Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)

Policy

This policy sets out the requirement for all schools to develop an Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) each year.

Details

All Victorian government schools participate in a 4-year strategic planning cycle to support school improvement and to meet the requirements of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)(opens in a new window).

The AIP operationalises the 4-year School Strategic Plan (SSP).

All schools must prepare an AIP each year which outlines how the school will implement the goals and key improvement strategies (KIS) that will be their focus for improvement in the coming year.

The AIP includes:

• SSP goals, targets and KIS selected for focus that year
• key actions and tasks that will be undertaken to implement the KIS
• evidence of change that may be observed to measure impact of actions and tasks

The AIP must be developed in Term 4 and endorsed by the senior education improvement leader (SEIL) by the end of Term 1 the following year.

Schools are required to undertake mid-year monitoring and an end-of-year assessment of their progress in implementing the AIP. The end-of year assessment includes a self-evaluation against the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0) continua of practice.

The AIP is developed and monitored within the Strategic Planning Online Tool (SPOT)(opens in a new window).

School leaders and school improvement teams (SITs) develop and monitor delivery of the AIP with input from staff and the broader school community as required.

During the process of developing their AIP a school may identify a need to update the SSP. For further information on how to make these changes, please refer to the School Strategic Plan topic on PAL.

The Guidance tab sets out detailed advice for each step of the AIP process.

Related policies

• Annual Report to the School Community
• Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0)
• School Review
• School Strategic Plan

Relevant legislation

Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)(opens in a new window)

Guidance

This guidance contains the following chapters:

1. What’s new in the Annual Implementation Plan
2. Annual Implementation Plan timelines
3. End-of-year assessment of the Annual Implementation Plan
4. Developing the next Annual Implementation Plan
5. Endorsement and communication of the Annual Implementation Plan
6. Implementing the Annual Implementation Plan
7. Monitoring delivery of the Annual Implementation Plan
8. Advice for schools in review
9. Advice for new schools

1. What’s new in the Annual Implementation Plan

Minor updates to the end-of-year assessment and 2027 AIP

Following significant streamlining of the 2026 AIP, minor enhancements have been introduced to the 2026 AIP end-of-year assessment and the 2027 AIP.

2026 AIP end-of-year assessment updates

• An optional text box for reflective commentary on progress of KIS
• Updated Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0 and F-6 reading approach implementation progress questions
• Removal of the Victorian Lesson Plan question

2027 AIP updates

• Additional space to record actions individually
• An optional text box for reflective commentary on implementation progress of KIS in mid-year monitoring and the end-of year assessment
• Increased visibility of the 4-year SSP targets in the AIPs
• Enhanced SPOT functionality through minor layout changes to enhance user experience
• AIP exemplar supporting resource (PPTX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window) with additional and updated action, task and evidence of change examples

For further information, refer to Developing the next Annual Implementation Plan.

VTLM 2.0 and Victoria’s approach to teaching reading check-in

As part of the end-of-year assessment for the 2026 AIP, schools will respond to a short series of questions on their current practices against the expectations in the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM 2.0). Primary, P-12 and specialist schools are also required to respond to an implementation progress question about Victoria’s approach to teaching reading F–2(opens in a new window). Schools can use the VTLM 2.0 Implementation rubric to support assessment of current practice against the 4 VTLM 2.0 elements of teaching.

These implementation questions are designed to assist schools to identify areas of focus for their 2027 AIP.

It is recommended that schools include actions towards implementing the VTLM 2.0 and F-2 reading approach (if applicable) in their 2027 AIP.

Schools are no longer required to report on their intention to use Victorian Lesson Plans as part of their end-of-year assessment.

For further information, refer to End-of-year assessment of the Annual Implementation Plan.

‘Needs additional support’ AIP target

In 2027, schools are required to continue working towards the system priority target to decrease the number of students achieving the ‘Needs additional support’ (NAS) proficiency level in reading and numeracy. The target for 2027 is outlined below:

‘Reduce the number of students achieving the 'needs additional support’ proficiency level in each of NAPLAN reading and numeracy in Year 3 (2025) compared to year 5 (2027) and/or Year 7 (2025) and compared to Year 9 (2027)’

Schools without NAS students or that do not participate in NAPLAN testing are exempt.

