Community Use of Schools – Hiring and Licensing

Policy

This policy explains how schools can enter hire and licence agreements to facilitate community use of school facilities.

Hire and licence agreements are generally for short term (up to 5 years), occasional or one-off agreements to hire or licence school premises to third parties. For formal agreements regarding the construction or upgrade of a shared-use facility over a long-term period, refer to the Community Use of Schools – Community Joint Use Agreements Policy.

Summary

• Schools are strongly encouraged to share their facilities with their local communities. Hire and licence agreements can facilitate shared-use arrangements that benefit both schools and their local communities.
• School councils can enter:
  • hire agreements – for occasional or one-off community use of school facilities
  • licence agreements – for regular community use of school facilities.
• School councils are advised to use the correct template when entering into hire or licence agreements. Templates for all hire and licensing arrangements can be found on the Resources tab.
• Schools must upload copies of all hire and licence agreements to the department’s Asset Information Management System (AIMS) and retain copies and evidence of insurance on site.
• Fees paid by third parties to school councils for the use of school facilities must allow schools to recover additional maintenance and operational costs (for example, for electricity, water, cleaning, insurance, maintenance), and lifecycle costs proportional to each party’s use of the facility, but must not be set higher than required for cost recovery.
• Schools are required to review all their hire and licence agreements annually to ensure they continue to follow all departmental policies and processes. This includes ensuring that parties hiring or licencing the facility are using the facility for an approved purpose.

Details

The department encourages schools to partner with local government and community organisations to explore sharing facilities and developing and using school infrastructure to benefit the wider community’s educational, recreational, sporting or cultural needs.

Hire and licence agreements facilitate strong partnerships with the community by setting out each party’s rights and responsibilities, minimise risk and create certainty for all parties. They also ensure key rights and obligations are clearly outlined and allow school councils and the community users to discuss and agree on specific clauses such as cleaning of facilities, cost of utilities and insurance requirements.

Hire and licence agreements must comply with the department’s legal requirements and clearly outline each party’s responsibilities to protect the school council against liability. School councils have the power to enter into agreements with third parties for the use of school facilities when they are not required for ordinary school purposes.

Before signing any agreement with a third party for the use of school facilities, schools are encouraged to consult with all key parties to the agreement and the department’s Legal Division, particularly regarding any long-term agreement such as a licence that may impact the school community or neighbourhood.

Proposed use

School facilities subject to hire and licence agreements must only be for the purpose of educational, recreational, sporting, or cultural activities for students, the local community or young persons. Any other purpose requires the Minister’s approval.

Hire agreements

Hire agreements are suitable for occasional or one-off community use of school facilities. Examples include a local youth group hiring a school hall for an awards night, or a theatre group wanting to stage a play over 4 nights.

School councils must use the School council hire agreement template (DOCX) (staff login required) when entering into a hire agreement. Refer to Completing a school council hire agreement template for advice on how to complete the template.

Licence agreements

Licence agreements are to be used for regular, ongoing (but not more than 5 years) community use of school facilities by third parties. Examples include a local drama group using a school performing arts centre every Wednesday evening for a year, or a local football club hiring the school oval for a season.

School councils seeking to enter into licence agreements to place advertising on school sites can refer to the Advertising policy.

School councils must use the School council licence agreement template (DOCX) (staff login required) when entering into a licence agreement. Refer to Completing a school council licence agreement template for advice on how to complete the template.

Responding to requests from community groups to use your school space

If a community group approaches your school with a request to use your school space and you are in the south-west region of Victoria, you can direct them to the Increasing Community Use of School Facilities pilot (ICUSF) team by email: SWV.SC.facility.use@education.vic.gov.au.

This is a new initiative to pilot support for schools and increase school facility use in the south-west region of Victoria.

Community joint use agreements

Community joint use agreements are more detailed, long-term agreements used for constructing or upgrading jointly used community facilities such as stadiums, sporting grounds and theatres. The initial term of such an agreement would usually be 20 to 30 years. For more information about community joint use agreements, refer the Community Use of Schools – Community Joint Use Agreements policy.

