Flexible Work for Principals

Flexible work for school leaders funding

Funding is available in 2024 to support school leaders in a job-share or part-time arrangement.

The funding will allow participating school leaders to have a cross-over day with their job-share partner or will support a new or increased part-time arrangement within a school’s leadership team. This initiative aims to reduce administrative burden on school leaders by providing additional leadership support and promoting work-life balance.

All educational leaders are eligible for funding, including principals, assistant principals, learning specialists and leading teachers.

Available funding

Under this initiative, the Department of Education will provide funding of 0.2 FTE of a salary of a school leader in an eligible flexible work arrangement. Up to 200 grants are available in 2024.

Schools can make multiple applications for funding. We are aiming to ensure that a diverse range of schools are able to access this initiative and submitting an application does not guarantee funding.

Multiple rounds of funding may be offered depending on availability.

This is a pilot initiative that supports leaders to try out part-time and job-share arrangements. Funding is available for up to 12 months. Schools that wish to continue flexible work arrangements for leaders after this time will need to fund this from their existing budget and may require school council approval.

Eligible arrangements

The following arrangements are eligible for funding:

• new part time leadership role
• increased time fraction for an existing part time role
• job-share, where a substantive leader reduces to part time with a higher-duties backfill
• co-principal job-share, where 2 substantive principals are appointed through a merit-based selection process to share a role.
  **Please note that funding under this initiative is only available for 12 months and school council agreement will be required if you wish to fund a co-principal arrangement for the balance of the principal contract.

Application process

The principal for the relevant school should submit the EOI form confirming that:

• the funding will be applied to an eligible part time or job-share arrangement
• the proposal will result in an increase to their school’s leadership profile.

To apply, please submit an expression of interest for yourself or on behalf of other school leaders who want to apply. Please do this by 6 March, 2024. We aim to notify applicants of the outcome of their expression of interest within 2 weeks of receiving it.

Please note that submitting an expression of interest for funding is separate from a flexible work application made under this Flexible Work for Principals policy or the Flexible Work policy (for non-principal school leaders).

If you receive funding under this initiative, your staff member will still need to complete a flexible work application (or in the case of a principal, your regional director will need to approve your arrangement).

For any questions please contact workplace.relations@education.vic.gov.au