For further information, refer to Developing the next Annual Implementation Plan.

Plan on a page download

A reminder that schools can download the AIP ‘Plan on a page’ document from the ‘Review and endorse’ tab on SPOT (staff login required) which will display a summary of AIP goals, KIS, actions and tasks for sharing with school staff and the community.

2. Annual Implementation Plan timelines

By the end of Term 4 2026, schools must:

• complete the AIP end-of-year assessment
• develop the next AIP
• submit the next AIP in SPOT(opens in a new window) for feedback and endorsement by the SEIL.

In Term 1 2027, it is recommended that schools:

• action feedback from the SEIL, if appropriate (SEILs provide feedback on AIP by the start of Term 1)
• share the AIP with the school council for discussion
• commence implementation of the AIP
• complete AIP Term 1 monitoring by the end of Term 1 (optional).

In Term 2, 2027 schools must:

• continue to implement the AIP
• complete AIP mid-year monitoring (compulsory). This usually occurs between Week 8, Term 2 and Week 2, Term 3.

In Term 3, 2027 it is recommended that schools:

• continue to implement the AIP
• complete AIP Term 3 monitoring (optional) by the end of Term 3.

3. End-of-year assessment of the Annual Implementation Plan

In Term 4, schools must complete the AIP end-of-year assessment in the Strategic Planning Online Tool (SPOT)(opens in a new window) to reflect on the progress they have made in implementing the AIP and to identify considerations for future planning.

The end-of-year assessment includes:

1. Examining data and indicating progress towards targets
2. implementation of each key improvement strategy (KIS)
3. future planning: identifying next steps for improvement
4. self-evaluation against the FISO 2.0 continua of practice and responding to VTLM 2.0 (all schools) and Victoria’s approach to teaching reading in F-2 (primary, P-12 and specialist schools only) questions.

More detail on each of these elements is provided below.

3.1 Examine data and indicate progress towards 4-year SSP and priority targets

Schools examine learning and wellbeing data, including data regarding priority cohorts, using their school performance and other reports on Panorama, as well as locally held data to determine progress made towards their 4-year SSP targets.

Schools can also compare their performance to similar schools and the state, as well as review their performance over time.

Schools must comment on progress towards their NAPLAN ‘Needs additional support’ target in the free text box available in the ‘System priorities’ table of the end-of-year assessment tab in SPOT. Schools can assess their progress using the NAPLAN Performance Comparison by Proficiency Level dashboard in Panorama.

When reviewing the dashboard, schools should consider the change in the proportion of students in the NAS proficiency level on each side of the Sankey chart between 2024 and 2026. Schools with a more transient student cohort may find it useful to apply the ‘Same school 2 years prior’ filter to better understand the impact of their improvement efforts.

Schools should also consider the actions and interventions targeted towards students in the NAS proficiency level in 2025 and 2026, and review evidence of their impact. Relevant evidence may include school-based assessments, PAT results and teacher judgement data.

3.2 Indicate progress on implementing the KIS

Schools indicate their progress towards implementing each KIS by:

• identifying whether KIS actions were completed, partially completed or not completed
• indicating whether none, some or all predicted evidence of change has occurred
• identifying relevant enablers and barriers
• tracking completion of tasks (optional)
• recording reflective comments regarding progress of the KIS (optional).

3.3 Future planning: Identify next steps for improvement

Schools include a commentary describing areas for focus in the following year to support planning their next AIP.

3.4 Self-evaluation against the FISO 2.0 continua of practice

Schools record a self-evaluation rating using the FISO 2.0 continua of practice (within SPOT) for each of the learning and wellbeing outcomes, as well as the 5 core elements.

Schools can also choose to summarise and attach evidence in support of these self-evaluations.