Insurance

As a general rule, the department requires third parties using school premises to supply proof that they are adequately covered by insurance. This is provided by way of a Certificate of Currency (also known as a Confirmation of Cover) which is a summary of the cover provided by an insurance agency.

Most third parties need to provide a Certificate of Currency that demonstrates that they have public liability insurance for a minimum of $10 million in place throughout the period of the hire agreement or licence. Not-for-profit community groups and private individuals seeking to hire or licence school facilities for low-risk activities are not required to provide a Certificate of Currency. However, these entities must be informed that the school’s own public liability insurance does not extend to cover them when they hire out school facilities and they are still encouraged by the department to obtain their own public liability insurance where deemed appropriate.

The department’s public liability insurance covers the department and school councils for incidents arising from their proven negligence. It does not extend to members of the public who access school grounds outside school hours without a formal community use agreement.

Schools may install signage to advise the public that informal use is undertaken at their own risk. For further guidance on insurance coverage, liability, or appropriate signage, contact the Legal Division or the Insurance team.

The requirement to provide a Certificate of Currency remains for all commercial entities and for all community groups who are:

• engaging in high-risk activities
• required to have insurance by their association (for example, incorporated sporting clubs)
• required to have insurance for regulatory purposes (for example, state law requiring certain business to have insurance).

For further information on insurance requirements for third parties please refer to the Insurance for Schools Policy or contact the department’s Legal Division for advice and assistance.

Fees

Schools are responsible for calculating a reasonable amount to charge third parties for use of school facilities. Licence fees paid to school councils by community users must:

• allow schools to recover additional maintenance and operational costs (cleaning and utilities), and lifecycle costs proportional to each party’s use of the facility
• not be set higher than required for cost recovery.

For more information, refer to the guidance chapter on Cost recovery for community use.

Leasing

A lease is another type of agreement involving use of school facilities. Leases differ from other types of shared use arrangements in that the third party is not a hirer or licensee, but a tenant with exclusive possession to the leased area.

School councils are not permitted to enter into or sign leases. The Minister for Education or authorised delegate enters into a lease on behalf of the school council. For example, ministerial approval is required to grant a leasehold to construct a childcare facility on a school site. School property may be leased to a third party where schools have over-entitled space that is not required for ordinary school purposes or the school may seek to lease additional property from a third party to operate an alternative education setting.

This restriction on leasing does not apply to the leasing of school equipment.

Schools considering a new leasing arrangement can contact their regional office and the Victorian School Building Authority’s Property Unit for advice – refer to the contacts section of this page.

Schools as polling places

The Victorian Electoral Commission and the Australian Electoral Commission may use schools as polling places during state and federal elections. For more information, refer to the department’s Elections – Schools as Voting Centres and Polling Places Policy.

Compliance and monitoring

The Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance Policy sets out the department’s compliance and monitoring process that applies to all key asset management activities, including hiring and licensing of school facilities. This section of the policy sets out the compliance and monitoring requirements that apply to hiring and licensing, in line with the 3 principal steps of the Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance Policy: Identify, Manage and Monitor.

Identify

The first step to ensure you are meeting your school’s compliance obligations when hiring or licensing school facilities is to understand which type of agreement you are seeking to put in place and the requirements specific to that type of agreement.

Schools with access to the Asset Information Management System (AIMS) must upload all hire and licence agreements into the school documents folder on AIMS.

Schools that have not yet been provided access to AIMS will continue to retain hire and licence agreements and evidence of insurance (where necessary) on site until they have access to AIMS.

Manage

Schools are required to review all their hire and licence agreements annually to ensure they meet the following criteria:

• that departmental policies and processes have been followed including ensuring that the party seeking to hire or licence the facility will be using the facility for an approved purpose
• that the correct template is used when entering into an agreement
• that the party seeking agreement ensures the third party holds the required level of public liability insurance.

Monitor

The department monitors compliance with mandatory requirements (using AIMS where possible) and responds to non-compliance at a school and system level through direct intervention or revision of policies and procedures.

