AEU long-term plan sample: secondary school-based consultation

This is a sample long-term planning document to support school-based planning. It is based on the information in clause 12(5). Information populated under each heading is for reference only and should be updated to suit your school’s local arrangements provided they are in accordance with the Victorian Government Schools Agreement 2022 (VGSA 2022). Long-term planning decisions must be provided to all staff in writing by the end of the last week of November each year (clause 12(5)(c)). Please contact your AEU sub-branch organiser or principal class organiser for additional support.

Download sample template here*

*Please note: after you have downloaded the sample you will need to replace the example content with your own school’s planning details.

Exampleville Secondary College 

As per VGSA 2022 clause 12(5), please find the following information regarding the 202X long-term planning and workforce plan for Exampleville Secondary College.

The VGSA 2022 seeks to ensure that employees have the opportunity to perform all their duties within a reasonable timeframe and have fair and reasonable conditions. This long-term plan supports that objective.

1. Long-term planning means:

• development of workforce plans
• the planning and organisation of the program of instruction in the school (including the timetable and allocation of allotments and classes, transition arrangements, and any changes to school programs, including avoiding grade splitting where possible)
• organisation of teacher work consistent with clause 22, including time in lieu for activities as set out in clause 24
• organisational duties, including the allocation of time release and/or an allowance for the duty as set out in clause 22(11)
• organisation of education support class (ES) work, including time in lieu for any work required outside the ordinary hours of work consistent with clause 24(9) and time to participate in the performance and development process
• organisation of teacher work in their first twelve months of teaching as set out in clause 22 (6) (b)
• the recognition of the work performed by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employee associated with a cultural responsibility as set out in clause 24(17)
• the schedule of meetings occurring in addition to the seven hours attendance requirement set out in clause 24(3)(a)
• organisation of classes including class sizes. In determining class sizes, staff or the union at the school may provide the principal, as the Employer’s representative, with alternatives and, following consultation, staff or the union at the school may request that the principal provide reasons in circumstances where the principal, as the Employer’s representative, determines class sizes in excess of the planning guidance set out in clause 25(3)
• the structure of selection and other panels for the purpose of making recommendations to the principal
• the process for access to external professional development opportunities.

2. Workforce plan means:

A document setting out the projected staffing needs of a school having regard to factors such as the education program of the school, predicted enrolment increase or decrease, predicted staff absences due to leave or other reasons and any predicted departures of existing staff, and the consequent mix of ongoing and fixed-term teaching and non-teaching staff and the number of fixed-term employees eligible for translation to ongoing employment in accordance with clauses 21(2)(f) to (h). 

3. Exampleville Secondary College Workforce plan

• current enrolment – 550
• 202X projected enrolment – 525
• 202X projected enrolment – 535
   

Note: ES employee range relevant to supervision requirements in the VGSA 2022 (see clause 15 below for detail on supervision maximums).

Translation to ongoing
Exampleville Secondary College is committed to reducing fixed-term contracts where possible. When a suitable ongoing position becomes available, and there is more than one eligible staff member, an expression of interest, merit-based process will be used to determine who will be translated to ongoing.

4. Organisation of classes including class sizes (VGSA 2022, clause 25)

Download sample template here*

*Please note: after you have downloaded the sample you will need to replace the example content with your own school’s planning details.

The VGSA 2022 recognises that there are varied forms of teaching arrangements (including practical classes, team teaching and lecture tutorials) that optimise student learning opportunities. In addition, the organisation of teaching should provide and maintain, so far as is practicable, a working environment that is safe and without risks to health. 

As agreed, at Exampleville Secondary College maximum class sizes in 2023 will be:

• Years 7–12 core classes: up to 25
• Practical classes (technology – metalwork, woodwork and robotics): 22 except for Years 8 and 9 (Consideration has been given to the availability of facilities and it has been determined in consultation with the relevant teachers and domain/learning area heads that equipment and space will still allow for a safe and productive learning environment.)
• If a class exceeds 25, due to an unexpected enrolment(s) in 2023, the following options will be available for a teacher and principal to consider in recognition of the size of the class:
  • reduction in yard duty
  • no extras to be given
  • one period less of face-to-face per week (covered by another teacher) reduced attendance at meetings. 

5. Teacher attendance (VGSA 2022, clause 24)

The ordinary hours of work for a full-time teacher is 38 hours per week across five days. A full-time teacher will be in attendance for a minimum of seven hours per day. The ordinary hours of work will be pro-rata for a part-time employee.

