education.vic.gov.au

Plan

Provision planning and enrolment management

Corporate

Corporate and regional staff are responsible for provision planning. Provision planning assesses forecast demand needs and makes recommendations to government on where additional funding is required to meet demand for school places. This includes planning for new schools or identifying when additional school capacity at existing school sites may be required to support future demand.

Corporate and regional staff work with schools to support enrolment management activities. This includes the development and maintenance of school zones and guidance and advice to ensure adherence to the Placement Policy including supports for key points of transition.

Principals

Principals are responsible for ensuring that they adhere to the department’s Enrolment Policy. In circumstances when a school may not be able to accept all applications due to existing or future capacity concerns, schools must manage enrolment applications in accordance with the ‘priority order of placement’. More information can be found in the Enrolment: Placement Policy chapter on PAL.

School councils

School councils are not responsible for provision planning.

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Facility area schedules

Corporate

Corporate staff are responsible for determining the facilities a school requires to deliver its curriculum for a certain number of enrolled students. These decisions are based on the facility area schedules which promote equity across the Victorian government school education system.

Principal

To ensure the school environment is appropriate to meet the school’s curriculum needs and asset management practices, principals are responsible for following relevant department policies dealing with management of proposed and existing facilities. For example, principals must follow department policy when determining scope of capital works project, transfers of relocatable building or managing excess space processes.

School councils

To ensure the school environment is appropriate to meet the school’s curriculum needs and asset management practices, school councils are responsible for following relevant department policies dealing with management of proposed and existing facilities.

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Capacity and Area Allocation

Land acquisition and leasing property

Corporate

All land acquired for educational purposes is acquired in the name of the Minister for Education. Corporate staff have delegated authority to act on the Minister’s behalf in acquiring land.

Only the Minister for Education (delegated to corporate staff) has the legal ability to enter into a lease of land or premises under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic). All such leases must be for a purpose recognised under the Act.

All acquisitions and leases of land must be consistent with the Victorian Government Land Transactions Policy and Guidelines.

Principal

Principals have no legal authority to acquire or lease land or premises.

Principals may notify corporate staff (via their regional office) where land adjacent to an existing school becomes available for purchase or lease.

School councils

School councils do not have any legal authority to acquire land or lease land or premises. However, school councils may resolve to contribute funds towards a purchase of land or lease effected in the name of the Minister.

However, school councils may resolve to contribute funds towards a purchase of land or lease effected in the name of the Minister.

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State budget investment and funding allocations

Corporate

Corporate staff are responsible for providing advice to government on where and when to invest in the government school infrastructure portfolio. It is government’s responsibility to make decisions on where funding is allocated.

Corporate staff are responsible for implementing the government’s investment strategy and associated allocations of funding.

Principal

Principals are not responsible for making state budget investment decisions or the associated allocation of funding. Where funding is allocated directly to a school, principals must ensure state funding is spent in accordance with the department’s policies.

The Finance Manual — Financial Management for Schools sets out the key obligations and conduct expected of principals in relation to financial management.

School councils

School councils are not responsible for making state budget investment decisions or the associated allocation of funding.

Where the government allocates funding, school council must ensure that all monies are expended for proper purposes relating to the school.

The Finance Manual — Financial Management for Schools sets out the key obligations and conduct expected of school councils in relation to financial management.

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Finance Manual – Financial Management for Schools

Asset management planning for capital works projects

Asset Management Plans (AMPs) for capital works are completed when a school receives funding to undertake a new capital works project. AMP Phase 1 focuses on the educational directions of the school and current sufficiency, condition and functionality. AMP Phase 2 focuses on the asset management and infrastructure needs over a 5-year period that will support the educational directions outlined, and optimises infrastructure funding by defining projects, budgets, timelines and cash flow.

Corporate

Corporate staff are responsible for prescribing and managing planning requirements, funding and policy parameters, and the issue resolution process for school AMPs for planning and delivery of capital works.

Corporate staff are also responsible for supporting schools in their completion of AMP processes. Some schools, such as small rural schools, may require additional support with asset management planning.

Principal

Principals are responsible for completing Phase 1 of the AMP for a capital works project in accordance with the department’s policies and guidance.

Phase 1 AMPs are expected to have school principal endorsement prior to submission to the regional office.

Principals are responsible for working with the project control group and architect on the AMP Phase 2. Phase 2 AMPs are expected to have school principal endorsement prior to submission to the VSBA.

School councils

Phase 1 AMPs for capital works projects are expected to have received school council endorsement prior to submission to the relevant regional office and then VSBA for approval. Governance arrangements for school councils engaged in asset management planning are explained in the Asset Management Planning Guidance.

Phase 2 AMPs for capital works projects are expected to have received school council endorsement prior to submission to the VSBA.

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Relocatable Building Program

Corporate

Corporate staff are responsible for administering the state-wide Relocatable Building Program including the transfer of buildings to meet existing and future demand.

Principal

Principals are responsible for organising the cleaning and maintaining of relocatable buildings, ensuring fixtures remain within relocatable buildings (as they must remain in the building if transferred) and ensuring that no structural changes are made to these buildings.

Principals are also responsible for supporting corporate staff to install, transfer or remove relocatable buildings, as required.

Principals are further responsible for the timely and accurate provision of enrolment data into department systems and raising capacity issues with regional staff.

Principals are responsible for submitting an application to the Accessible Buildings Program, if accessibility ramp is required.

School councils

School councils do not have responsibilities associated with the allocation and transfer of the department’s relocatable buildings. However, school councils should be aware that cleaning and maintenance responsibilities for the relocatable buildings are the same as those for permanent facilities.

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Guidance chapter outlining activities undertaken during the 'plan' stage of the school asset management lifecycle

Reviewed 16 January 2024

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