The department will monitor compliance with the mandatory requirements for community use of school facilities using information, including community use agreements, uploaded to AIMS.

The department also monitors compliance with this policy through the Integrity and Assurance Division (Annual Financial Audit).

Support for schools

A suite of standard hire and licence agreement templates are available on the Resources tab.

AIMS will assist schools to manage their assets and related compliance obligations within a single portal. Schools not yet provided access to AIMS must continue to maintain manual records that reflect the completion of compliance obligations.

As schools gradually transition to using AIMS they will be provided with a transition date, staff training and support. Refer to the AIMS Advice for further information.

Related policies

• Advertising
• Community Use of Schools – Community Joint Use Agreements
• Competition Grade Sporting Facilities
• Elections – Schools as Voting Centres and Polling Places
• Insurance for Schools

Relevant legislation

Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)

Guidance

This guidance contains the following chapters:

• Completing a school council hire agreement template
• Completing a school council licence agreement template
• Cost recovery for community use
• Managing relationships with third parties using school facilities
• Community use case studies

Completing a school council hire agreement template

Key points

The School council hire agreement template (DOCX) (staff login required) comprises 4 parts:

• Agreed Terms: this section of the hire agreement should not be altered unless legal advice has been obtained.
• Schedule 1: this section must be completed to reflect the conditions upon which the school council has agreed to hire out school premises to a third party. Instructions for completion of this section are set out in this document.
• Execution Page: this section will need to be amended to include details of the hirer. Instructions for completion of this section are set out in this document.
• Annexure A: this section includes a plan identifying the area to be hired.

Identifying the area to be hired

Item 3 of Schedule 1 requires the school council to insert a specific description of the area to be hired. If the area has a name or room number, it should be inserted. An accurate plan of the area (particularly if there is no unique way of identifying the area using words (for example, part of a school oval) should also be included in Annexure A. The area to be hired should be identified by being shown shaded or outlined in colour on the plan.

Hire fee

The amount of the hire fee and how it is paid should be clearly stated in Item 5 of Schedule 1. For example:

• $110 per day (GST exclusive) or
• $22 per hour (GST exclusive).

The hire fee is payable by the hirer within 14 days of receipt of the school council's invoice (see clause 3). It is recommended that this invoice be provided to the hirer as soon as possible (for example, when providing the hirer with a copy of the hire agreement for signing).

Security deposit

Payment of a security deposit will help protect the school council against costs incurred in circumstances where the hirer breaches the hire agreement (for example, the hirer damages the school or doesn't pay the hire fee). If this occurs the school council will generally be entitled to deduct the cost of repairs or non-payment from the security deposit. The amount of the security deposit should be inserted in Item 6 of Schedule 1.

Permitted use

Specific details of the hirer's permitted use of the area should be clearly inserted in Item 7 of Schedule 1. Please be aware that some uses may require that the hirer obtain specific permits (for example, local government/council permits) or licences (for example, temporary liquor licence). While it is the responsibility of the hirer to obtain these permits and licences (see clause 8(b)), it is recommended that the school council seek written confirmation from the hirer that all necessary permits/licences have been obtained.

Special conditions

Special conditions may be relevant if there are specific matters which the school council has agreed with the hirer that aren't otherwise covered by the general terms and conditions of the hire agreement. As any special conditions inserted into Item 11 of Schedule 1 will override the general terms and conditions of the hire agreement (to the extent of any inconsistency), legal advice in relation to the drafting of special conditions is strongly recommended.

Working with Children Check

Clause 17 of the hire agreement requires that, if required by the school council, the hirer comply with certain working with children and police check requirements. The school council should carefully consider the nature of the use, the time of use and its duty of care issues when considering what type of requirements the hirer should be required to comply with.

All hirers and/or their employees/volunteers/agents that engage in 'child related work' as defined in the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic) are legally required to have a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) (or have their application in progress). It is the responsibility of the school council to confirm that all persons who legally require a WWCC have one.

For information to assist you in determining whether the relevant persons require a WWCC, refer to the WWCC website. If in doubt, contact the Legal Division.

