Tutor Learning Initiative

Program requirements

Schools funded under the Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI) must follow the program requirements below.

Provide small group learning support to students behind in literacy and numeracy

Schools must provide small group learning support to all students across Foundation to Year 12 who are identified as significantly below their age-expected level of learning in literacy and numeracy, as follows:

• Students in Years 4 to 11 – all students assessed as ‘Needs Additional Support’ (or exempt), in one or both NAPLAN reading or numeracy domains. The department will pre-tag these students within CASES21.
• Students in Foundation to Year 3 and Year 12 – students the school identifies through other assessments who are achieving significantly below the expected level for their age in literacy or numeracy.

Schools must notify the families of those students selected for participation in tutoring and the support their child will receive. Refer to the template correspondence to families at: Information for families – templates (DOCX).

Provide structured tutoring programs in literacy and numeracy

Schools must provide a structured tutoring program in each of literacy and numeracy, with a documented sequence of sessions to address learning gaps of the identified students.

Schools should consider their tutoring program as part of planning for implementation of the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM 2.0) and approach to teaching reading F–2 (PDF).

Tutors should refer to the refreshed tutor practice guidance at TLI Tutor Practice Guidance (DOCX) in delivering tutoring. Tutors are encouraged to refer to the VTLM 2.0 to inform their delivery of tutoring, including using explicit teaching practices and synthetic phonics to teach reading in F–2. Tutors are also recommended to draw upon guidance on supporting students with diverse learning needs as relevant.

Provide each identified student with 40 hours of timetabled small group support per year

Schools must plan to provide each identified student with a minimum of 40 hours of timetabled small group learning support per year (in groups of up to 5 students).

If a student has been identified as needing additional support in both literacy and numeracy, then the school should plan to provide the student with a minimum 80 hours of small group learning support in that year (that is, a minimum of 40 hours literacy support, and 40 hours numeracy support).

Schools must deliver tutoring using one or a combination of the following approaches:

• separate tutoring sessions timetabled to coincide with the student’s regular English or mathematics lessons
• separate tutoring sessions timetabled in addition to their existing English/mathematics lessons (note that it is recommended that students are not consistently removed from the same subject)
• tutoring within the student’s existing English/mathematics classes (that is, the tutor attends the mainstream classroom to work intensively with a specific group of students).

Tutoring programs are recommended to provide students with a minimum of 2 sessions per week to maximise learning gains.

Measure student attainment twice per year

Schools must measure student attainment using a standardised assessment tool at the commencement and the conclusion of the year in which students participate in tutor learning.

ACER statewide licence

Schools are strongly encouraged to use the Adaptive PAT-R (Reading) and Adaptive PAT-M (Mathematics) assessments which are free to government schools in 2025 and can be accessed via the PAT Online Assessment and Reporting System.

Schools with existing state-wide accounts with the PAT Online Assessment and Reporting System in 2024 will have their access automatically renewed for 2025. Government schools who have not yet signed up to access the free PAT state-wide licence, can sign up at PAT Statewide Licence – Opt-In.

The adaptive PAT-R and adaptive PAT-M are usually used to compare learning growth over 9 to 12 months.

Other assessment tools

Other standardised assessment tools recommended for use in acquitting this requirement include:

• English Online Interview (EOI) or Year 1 Phonics Check
• Mathematics Online Interview (MOI), for students in Foundation (at the start and end of the year) and for Year 1, Year 2 and at-risk students
• Fractions and Decimals Online Interview (FDOI), for students in the upper primary and early secondary year levels
• Digital Assessment Library (DAL) – schools are strongly encouraged to use the English and Mathematics assessments for Years 2 to 10, developed by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. This includes Mathematics Focus Assessments to support measurement of learning over short teaching cycles
• Abilities Based Learning and Education Support (ABLES) assessment tools, to identify and monitor the learning readiness and progress of students with disability and diverse learners
• Reading and Vocabulary Assessment Tool for students with English as an Additional Language (RVEAL), to measure EAL students’ reading and vocabulary skills and knowledge in Years 3 to 10.

