Student Resource Package – Targeted Initiatives

Flexible Work for School Leaders initiative (Reference 151)

Brief description of the program

The 2025 Flexible Work for School Leaders initiative is available in the 2024–25 and 2025–26 financial years. Up to 300 grants have been funded 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.

Educational leaders eligible for funding include principals, assistant principals, leading teachers and learning specialists.

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 for up to 12 months. Schools that wish to continue flexible work arrangements for school leaders after this time will need to fund this from their existing budget and may require school council approval.

Eligibility

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.

The department aims to support as many schools as possible through this initiative. While funding isn't guaranteed, each application helps us better understand school needs.

Calculation

Funding will be allocated as credit (100%).

Schools will receive a grant of 0.2 FTE of a salary (including on-costs) of a school leader with an approved flexible work arrangement in place.

Rate

Schools will receive a grant of 0.2 FTE of a salary (including on-costs) of a school leader with an approved flexible work arrangement in place.

The initiative has tailored rates, which are based on the leadership position within the approved flexible work arrangement, salary classification*, commencement date and duration of the position.

*Note: the default step is step 1 in each range.

Funding will be processed through the Student Resource Package (SRP) and allocated across the SRP cycles depending on the arrangement’s commencement date and duration.

Funding allocations for Term 1 and Term 2, 2026 will be processed in the Indicative 2026 SRP cycle.

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 Schools Workforce Initiatives and Support team (Schools.Initiatives@education.vic.gov.au) to update details for the flexible working arrangement.

Relevant information

• Equal Opportunity – Employees
• Flexible Work for Principals
• Flexible work for school leaders funding
• Flexible Work
• Gender Equality Action Plan for 2022–25
• Higher Duties – Teaching Service
• Human Rights Charter
• Inclusive Workplaces
• Parental Absence – Teaching Service
• Respectful Workplaces

Contact for school queries

Email: Schools.Initiatives@education.vic.gov.au
Phone: 03 7022 5555