Once the school council has determined what persons, if any, require a WWCC, the school council must obtain satisfactory evidence of a valid WWCC. This would involve:

• obtaining copies of the relevant person's WWCC card or assessment notice (the card would be preferable where possible as it contains the card-holder's photo) and keeping such copies on file with the hire agreement
• using the online checking system to confirm the status of the person's WWCC. This is done by entering the person's card number and surname on the WWCC website at Check Status, confirming the status, and file noting the date the status check was undertaken (a short note on the copy of the card/notice is sufficient).

If a person has applied for a WWCC and their application is currently being progressed, the person is legally permitted to commence child related work (so long as they have not previously been denied a WWCC). In these circumstances, the school council would require a copy of the person's application receipt, keep it on file, confirm the status online (as above) as 'in progress', and make a file note of the date the status check was undertaken.

If the school council requires that the hirer obtain police checks or comply with other requirements (such as relevant department policies), these will need to be communicated to the hirer in writing. A copy of this letter should be kept with the original hire agreement.

Signing the agreement

Once the hire agreement is completed, the hirer should sign two copies and then return both of them to the school council for signing. See step 13 in the School council hire agreements – template completion checklist (PDF) for further details on how to complete the execution page.

One copy of the hire agreement which has been signed by both the hirer and the school council should be provided to the hirer. The other fully signed copy should be kept in a safe place by the school council.

Completing a school council licence agreement template

Key points

The School council licence agreement template (DOCX) (staff login required) comprises 4 parts:

• Agreed terms: this section of the licence should not be altered unless legal advice has been obtained.
• Schedule 1: this section must be completed to reflect the conditions upon which the school council has agreed to licence an area of the school to a third party. Instructions for completion of this section are set out in this document.
• Execution page: this section will need to be amended to include details of the licensee. Instructions for completion of this section are set out in this document.
• Annexure A: a plan identifying the area to be licensed should be included.

Identifying the area to be licensed

Item 3 of Schedule 1 requires that the school council insert a description of the area of the school to be licenced to the third party. Please be as specific as possible.

If the area has a name or room number, it should be inserted. An accurate plan of the area (particularly if there is no unique way of identifying the area using words (for example, part of a school oval) should also be included in Annexure A. The area to be licensed should be identified by being shown shaded or outlined in colour on the plan.

Licence fee

The amount of the licence fee and how it is paid should be clearly stated in Item 7 of Schedule 1. For example:

• $100 per month (GST exclusive) payable monthly in advance or
• $1,000 per year (GST exclusive) payable yearly in advance.

If you want to increase the licence fee payable during the term of the licence, you will need to ensure that this is reflected in this Item. For example, if you want to increase the licence fee (originally $100 per year) for a 3-year licence term starting on 1 January 2023 by 5% annually, it would be described as:

• For the period 1 January 2023 to 31 December 2023, $100 per year (GST exclusive) payable yearly in advance
• For the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, $105 per year (GST exclusive) payable yearly in advance
• For the period 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, $110.25 per year (GST exclusive) payable yearly in advance

Security deposit

Payment of a security deposit (Item 14) will help protect the school council against costs incurred in circumstances where the licensee breaches the licence (for example, the licensee damages the school or doesn't pay the licence fee). If this occurs the school council will generally be entitled to deduct the cost of repairs or non-payment from the security deposit.

Permitted use

Specific details of the licensee's permitted use of the area should be clearly inserted in Item 11 of Schedule 1. Be aware that some uses may require that the licensee obtain specific permits (for example, local government/council permits) or licences (for example, temporary liquor licence). Whilst it is the responsibility of the licensee to obtain these permits and licences, it is recommended that the school council seek written confirmation from the licensee that all necessary permits/licences have been obtained.

Rates and taxes

Generally, the use of school land for educational purposes will be exempt from the payment of rates and taxes. However, for use by third parties, particularly those which are of a more commercial nature, a school council may become liable to pay rates and taxes which can be assessed and applicable to the licensed area (typically council rates).

