Performance and Development for Education Support Class Employees

Performance and development cycle

The performance and development cycle operates on a calendar year cycle, while salary progression for eligible employees will occur between May and April the following year.

At the start of the school year (Term 1), education support employees will meet with their reviewer to reflect and set goals for their performance and development. The Mid-Cycle Review will focus on practice and learning and will take place in Terms 2 and/or 3, while the End of Cycle Review will focus on feedback and review in Term 4.

Schools may opt out of the calendar year cycle by exception only. The principal must discuss this with the senior education improvement leader (SEIL), who will consider the individual circumstances of the school and seek approval from the regional director. Where approval is given the cycle will operate from 1 May to 30 April.

Salary progression

Consistent with the VGSA 2017, salary progression is not automatic but is subject to a successful performance and development review. To achieve salary progression (where eligible), an education support employee must demonstrate they have achieved an overall outcome of ‘Meets Requirements’. Final outcome descriptors are provided in the End-cycle section.

Key dates and requirement for salary progression

• Before 1 March — Notification requirement (in writing) for education support employees who may not achieve a successful Performance and Development outcome.
• 1 May to 30 April — Education support employees with less than 6 months eligible service between this period at a particular salary range and subdivision will not be eligible for salary progression for that cycle.
• 30 April — All eligible education support employees must be advised of their final salary progression outcome by this date.
• 1 May — Salary progression occurs for eligible employees who achieve a successful performance and development outcome.

Identify opportunities for professional learning

Professional learning should have a demonstrable impact on an employee’s performance and development. For learning to be effective, it must be relevant, collaborative and future-focused. Together with the reviewer, education support employees should choose appropriate professional learning that is related to their PDP goals and developmental needs.

Responsibilities of the reviewer

The principal is ultimately responsible for the performance and development process for all employees. However, the principal may delegate the role of reviewer to an appropriate member of their leadership team or the broader staff (for instance, in larger schools). Reviewers should be members of staff who work with or have the capacity to observe education support employees in their practices and understand the nature of the education support employee role.

For some education support employees who work across several schools or are based in a network or region, the reviewer responsible for their performance and development may be a network chair, a manager or a coordinator based in the network or region, as determined by the relevant regional office. As above, the role of reviewer may be delegated to an appropriate person. Delegated reviewers will make recommendations about staff performance and development to the reviewer who is responsible for making a final decision in relation to each stage of the cycle.