Flexible work for school leaders initiative (Reference 151)
The 2023–24 state budget allocated $9.5 million for a pilot program trialling flexible work for school leaders in 2024. All educational leaders, including principals, assistant principals, leading teachers and learning specialists, were able to apply for funding to trial part time and job share arrangements.
The funding is to be used to cover:
- a cross-over day as part of a new job-share arrangement (where a substantive leader reduces their time fraction with a higher duties backfill)
- a cross-over day as part of a co-principal arrangement (where 2 people are substantively appointed to a principal role through a merit based recruitment process)
- 0.2 FTE of a new part time role or an existing part time role where the employee has increased their time fraction.
Objectives of the Flexible work for school leaders initiative include:
- increasing uptake of flexible work for all employees by encouraging modelling at leadership levels
- providing more options for greater work-life balance for leaders who wish to participate
- providing pathways for senior leaders who wish to transition to retirement, and potentially retaining those employees in the workforce for a short extension of time
- increasing the leadership profile of Victorian government schools
- redefining the potential for leadership positions to be broader than just 1.0 FTE and filled by only one person.
Eligibility
All educational leader positions are eligible for funding, including:
- principals
- assistant principals
- leading teachers
- learning specialists.
Calculation
Funding will be allocated as credit (100%).
Schools will receive a grant equivalent to 0.2FTE of the salary of the role that has a flexible work arrangement in place.
School on-costs and the scheduled salary increase from 1 July 2024 under the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 are included in the total grant.
Rate
The initiative has tailored rates, depending on the leadership position with the approved flexible work arrangement in place, and the step* and range of the position.
| Leadership position | Range 1 | Range 2 | Range 3 | Range 4 | Range 5 | Range 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Principal | n/a | $35,653.45 | $39,544.35 | $42,911.42 | $47,386.47 | $51,292.21 |
| Assistant principal | $31,020.82 | $33,955.59 | $37,661.32 | $40,979.30 | n/a | n/a |
| Leading teacher | n/a | n/a | $28,271.45 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Learning specialist | n/a | n/a | $28,271.45 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
*Note: the default step is step 1 in each range.
Funding for Rounds 1 and 2 will be allocated in the confirmed SRP, and funding for Round 3 will be allocated in the revised SRP.
Participants can choose to discontinue their flexible working arrangement. If this is the case, or if there are any other changes in your flexible work arrangement, please advise the Workplace Relations team (workplace.relations@education.vic.gov.au) to update your details and adjust payments received via future SRP released.
Schools will not be required to backpay money from the first instalment paid via the SRP, if a flexible work arrangement is discontinued before the scheduled period. The department has an expectation, however, that any surplus funding would be used to support flexible work arrangement generally at the school.
Relevant information
Reviewed 27 March 2024