Community VCAL

Policy

The purpose of this policy is to outline the requirements for schools entering into contracts with Non-School Senior Secondary Providers (NSSPs) for the delivery of Community Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (Community VCAL).

Summary

• Schools must ensure the school council enters into contracts (a template contract is available on the Resources tab) with NSSPs that are registered with the Victorian Registrations and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) or the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA) registration (as applicable) and authorised by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) to deliver Community VCAL.
• An agreement with an NSSP for the delivery of Community VCAL can only be entered into by the school council.
• As part of the contract, the ‘home’ school:
  • holds the student’s enrolment
  • retains a duty of care for the student and must take reasonable steps to discharge that duty, primarily by following the steps in this policy and related guidelines ensuring that the NSSP is complying with its obligations under the contract.
• There are additional regulatory obligations that schools must also comply with to ensure that records are kept in relation to a student’s enrolment, attendance and other issues.
• Schools must refer to the Guidance for Victorian government schools contracting with non-school senior secondary providers for the delivery of Community VCAL (in the Guidance tab) for guidance and procedures about entering into an agreement with an NSSP for the delivery of Community VCAL.

Details

The arrangement for third party providers, such as an NSSP, to provide educational services to a school is a decision for each school council in consideration of its individual requirements and delivery of the school’s curriculum in line with department policies.

The principal and other key staff play an important advisory role to the school council in making a decision about whether to enter into the contract.

Schools must renew contracts with NSSPs annually and seek endorsement from by the regional director prior to entering into the new contract.

The School Council must use the Re-engagement Program (Standard Community VCAL Contract (DOCX)) (staff login required) that has been developed by the department.

Before a school council and NSSP enter into a valid, signed contract, the school must send the completed unsigned contract to the Manager — Youth Pathways and Transitions (MYPAT) in the relevant regional office for final review.

During the contract period, if the home school has any concerns that the NSSP is not meeting its obligations under the contract, the home school must contact the MYPAT for advice.

For more important information about the process for review and endorsement of a contract, as well as more detail about the obligations and responsibilities of home schools and NSSPs, please refer to the Guidance tab.

Definitions

Community Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (Community VCAL)
Refers to the entire delivery of the VCAL by an external provider that has VRQA registration or ASQA registration (as applicable) and VCAA authorisation to deliver the VCAL on behalf of a government school, at an external location to students who have been assessed as eligible to participate.

Related policies

• Duty of Care
• Purchasing Secondary Courses and Vocational Training from External Providers
• Re-engagement Programs
• School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
• Vocational Education and Training Delivered to Secondary Students
• Vocational Education and Training Delivered to Secondary Students (Reference 143 of the Student Resource Package Guide)

Contact

Enquires related to contracts between the NSSP and school councils and regional oversight should be directed to the Managers – Youth Pathways and Transitions in your region.

North West Victoria Region

Katrina Moody
Email: Katrina.Moody@education.vic.gov.au
Ph: 0436 804 139

North East Victoria Region

Anne Burgoyne
Email: Anne.Burgoyne@education.vic.gov.au
Ph: 7022 0994

South East Victoria Region

Janne Dempster
Email: Janne.Dempster@education.vic.gov.au
Ph: 8904 2607

South West Victoria Region

Liz Jones
Email: Liz.Jones@education.vic.gov.au
Ph: 5215 5208

For further advice about the guidance

Email: Youth.Participation@education.vic.gov.au