Teacher Referee Report: What Referees Are Asked (2026)

On this page (8 sections)

What a referee report does
What NSW panels must check with your first referee
What referees are typically asked
Choosing referees
How to brief a referee
If you're the referee: writing a strong report
When a referee report goes wrong
FAQs

The short answer

A teacher referee report is a referee's assessment of you against the job's selection criteria, given to the panel by phone or in writing. Most classroom jobs want two referees, the first usually your current principal; NSW executive and principal jobs want three. Referees are asked for evidence on each criterion, so brief them before they're called.

NSW panels contact your first and second referees once you're shortlisted.
A NSW first referee must confirm you meet the teaching Standards and aren't on individualised performance support.
Victorian panels can ask referees about every criterion.
Never list someone without asking them first.

What a referee report does

Your written application says what you claim. Your interview shows how you think. Referees confirm whether it's true. Australian merit selection treats them as evidence, not a formality: NSW panels keep a record of referee comments, Victorian panels must decide on application, interview and referee reports together, and a lukewarm report can move you from first to second on a close call.

Referee rules by system (government schools)

System	How many	Who first	When contacted
NSW classroom teacher	Two	Generally your current principal	At shortlisting, both referees
NSW head teacher, AP, DP	Three	Generally your current principal	First and second at shortlisting; third only if the panel is split after interview
NSW principal	Three	Generally your current Director, Educational Leadership	As above
Victoria	As the ad asks	Usually your current principal or supervisor	Nominated referees at shortlisting; others only if you're told first and can respond
Queensland (central application)	Current referee contact details	Your most recent supervisor	After your screening call and video interview
WA (graduate and register applications)	Two (on your resume)	Your placement supervisor or current principal	When a principal considers you for a vacancy

From the NSW Department's merit selection procedure, the Victorian Recruitment in Schools guide, Teach Queensland and the WA Department of Education. Always follow the job ad.

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What NSW panels must check with your first referee

The NSW procedure is the most detailed in the country. The panel convenor and at least one other panel member contact referees in the order you list them. Questions must be fair, consistent and based on the selection criteria, although different referees can be asked about different criteria.

Your NSW first referee must confirm that

They know you've applied and can verify the accuracy of your application
You meet the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
You're not receiving individualised support for performance concerns

What referees are typically asked

Panels draw questions from the criteria, so each job is different. These are the kinds of prompts referees commonly hear. They're our examples, not an official list.

Common referee questions and the evidence that answers them

Criterion area	Typical question to the referee	What a strong answer includes
Knowledge of students and content	How does the applicant plan for the range of learners in their classes?	A specific class or program, and the result
Classroom practice	Have you observed them teach? What did you see?	Date or term of observation, routines, engagement, feedback to students
Assessment and data	How do they use assessment to adjust their teaching?	A unit, analysis or moderation they led or took part in
Learning environment	How do they manage behaviour and wellbeing?	Referral trends, relationships, work with the wellbeing team
Collaboration	How do they work with colleagues?	Shared programs, mentoring, faculty or stage contributions
Families and community	How do they communicate with parents and carers?	Handling of a concern, regular contact, events
Leadership (executive jobs)	Can you give an example of them leading colleagues through change?	What staff did differently and what changed for students
Overall	Would you employ them again? Is there anything we should know?	A clear yes, with a reason

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The AI Selection Criteria Coach sharpens your criteria responses, so your referees can confirm specific, checkable examples.

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Choosing referees

Current principal or supervisor first. It's what panels expect in NSW and most other systems.
Someone who has seen you teach recently. A deputy, head teacher or assistant principal who observed you is often more specific than a principal who didn't.
For leadership jobs, someone who saw you lead. The principal you relieved for, or the deputy who supervised your project.
For graduates, your final placement supervisor and your university mentor or a supervising teacher from another placement.
For relief teachers, the person who books you most. A head teacher or deputy at your regular school.
Not a friend or family member, and not a colleague at your own level unless the ad allows it.

