7 is $133,422); needs a year at Step 7
QLD	Highly Accomplished Teacher $134,694 · Lead Teacher $147,050
SA	Highly Accomplished Teacher $133,736 · Lead Teacher $141,365
NT	Allowance on top of salary: HA $13,938 · Lead $29,184 a year
ACT	An extra increment, or $7,495 a year if you're already at the top of the scale
VIC	No direct HALT pay link; Learning Specialist is a separate role
WA	Separate Level 3 Classroom Teacher pathway (portfolio-based)

Sources: state agreements and salary schedules, checked 16 October 2026. Tasmania's scales have no separate HALT step; its senior classroom role is Advanced Skills Teacher.

Worked example

NT Lead Teacher at CT9, 2026–27

CT9 salary (from Jan 2026): $136,997
CT9 take-home: $102,498
CT9 + Lead allowance ($29,184): $166,181
Take-home with Lead allowance: $120,300

Lead certification after tax about $17,802 a year ($685 a fortnight)

Site tax engine, 2026–27 rates, no HELP. Most of the allowance is taxed at 39%.

How the assessment works

Certification is assessed in two stages. In general terms, the first stage is a written application with annotated evidence showing how your practice meets each descriptor at your chosen career stage, along with referee statements. The second stage involves an external assessor, usually including a classroom observation and discussions with you and your colleagues. Exact steps and timelines vary by certifying authority, so check yours. Our guide to the HALT application process covers each state.

What makes an annotation strong

It names the descriptor and uses its key language, without just repeating it
It explains what the artefact is and your role in creating or using it
It shows impact on students (or, for Lead, on colleagues and the school) with evidence
For Highly Accomplished, it shows you supporting and working with colleagues, not only your own class
For Lead, it shows you initiating and leading improvement across a team or school
It's concise: an assessor should see the link in seconds

How many teachers hold HALT?

Not many. AITSL's end-2022 snapshot reported about 1,211 certified teachers nationally (AITSL's published figures don't all agree), and its annual report records 274 certified in 2024. That's a tiny share of a teaching workforce of more than 325,000 full-time-equivalent teachers. Certification is demanding, but its scarcity is also why it stands out in applications for senior roles.

Read Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) and NSW HALT pay, or see what HALT does to your lifetime pay with the career earnings calculator.

Frequently asked questions

What is a HALT teacher?

A HALT is a teacher certified as Highly Accomplished or Lead against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. It's a voluntary, nationally recognised certification above the Proficient career stage, run by state and territory certifying authorities.

How much more do HALT teachers earn?

It depends on the state. In NSW, HA/Lead teachers earn $141,997 against $133,422 at Step 7. NT teachers get an allowance of $13,938 (Highly Accomplished) or $29,184 (Lead) a year, and ACT teachers at the top of the scale get $7,495 a year.

How long does HALT certification take?

It usually takes months, not weeks, because you collect and annotate evidence and then complete an external assessment. Timelines vary by certifying authority, so check yours before you start.

What's the difference between Highly Accomplished and Lead?

Highly Accomplished teachers show highly effective practice and support colleagues to improve. Lead teachers initiate and lead improvement across a team or school, and evaluate its impact.

Is HALT certification worth it?

Financially, it often is in NSW, Queensland, SA and especially the NT, where the Lead allowance is worth about $17,800 a year after tax at CT9. In Victoria, there's no direct pay link, though it can support applications for Learning Specialist roles.

Is the AI HALT evidence planner free?

Your first annotation review is free. A one-off payment gives you 12 months of unlimited use, or you can get it with TeacherPay AU Pro.

Guides that go with this tool

HALT

Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT): what it is, what it pays and whether to go for it

What HALT certification is, how it differs from Proficient, and what it is worth in each state's pay scale.

HALT

The HALT certification process, step by step: evidence, annotations, site visit and timelines

The two-stage HALT assessment explained, with NSW and NT evidence rules, fees and a realistic timeline.