Further information regarding the potential payment of these costs can be obtained from your local council. The template licence requires that, if such rates and taxes are applicable, the licensee will be responsible for the costs applicable to the licensed area (see clause 4(a)).

Outgoings

Item 8 of Schedule 1 provides an opportunity for school councils to pass on the costs of outgoings (gas, electricity, water, phone and so on) to the licensee. If a school council wishes to pass on these costs to the licensee, it will need to ensure that these costs can be adequately proportioned (for example by area) or billed separately to the licensee.

Special conditions

Special conditions may be relevant if there are specific matters which the school council has agreed with the licensee that aren't otherwise covered by the general terms and conditions of the licence. As any special conditions inserted into Item 15 of Schedule 1 will override the general terms and conditions of the licence (to the extent of any inconsistency), legal advice in relation to the drafting of special conditions is strongly recommended.

Working with Children Check

Clause 13 of the licence requires that if required by the school council, the licensee comply with certain working with children and police check requirements. The school council should carefully consider the nature of the use, the time of use and its duty of care issues when considering what type of requirements the licensee should be required to comply with.

All licensees and/or their employees/volunteers/agents that engage in 'child related work' as defined in the Worker Screening Act 2020 (Vic) are legally required to have a valid Working with Children Check (WWCC) (or have their application in progress). It is the responsibility of the school council to confirm that all persons who legally require a WWCC have one.

For information to assist you in determining whether the relevant persons require a WWCC, please refer to the WWCC website. If in doubt, contact the Legal Division.

Once the school council has determined what persons, if any, require a WWCC, the school council must obtain satisfactory evidence of a valid WWCC. This would involve:

• obtaining copies of the relevant person's WWCC card or assessment notice (the card would be preferable where possible as it contains the card-holder's photo) and keeping such copies on file with the licence
• using the online checking system to confirm the status of the person's WWCC. This is done by entering the person's card number and surname on the WWCC website at Check Status, confirming the status, and file noting the date the status check was undertaken (a short note on the copy of the card/notice is sufficient).

If a person has applied for a WWCC and their application is currently being progressed, the person is legally permitted to commence child related work (so long as they have not previously been denied a WWCC). In these circumstances, the school council would require a copy of the person's application receipt, keep it on file, confirm the status online (as above) as 'in progress', and make a file note of the date the status check was undertaken. If the school council requires that the licensee obtain police checks or comply with other requirements (such as relevant department policies), these will need to be communicated to the licensee in writing. A copy of this letter should be kept with the original licence.

Signing the agreement

Once the licence is completed, the licensee should sign 2 copies of the licence and then return both copies to the school council for signing. See step 17 in the School council licence agreements – template completion checklist (PDF) for further details on how to complete the execution page.

One copy of the licence which has been signed by both the licensee and the school council should be provided to the licensee. The other fully signed copy should be kept in a safe place by the school council.

Cost recovery for community use

Setting rates for cost recovery

Fees paid by third parties to school councils for the use of school facilities must allow schools to recover additional maintenance and operational costs (for example, for electricity, water, cleaning, insurance, maintenance), and lifecycle costs proportional to each party’s use of the facility, but must not be set higher than required for cost recovery.

Schools are responsible for calculating a reasonable amount to charge third parties.

There are a range of methods that schools can use to estimate the costs of sharing their facilities with the community. The specific circumstances of each school may vary, so schools are encouraged to review these suggestions to help determine a method that suits their operational requirements.

Key considerations for cost recovery

When determining cost recovery fees, schools are encouraged to consider the following factors:

• Maintenance costs: regular expenses incurred for the upkeep and repair of facilities
• Insurance costs: costs associated with liability coverage and facility protection
• Utility costs: expenditures on essential services such as gas, electricity, and water
• Cleaning costs: costs of school cleaning and waste management services
• Administration costs: salaries of staff hired to manage agreements or invoicing and so on

Maintenance costs

Schools can consider what maintenance costs might increase with the additional use, considering schools buildings as well as grounds and other facilities. This might include costs like having hygiene bins in bathrooms emptied, consumables such as toilet paper and hand-soap, having gymnasium floors resurfaced, and the costs of servicing key equipment like air conditioning or heaters, as well as the periodic costs of replacing these items when they break down.