Completion of the self-evaluation against the FISO 2.0 continua of practice supports schools to prioritise areas for focus in the next AIP.

For student learning and wellbeing outcomes, schools use a 4-point scale (emerging, evolving, embedding and excelling) to assess student achievement of learning and development of wellbeing capabilities. To inform their self-evaluation, it is recommended that schools examine the outcomes data in Panorama both over time and for a range of student cohorts, including those in priority cohorts.

To inform their self-evaluation against the core elements, schools use the same 4-point scale but reflect on practice using the FISO 2.0 illustrations of practice (DOCX)(opens in a new window). The illustrations of practice are examples of evidence-informed effective practices within each dimension of FISO 2.0. They can be used as a benchmark to assess current practice across the school against and identify areas for improvement.

VTLM 2.0 and reading approach check-in questions

Please refer to Chapter 1. What’s new in the Annual Implementation Plan chapter for further guidance.

4. Developing the next Annual Implementation Plan

Developing the next Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) includes:

1. selecting goals from the SSP for inclusion in the AIP
2. reviewing the 4-year targets for each goal to inform selection of KIS
3. reviewing the system priorities section
4. selecting the key improvement strategies (KIS)
5. developing the actions for each KIS
6. defining the evidence of change for each action
7. identifying tasks for each action.

More detail on each of these elements is provided below.

4.1 Selecting goals from the SSP for inclusion in the AIP

Schools use insights from their end-of-year assessment to select which SSP goals and related KIS will be prioritised for the next AIP.

Schools are required to include both a learning goal and a wellbeing goal in their AIP, reflecting the FISO 2.0 focus on these two student outcomes.

4.2 Reviewing the 4-year targets for each goal to inform selection of KIS

In line with changes made to the AIP process in 2026, schools no longer develop 12-month sub targets in the AIP.

However, for each goal it is expected that schools review their progress towards the 4-year SSP targets to support decisions around which KIS will be selected for implementation through the next AIP.

When reviewing overall progress towards achievement of the SSP targets, schools may consider whether they are starting to implement a new SSP in 2027 or are in the middle or end of implementing a current SSP. Understanding progress toward targets and the status of previously implemented KIS helps schools decide which strategies to continue, adjust, or introduce in the new AIP.

4.3 Reviewing the system priorities section

The ‘system priorities’ section is where schools to capture improvements in the department’s priority areas.

When developing the 2027 AIP, it is recommended schools consider their reflection of progress towards the current ‘Needs additional support (NAS)’ priority target, as documented in their 2026 AIP end-of-year assessment.

This may include which strategies were implemented and if they had the desired impact. Schools can also review the number of students who achieved the ‘needs additional support’ NAPLAN proficiency level in 2025 and how they might best support these students to move out of this proficiency level by 2027.

Schools without NAS students or that do not participate in NAPLAN testing do not need to review or consider the NAPLAN priority target.

To find numbers of students achieving the NAPLAN ‘needs additional support’ proficiency level, schools can access their 2025 and 2026 NAPLAN results on Panorama(opens in a new window).

4.4 Selecting the key improvement strategies

Schools select which SSP key improvement strategies (KIS) to focus on over the next 12 months and provide a rationale as to why these have been selected.

This may include commentary on their:

• self-evaluation against the FISO 2.0 continua of practice
• current progress towards the SSP goals and targets
• system and/or school data or other supporting evidence
• responses regarding implementation of the VTLM 2.0 and the Victorian reading approach questions from the previous end-of-year assessment.

When selecting KIS for implementation, schools must consider:

• the logical sequencing of KIS, and whether certain KIS need to be implemented before others
• the likely impact of each KIS on student learning and wellbeing outcomes
• the school’s readiness for change, including barriers and enablers
• the strategic resourcing demands of each KIS
• whether there are any new KIS not originally identified in the SSP, such as those related to new programs or department initiatives.

Note that schools can add KIS to their SSP and subsequent AIPs by editing the SSP in SPOT. It is recommended schools consult with their SEIL prior to updating their SSP.