How to brief a referee

Send this before the panel calls

1

Ask first

Ask if they're willing and have time, and tell them when shortlisting is likely. In NSW, shortlisting should be done within 7 working days of the closing date.
2

Send the job

The advertisement, role description and selection criteria.
3

Send your application

Your criteria responses and resume, so they can verify them.
4

Map your examples

A one-page list: for each criterion, the example you used that they saw.
5

Flag anything they should mention

A recent observation, a program you led, your accreditation level.
6

Thank them and tell them the outcome

You'll need them again.

Worked example

Fictional referee briefing (one page, adapt the details)

Job: Permanent Science teacher, [school], closing [date]; panel convenor [name]
Criterion 1: differentiation: My Year 8 forces unit with three entry points (you observed it in Term 2, Week 6)
Criterion 2: data: Item analysis of the Year 10 common test that I presented at the faculty meeting in August
Criterion 3: wellbeing: My work with the Year 9 adviser on the attendance plan for two students
Other: I received Proficient accreditation in March; I mentor our first-year science teacher

Fictional example. Use only examples your referee actually saw.

If you're the referee: writing a strong report

Principals, deputies and head teachers write referee reports often, sometimes for HALT applications too. A good report is specific, criterion-by-criterion and honest. Avoid adjectives without evidence ('outstanding', 'passionate'). Describe what you saw, when, and what changed.

Fictional referee report prompts and sample sentences

Prompt	Weak	Strong (fictional)
How do you know the applicant?	I've known her for a while.	I have been her principal for three years and supervise her Performance and Development Plan. I observed her teaching four times in 2026.
Classroom practice	She is an excellent teacher.	In a Term 3 observation, every student in her Year 4 class could explain the learning goal, and she regrouped three students mid-lesson from their responses.
Use of data	She uses data well.	She led our Stage 2 analysis of reading data this year, and her guided reading groups moved 6 of 8 students up two levels in two terms.
Working with others	She is a great team player.	She co-wrote our Stage 2 writing rubric and ran two moderation sessions for five teachers.
Recommendation	I recommend her.	I would appoint her to this role without hesitation and would re-employ her.

All sentences in the 'strong' column are invented examples of tone and specificity, not a real reference.

When a referee report goes wrong

The referee didn't know you'd applied. Always tell them; NSW requires the first referee to know.
They describe a different teacher. Generic answers suggest they don't know your work. Choose someone closer.
They contradict your application. If you claimed a result they don't remember, the panel will notice. Use examples they saw.
They can't be reached. Give a mobile and email, and check they're not on leave during shortlisting.
You got negative feedback. Ask the convenor for feedback; in NSW it's negotiated within 10 calendar days if you request it, and covers your own application, interview and referee comments.

Frequently asked questions

What is a referee report for a teaching job?

It's your referee's assessment of you against the selection criteria, given by phone or in writing to the selection panel. Panels use it alongside your application and interview to decide who to appoint.

How many referees do I need for a teaching job?

Usually two for classroom teacher jobs, with your current principal or supervisor first. NSW executive (head teacher, assistant principal, deputy) and principal jobs ask for three.

Does my principal have to be my referee?

In NSW, the first referee is generally your current principal for permanent teachers and executives, and other systems have similar expectations. If there's a genuine reason not to, talk to the panel convenor before applying.

What questions are teacher referees asked?

Questions are based on the selection criteria: classroom practice, planning for diverse learners, assessment, behaviour and wellbeing, collaboration and family engagement. NSW first referees must also confirm you meet the teaching Standards and aren't on individualised performance support.

When are referees contacted?

In NSW, the first and second referees are contacted for applicants being actively considered for interview, during shortlisting. The third referee for executive jobs is contacted only if the panel is split after interviews.

Can a panel contact someone I didn't list as a referee?

In Victoria, panels can contact non-nominated referees only if they tell you first and give you a chance to comment. Check your own system's procedure.

Who should a graduate teacher use as referees?

Your final placement supervising teacher and a second supervisor or university mentor who saw you teach. If you've done relief work, a deputy or head teacher at your regular school is also good.

Sources we checked · last verified 2026-10-17

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