Schools can then estimate the total maintenance costs for this space over a set period (typically a year). These costs can then be divided by the total number of hours the space is used to generate an hourly cost.

For example, schools can assume that ‘ordinary’ maintenance costs are incurred over 1,600 hours per year (that is 40 hours per week × 40 school weeks per year).

To establish an hourly rate, the total annual maintenance cost could then be divided by 1,600.

Insurance costs

The requirements for insurance are outlined in the policy tab and the Insurance for Schools policy. Some third parties such as not-for-profit groups or individuals are not required to provide evidence of insurance (Certificate of Currency).

Where a third party does not have insurance, schools may choose to purchase additional public liability insurance from the Victorian Management Insurance Authority (VMIA) on behalf of third-party users.

If they do so, schools may choose to divide the cost of this insurance between the number of community partners they expect to cover, either evenly or in line with the extent of each partner’s use.

For further details see:

• Insurance for Schools
• VMIA School Councils Insurance Guide 2025-26 (PDF) (staff login required)

Utility costs

Schools are encouraged to consider additional costs of utilities such as electricity, gas and water.

Similar to maintenance costs, a simple way to calculate utilities costs is to look at the school's annual bill and divide by 1,600 hours to determine an hourly rate.

Alternatively, schools could divide a quarterly bill by 400 (10 school weeks × 40 hours per week).

Cleaning costs

Schools are encouraged to assess whether additional cleaning is required before or after community use of their facilities. In some cases, additional cleaning may not be required and schools can maintain their existing cleaning arrangements. In other cases, however, schools may need to arrange additional cleaning, for instance if the community use is happening at a time outside of the usual cleaning schedule like over the weekend.

However, if schools require additional cleaning due to the activities of third party users, they can contact their cleaning service provider to obtain a quote for the extra work, and then divide this cost between the parties hiring the facility. Schools may need to consider the minimum hours for which casual cleaning staff can be employed when engaging additional cleaning services. Schools are encouraged to work closely with their service provider to ensure they are compliant with the minimum engagement requirements.

Schools must follow the Cleaning policy and guidance in the Finance Manual to assist in determining the most appropriate approach for engaging additional services. Further detail can be found in the Cleaning policy and Finance Manual.

Cleaning fees

The exact cost for additional cleaning will differ depending on the timing and the size of area to be cleaned. Schools are encouraged to work with their cleaning provider to get an accurate quote for any additional cleaning and ensure they remain compliant with the minimum engagement requirements (minimum hours which can be worked). By working with cleaning providers schools may also be able to arrange for the cleaning to fit in with existing schedules, and as a result the providers may be able to offer some cost savings.

Administration costs

Schools may require additional support to manage the administrative work associated with setting up and renewing agreements with third parties. Schools can hire additional administration staff to support this work, and may wish to include a portion of a business manager's salary in the costs charged to third parties.

Managing relationships with third parties using school facilities

A major part of successful community use arrangements is managing the relationship between the school and the third party. Schools with experience in sharing their facilities have highlighted a range of considerations that other schools may wish to plan for and discuss with the third-party user when setting up new agreements.

Scheduling cleaning

Schools are recommended to consider when their cleaning is scheduled, both during the week as well as any periodic cleaning (for example, over school holidays), and check that this does not conflict with proposed periods of community use.

Where necessary, schools are recommended to arrange cleaning to happen before or after scheduled periods of community use to ensure cleaning standards are kept and so both community use and school activities can run smoothly. Providing cleaning providers with early notice of any changes to the cleaning requirements will also assist in managing the process.

Access and keys

It is useful to clearly communicate with the third party what parts of the school they are entitled to access under the agreement, and their responsibility for any school keys they are given or borrowing.

Many schools find it useful to have a separate set of ‘hirer keys’ that are given to third party users, and that only allow access to certain areas of the school.

