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A teaching cover letter is read before your resume. In Catholic and independent schools, it is often the decisive shortlisting document. This guide is for graduate and experienced teachers applying across all sectors. It covers what a cover letter actually needs to do, the three-paragraph structure that works, sector-specific differences for government, Catholic, and independent schools, the mistakes that disqualify applications, and three annotated worked examples.
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A hiring panel reads your cover letter to gauge fit: fit with the school's community, its priorities, and its culture. Your resume tells them what you can do. Your cover letter tells them why you want to do it here.
This difference matters for how you allocate effort. If you are applying to government schools, invest your time in the selection criteria response. If you are applying to Catholic or independent schools, the cover letter is where you make or lose the application.
One A4 page. This is the consistent standard across all sectors for classroom teacher positions. Ten to twelve-point font, standard margins, PDF unless the portal specifies otherwise.
For WA, SA, and ACT government positions, the state application system replaces the cover letter with a longer AITSL-aligned statement addressing Professional Knowledge, Professional Practice, and Professional Engagement. Check the specific state portal before applying.
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This paragraph consistently determines whether an application is shortlisted. Avoid vague praise ("excellent reputation") — every school has it. Write something that could only have been sent to this school.
Avoid: "I am drawn to your school's excellent reputation and commitment to student achievement." Every school has this in some form.
Target: Reference a specific school priority (STEM program, literacy focus, reconciliation action plan) and connect it to your direct experience with measurable outcomes.
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This paragraph matches your evidence to their stated priorities. Use the STAR approach: specific situation, action taken, measurable outcome.
In government applications, reference your APST career stage and all three domains. Catholic applications should connect skills explicitly to ethos: pastoral care, Catholic Social Teaching, community formation. Independent applications must address co-curricular contribution, not just classroom practice.
What to avoid: "I am passionate about education and committed to the wellbeing of all learners." Meaningless. The same sentence appears in thousands of applications. Every claimed quality needs a specific example.
Schools invest significantly in new teachers. They want candidates who will stay and contribute over time. Show what this school specifically offers that meets what you are genuinely looking for — not what you want for your career, but what you can build here.
Target close: "I am looking for a school community where I can make a sustained contribution, and I see [School]'s commitment to [specific program] as the environment where I can develop as both a teacher and [specific role] over the long term. I welcome the opportunity to discuss my application further."
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NSW DoE selection criteria responses are separate documents with their own page limits — half an A4 page per criterion for classroom teacher positions. The cover letter and selection criteria response are distinct documents; write them independently.
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| State/Territory | Primary document | Cover letter? |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Selection criteria response | Optional; half a page if requested |
| VIC | "Any information you consider relevant" | Not mandated; submit as introduction |
| QLD | CV + referees (SmartJobs) | Advisable even when not required |
| WA | AITSL statement (up to 4 pages) | Statement replaces the cover letter |
| SA | Positioning Statement via EduJobs | Statement replaces the cover letter |
| ACT | 3-page statement, 7 AITSL standards | Statement replaces the cover letter |
| NT | NT Government jobs portal | Variable — check specific vacancy |
| TAS | Selection criteria statement | Check the specific listing |
Alignment with the Catholic ethos is a genuine selection criterion. Job ads state whether they require active Catholic faith or "support for the Catholic ethos." Address: pastoral care commitment (with a specific example), community engagement (what you have done), why Catholic education specifically, and the school's founding charism.
No centralised format. Every application must address co-curricular contribution (sport, music, drama, debating) explicitly — this is not optional at most independent schools. Also address strong subject mastery, genuine school fit (IB, Montessori, faith-based, traditional academic), and long-term tenure intent.
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Dear Ms Chen, I am applying for the Year 3 classroom teacher position at Riverside Public School (ref: 0012345). I hold a BEd (Primary) from UWS and am registered at the Graduate stage of the APST.
Riverside's NAPLAN literacy trajectory and your priority on early intervention for EAL/D students aligns with my final practicum at Parramatta West PS, where I co-designed a differentiated writing unit with the ESL coordinator. Pre/post data showed a 1.4-stage improvement in the Writing continuum across a 60% EAL/D Year 3 class.
I am looking for a school where I can develop long-term practice in literacy support and EAL/D pedagogy. I can be reached at 0400 000 000. Yours sincerely, Jane Smith. NESA Registration: EXA0000000
Dear Mr O'Brien, I am applying for the English HoD position at St Edmund's College. I have followed St Edmund's strategic commitment to the Edmund Rice vision of liberating education, particularly the social justice action group and Clemente Australia partnership, and this is the kind of school where I want to build the second decade of my career.
I have taught senior English for eight years in NSW government schools. In 2024, my Year 12 Extension English cohort achieved a median 12 points above the state median. I am a practising Catholic active in St Patrick's Blacktown Parish social outreach ministry since 2018. Yours sincerely, Michael Torres
Dear Dr Williams, I am applying for the secondary Mathematics position at Cranbrook School. Cranbrook's IB Diploma Programme and integration of design thinking through MYP aligns with the pedagogy I developed during my Graduate Diploma of Education and practicum at North Sydney Boys.
I spent twelve years as a structural engineer before retraining. At North Sydney Boys, I developed a bridging unit on structural load calculations for Year 11 Mathematics Advanced that the head of department described as the most engaged he had seen the cohort in a project-based task. I also coach FIRST Robotics and would welcome contributing to Cranbrook's co-curricular STEM program. Yours sincerely, David Park
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