4.5 Developing actions for each key improvement strategy

Actions are the high-level areas of focus across the year that support implementation of a school’s chosen KIS. Schools develop 1 or 2 actions per KIS to implement across the year for focus in their AIP.

When developing actions, schools must consider:

• the steps or processes required to implement a KIS, and how these can be sequenced or prioritised
• the actions that have the greatest potential impact on outcomes and practices
• the evidence of change in knowledge, skills and behaviours that should be seen in relation to students, teachers and leaders, and in student outcomes
• any organisational or structural changes that might be required
• their local context and resources that may be required to support the actions.

4.6 Identifying tasks for each action

Schools identify up to 6 specific tasks per KIS necessary to complete the action and record who is responsible for implementation of each task

To determine how many actions and corresponding tasks to develop for each KIS, schools must consider:

• their capacity for change over the year including staff capacity and capability and physical resources
• current stage of implementation: explore, prepare, deliver or sustain
• the number of KIS selected for focus across the entire AIP.

4.7 Identifying tasks for each action

For each KIS, schools identify up to 5 key changes expected to occur across the year if the actions are successfully implemented.

Evidence of change should capture expected changes in:

• school practices, per the FISO 2.0 core elements
• the skills, behaviours and knowledge of staff, students or leaders
• artefacts such as lesson plans or observation notes
• student learning and wellbeing outcomes data.

5. Endorsement and communication of the Annual Implementation Plan

The principal submits the AIP by the end of Term 4 using the ‘review and endorse’ tab in the Strategic Planning Online Tool (SPOT)(opens in a new window).

It is recommended the SEIL endorses the AIP by the end of Term 1, the following year.

Once endorsed by the SEIL, principals are strongly encouraged to share the AIP with the school council for discussion.

The high-level focus of the AIP can be communicated to the broader school community through the principal’s preferred channel such as the school newsletter, school website updates, or any other platform the school uses. A downloadable, short form ‘plan on a page’ AIP is available from SPOT to support sharing with the school community.

6. Implementing the Annual Implementation Plan

Schools should establish appropriate systems and processes to collaboratively implement the AIP.

Some options for effective implementation and monitoring of the AIP include the following.

Processes led by school leadership or school improvement team members

• The school improvement team (SIT) is responsible for the implementation of the AIP.
• Team members meet to monitor implementation, including by analysing data and reporting on progress.
• The SIT is responsible for providing the time and resources required for implementing regular professional development, collecting data, feedback from staff, students, and parents, where appropriate.
• Members of the SIT will take responsibility for the delivery of a component of the AIP.

Staff involvement in the AIP

• Staff members and/or small teams of staff can also contribute to implementation of AIP actions and tasks across the school and report back to the leadership team or SIT on progress.
• They may also support delivery of professional learning and assist with collection and analysis of data to inform implementation.

Processes for small schools

• Very small schools may wish to collaborate on AIP implementation as a network or cluster.
• In these instances, schools may have shared actions but undertake different tasks in response to their context.
• These schools can support each other with monitoring and critically reflecting on implementation.

7. Monitoring delivery of the Annual Implementation Plan

Schools are required to undertake mid-year monitoring of their progress in implementing the AIP.

Based on the outcomes of monitoring, schools can adjust their plans across the remainder of the year.

SEILs have a key role in supporting schools to undertake monitoring and provide feedback on implementation progress throughout the year.

Monitoring of the AIP in Terms 1 and 3 is optional.

To complete the monitoring tab for a given term on SPOT(opens in a new window), it is recommended that schools:

• reflect on the implementation of the AIP to date
• identify the progress of the evidence of change and whether this has yet been observed in the school
• identify any enablers and barriers to achieving the outcomes.

8. Advice for schools in review

During the year of their review, schools have different timelines for their next AIP, as outlined below.

Schools in review in Term 4 or Term 1 do not have to develop their next AIP until their new SSP has been developed and endorsed.