Where possible, it is recommended these keys provide access only to the designated area approved for community use, reducing the risk of having to re-key the entire school if keys are lost. Schools are encouraged to keep a key register for hirers to sign keys out and in. This allows schools to track when keys are being used by community groups. Recording the phone number of the person who took the keys can be useful if tracking down the keys is needed. Schools that pursue this may also want to consider including a fee for replacement keys in the hire or license agreement if they are lost.

Schools are also responsible for ensuring that any alarms for school buildings, and any associated procedures for activating or deactivating alarms have been clearly communicated to community groups. It is also recommended to advise hirers that if they fail to correctly disarm the alarm system on arrival, they may be liable for significant costs. False activations can result in a security guard being dispatched, and on some occasions, police attendance.

Expectations of use: packing up, rubbish and equipment

When setting up an agreement, schools are encouraged to highlight to the third party user the clause on expectations for shared use of equipment and space. Schools are encouraged to then outline the consequences of failing to meet these expectations.

Schools may wish to limit access to storage areas and equipment to avoid this getting confused with hirers' equipment – for example, school sports equipment.
Showing third parties where to dispose of rubbish and setting expectations for leaving facilities rubbish free can help to set expectations for appropriate use.
Templates are available for signage relating to rubbish and equipment. See Respectful use of school signage on the Resources tab.

Community use case studies

Clyde Creek Primary School

Clyde Creek Primary School (CCPS) formally shares its gym, music rooms, foyer, and external courts with third party users, including OSHC programs and sports clubs.

CCPS has found that sharing facilities fosters stronger community ties and enhances staff and parental engagement. For the community, it offers convenient local access to recreational facilities, builds pride in shared resources, and encourages student independence and well-being.

Usage is managed through a structured approval process via the school council, with agreements formalised through Department of Education templates available on PAL.

CCPS has found a variety of ways to manage the day-to-day challenges of sharing facilities with the community. Some key measures that the school has found effective include:

• using an EOI process to manage high demand for facility use
• careful scheduling of cleaning and maintenance around community use
• having clear shared and non-shared areas of the school, with access managed by a separate set of ‘hirer keys’.

CCPS finds that clearly communicating the expectations for community use, as are set out in the agreements, is an effective way to manage the ongoing relationship with third party users.

Fees are set at an hourly rate, which is simple to administer but is set to enable the school to recover costs such as an annual cost to resurface the gym floor, as well as a percentage of annual utility fees based on hirer use.

By maintaining structured agreements, prioritising security, and fostering collaboration, schools can effectively serve as community hubs while ensuring their facilities remain well-maintained and accessible.

Heathmont East Primary School

Heathmont East Primary School has embraced facility sharing as a way to foster stronger community ties and enhance student experiences. The school formally shares its facilities with a variety of groups, including outside school hours care, private music lesson providers and local sports teams. Informally, the school’s outdoor spaces such as the oval and basketball courts are used daily by the local community.

Formal sharing of facilities is set up using the department’s standard agreement templates. The school has carefully reviewed the costs they incur for power and water, along with maintenance costs like the oval’s annual upkeep, and has used this to establish appropriate cost recovery amounts.

Informally, the school’s grounds are accessible to the community 24/7. The school has found that the site’s open layout, combined with active community involvement, contributes to maintaining the safety and security of the site outside of school hours.

Heathmont East has found a variety of ways to manage the day-to-day challenges of sharing facilities with the community, including active engagement with the department’s legal division, and appointing an administrative staff member to oversee scheduling, payments, and compliance.

The school has found several benefits from sharing its facilities, including a strong sense of community ownership. For the community, shared facilities provide expanded learning opportunities such as extracurricular programs and sports which enrich the educational experiences of local children.

Resources

Hire agreements

• School council hire agreement template (DOCX) (staff login required)
• School council hire agreements – template completion checklist (PDF)

Licence agreements

• School council licence agreement template (DOCX) (staff login required)
• School council licence agreements – template completion checklist (PDF)

Respectful use of school signage

The Word version of this signage allows to edit the respectful use guidance in line with their policies.

• Community use of school facilities signage – editable (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Community use of school facilities signage (PDF) (staff login required)