Tutor Learning Initiative

Tutor arrangements

Tutor role

Tutors are employed by schools to deliver small group learning support, with a focus on literacy and numeracy.

Tutors work closely with teachers and staff to:

• identify a student’s point of need, through diagnostic assessments
• define SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound) learning goals (recorded in an approved template) that can be achieved within a short, 5 to 8-week cycle of learning
• implement evidence-based, high-impact teaching strategies to progress learning
• regularly evaluate learning progress via formative assessments.

Tutor qualifications

Tutors must be one of the following:

• a teacher currently registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT)
• a teacher with VIT Permission to Teach (employed as an education support (ES) class employee)
• a pre-service teacher (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 – retired teachers may contact the VIT for support.

The VIT offers advice about eligibility requirements for tutors. For more information visit Victorian Government Tutor Learning Initiative – Victorian Institute of Teaching.

Employing tutors

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 Recruitment Online Portal (ROL) pool of interested tutors. Further information on registering interest through the ROL is provided at the Tutor learning initiative: information for prospective tutors webpage.

Consistent with the VGSA 2022, the school's tutor workforce plan should be developed using the school’s consultative arrangements, including the use of merit processes to ensure the best tutor is selected to meet the needs of identified students. This process applies to both local workforce decisions and ROL tutor processes.

Victorian government schools are not required to advertise tutor positions for the TLI on Recruitment Online. Instead, schools will be able to access the register of interested tutors through the Job Opportunities Pool in ROL 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 Recruitment Online 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.

Tutor laptops

Schools can nominate a tutor for a notebook under the Notebooks for School Staff Program in the same way they do for their eligible school staff. Nominations for notebooks are based on a set of eligibility criteria, found on the Notebooks for School Staff Program page.

For any questions regarding notebooks for tutors please refer to Notebooks for School Staff Program – notebook@education.vic.gov.au