Schools in review in Term 2 must develop a pre-review AIP to last at least until they expect their new SSP will be finalised (i.e. for terms 1 and 2). Once the new SSP has been endorsed, these schools can either develop a post-review AIP to guide their work for the remainder of the year or continue with their pre-review AIP if preferred.

Schools continuing with the pre-review AIP should update the actions and tasks to reflect updates to key priorities for the remaining year where required, and maintain a strong focus on implementing the AIP.

Schools in review in Term 3 develop an AIP for the full year as per regular arrangements.

Schools are encouraged to work collaboratively with their SEIL to determine how much detail needs to be provided in the AIP.

Further information regarding school review can be found on the School Review PAL topic.

9. Advice for new schools

To guide a school’s first year of operation, schools must develop a stand-alone Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) before developing their first School Strategic Plan (SSP) in their second year of operation, after their initial school review.

AIPs for new schools contain an additional tab where schools can write their goals, targets and key improvement strategies (KIS) for the first 12 months of operation (as there is no SSP from which these can be pre-populated).

To support this, the first AIP should establish broad goals and KIS relating to student learning and wellbeing outcomes. These goals need to consider the school vision and establish high expectations for student outcomes.

The AIP should be endorsed by the senior education improvement leader (SEIL) within the first term of the school’s operation.

Depending on the timing of their review, some new schools will need to develop a stand-alone AIP for their second year of operation, to be used until the school’s first SSP has been developed following their first school review.

For further detail on how the timing of review affects AIP planning, refer to Advice for schools in review.

Refer to the ‘2027 AIP additional supporting resources’ document on the Resources tab to see a worked example of an AIP for a new school.

Resources

Resources to support AIP development

• 2027 AIP additional supporting resource – process (PPTX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window) – providing schools discussion prompts, examples and SPOT guidance to complete the 2026 End-of-year assessment and develop the 2027 AIP
• 2027 AIP additional supporting resource – examples (PPTX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window) – providing AIP exemplars for a range of school types and focus areas
• School leaders can use the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM 2.0) Implementation Rubric(opens in a new window) when completing the VLTM 2.0 self-assessment questions in the 2026 AIP end-of-year assessment on SPOT(opens in a new window)

SPOT

• SPOT troubleshooting guide (DOCX) (staff login required)(opens in a new window)

Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO) 2.0 resources

• FISO 2.0 Policy – sets out the implementation process for using the new FISO 2.0
• FISO 2.0 practice tools guidance – contains an overview of each of the tools that will help schools to implement FISO 2.0

Data sources to support Annual Implementation Planning

• Panorama (staff login required)(opens in a new window) – includes access to School Performance Reports and range of dashboards with dynamic views of school achievement, wellbeing and engagement measures over time
• Insight assessment platform(opens in a new window) – includes access to English and Mathematics online interviews, Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES) assessment tool, Reading and Vocabulary assessment for English as an Additional Language students (RVEAL)
• One school one view – a ‘live’, interactive dashboard providing a single view of school context, performance, financial information and other school initiatives
• VCAA data service(opens in a new window) – provides a comprehensive range of reports to all Victorian schools on results from the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN)

Other relevant Department of Education resources, programs and initiatives

• Curriculum Programs Foundation – 10
• Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0
• Victoria’s approach to teaching reading F–2(opens in a new window)
• Victorian Lesson Plans
• Assessment of Student Achievement and Progress Foundation to 10
• VCE Vocational Major and Victorian Pathways Certificate Provision
• Individual Education Plans
• English as an Additional Language(opens in a new window)
• EAL curriculum and program planning(opens in a new window)
• Students with Disability
• Disability Inclusion Funding and Support
• Supporting High-Ability Students
• Professional Learning Communities resources(opens in a new window)
• Schools Mental Health Fund and Menu
• Mental Health in Schools
• Student Engagement
• Marrung 2026-2026 First Nations Education Strategy(opens in a new window)
• Dhelk Wukang (PDF)(opens in a new window) – DE’s Aboriginal Inclusion Plan for 2022 to 2026