The National Numeracy Learning Progressions and National Literacy Learning Progressions are also useful resources to map student's developmental progress.

Reporting progress to parents/carers

Schools may include information in the regular written reports to parents/carers about what additional learning support was delivered as part of the TLI program and what progress was made.

Schools may also invite tutors to directly contribute to written reports by providing a short comment on:

• a student’s participation and engagement
• information on progress and achievement of learning goals set within the initiative.

For information on general reporting requirements, refer to Reporting Student Achievement and Progress Foundation to 10.

Record and update information about which students are identified for TLI support

Schools must keep records of all students receiving TLI support through CASES21.

Students assessed as ‘Needing Additional Support’ or exempt in the reading and/or numeracy domains of the 2023 and 2024 NAPLAN are pre-identified by the department in CASES21.

Students who were absent from, or in a year level that has not yet completed the revised NAPLAN, and through assessments have been identified as being significantly below their age-expected level of learning in literacy and numeracy must be manually recorded in CASES21 by schools as receiving TLI literacy and/or numeracy support.

Please note, schools can remove students from the pre-populated list of those receiving TLI support if required. If students are transferring to a school, the school will need to identify them manually (NAPLAN pre-identification will not transfer with them). Schools should update CASES21 throughout the year if additional students are added to the TLI program.

For support using CASES21 please refer to: Software and Administration Systems: Resources.

Ensure students' Individual Education Plans (IEPs) reflect participation in tutoring

Some students in TLI may have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) which includes their literacy and numeracy learning goals. For students with an IEP, tutoring must be informed by, and integrated within, IEPs.

For more information, refer to: Individual Education Plans (IEPs) policy.

For more information, visit:

• Diverse Learners Hub
• Learning Difficulties Information Guide – Numeracy (DOCX)
• Learning Difficulties Information Guide – Literacy (DOCX)
• Deciding if a student has a learning difficulty in numeracy
• Deciding if a student has a learning difficulty in literacy.

Appoint tutors and record this on eduPay

Tutors in government schools must be one of the following:

• a teacher currently registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT)
• a teacher with VIT Permission to Teach (teacher tutor) (employed as an education support (ES) class employee)
• a pre-service teacher (PST) (employed as an ES class employee) working under the supervision of a registered teacher
• a speech therapist or occupational therapist (employed as an ES class employee) tutoring in specific identified student needs
• a retired teacher who has re-registered with the VIT.

For more information about the eligibility requirements for tutors visit Victorian Government Tutor Learning Initiative – Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Tutor employment arrangements must be consistent with the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 (VGSA 2022) and relevant department employment policies.

Government schools select and recruit tutors to work in their schools using their regular recruitment processes. Schools are supported in their recruitment through the School Jobs Vic pool of interested tutors. Further information on registering interest through School Jobs Vic is provided at the Tutor learning initiative: information for prospective tutors webpage.

Victorian government schools are not required to advertise tutor positions for the TLI on School Jobs Vic. Instead, schools will be able to access the register of interested tutors through the Applicant Pool in School Jobs Vic to identify and shortlist suitable tutors for recruitment.

In the case that a school would like to appoint an existing employee through their regular, merit-based human resources processes, the school can use a General Ledger (GL) override on eduPay to assign the employee’s tutor portion to TLI code 80026 or action a higher duties assignment to a tutor classification where applicable.

Guidance and resources on the process for tutor appointments are available on School Jobs Vic Help for Recruiters (staff login required).

All tutors will be subject to the usual pre-employment check requirements that apply under the Recruitment in Schools guide.

The role and responsibilities of tutors should be defined according to their classification and range. Schools can refer to:

• Role and Responsibilities – Teaching Service: Classroom teachers for tutors employed as teachers
• Education Support Class – Dimensions of Work (PDF) for tutors employed as education support class.

School Jobs Vic Help for Recruiters (staff login required) includes a training tutorial video, frequently asked questions and instructions on how to search the talent pool and appoint applicants who have expressed interest in employment as a tutor.