     8.35am: Teacher attendance time commences  
     8.45am: Classes begin  
     8.45am – 10.45am: Class time  
     10.45am – 11.15am: Recess  
     11.15am – 1.15pm: Class time  
     1.15pm – 1.55pm: Lunch  
     1.55pm – 3.15pm: Class time (including pastoral program)  
     3.15pm: School finishes  
     3.35pm: Teacher attendance concludes (Monday and Friday)  
     4.35pm: Teachers attendance concludes (Tuesday to Thursday)

The first pupil instruction session begins at 8.45am. Pupil instruction ends at 3.15pm. Teachers are on duty from 8.35am, ten minutes prior to the first pupil instruction session. Teacher attendance finishes seven hours later at 3.35pm, except for three days per week where teachers may be required to remain in attendance at school for an additional hour. 

6. Teachers – meetings

Teachers can be required to attend up to two hours of meetings adjacent to the seven hours of daily attendance. These meetings will not exceed one hour unless otherwise agreed via consultation, and where a meeting exceeds one hour, the total required after school meetings for that week will not exceed two hours.

Meetings adjacent to the school day will occur on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The following meetings will occur every three weeks on Tuesday and rotate: 

• staff meetings
• learning area meetings
• whole staff professional development sessions.

PLCs occur each week on Wednesday. 

Meetings adjacent to the school day will commence at 3.35pm and end at 4.35pm. Attendance at meetings for part-time staff is pro-rata.

7. Other duties

The remaining hour adjacent to the school day will include professional duties undertaken at school but will not involve a meeting.

8. Education support staff attendance (VGSA 2022, clause 24)

Education support employees attend for a maximum of 7.6 hours daily between 7am and 6pm from Monday to Friday. Individual ES attendance arrangements, including starting and finishing times and break times, are agreed at the commencement of employment based on the requirements of the position and the availability of the employee, and can be varied where both the principal and the employee agree. All part-time staff arrangements will be pro-rata. In the absence of agreed arrangements, daily start and finish times will be 8.30am and 4.36pm.

9. Teachers – breaks

Teachers are entitled to a paid lunch break of not less than 30 minutes free from assigned duties between the hours of 11.30am and 2.30pm. A lunch break is part of the 8-hour component of the 30 + 8 model.  

10. Education support staff – breaks

Education support staff are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid lunch break free from assigned duties between the hours of 11.30am and 2.30pm. The break will be scheduled no later than five hours after the scheduled starting time (see table below for the rostered break). A lunch break roster will be developed by the relevant leader in consultation with ES staff. In exceptional circumstances when an education support class employee is required to undertake duties and not able to take a lunch break free from assigned duties within the hours of 11.30am and 2.30pm, that employee will be provided with an alternate break within five hours of the employee’s commencement of work on that day.

While every effort will be made to ensure ES have their lunch break at the rostered time, or a time later that day and within the first five hours of attendance, if this is not possible then the ES will be compensated by leaving early or coming in late on another day, with their duties altered to accommodate the change in attendance that day.

11. Time in lieu for teachers and ES (VGSA 2022, clauses 24(8) and (9))

The activities for which time in lieu (TIL) applies are to be agreed in the long-term plan.  

Structured school activities that occur in an ad hoc manner throughout the year will come via the CC to determine TIL accrual and acquittal. The amount of time accrued and how that time will be acquitted will be agreed before the TIL is accrued. 

All time in lieu will be recorded and managed via eduPay.

Unless otherwise agreed between the principal and the staff member, if TIL is not granted by 1 March of the following school year, the staff member may elect to take the time owed commencing immediately or receive pay at time and a half (150%) of the employee’s normal rate of pay.

Teachers
TIL will be granted to a teacher where attendance is required at a structured school activity outside the normal hours of attendance (i.e., in excess of 38 hours for a full-time teacher and pro-rata for a part-time teacher). TIL will accrue for the period of time that a teacher’s required attendance is greater than the normal hours of attendance. A teacher may request not to attend the school activity outside the normal attendance of the teacher where this will unreasonably affect the teacher’s personal or family commitments. The Employer may only refuse the request on reasonable grounds. Where a teacher has not been granted time in lieu by 1 December in the year it was accrued, the teacher can vary their attendance time on any school day prior to the end of the school year equivalent to the time owed, provided that the teacher provides not less than three (3) working days’ notice. If there are a number of teachers seeking to vary their attendance on the same day and that would result in the dismissal of students, then the principal is responsible for determining the timing of the absences to avoid dismissal of students.

Every effort will be made for time in lieu to be taken in the fortnight in which it is accrued. Where that is not possible, TIL will be acquitted before the end of the school year in which it was accrued, otherwise VGSA 2022 clauses 24(8)(c) and (e), and 24(9)(d) will apply. As an alternative to TIL, the principal and a teacher may agree to payment for TIL owed at the teacher’s normal rate of pay.

Education support staff
Time in lieu will be accrued when an ES is required to undertake work in excess of 38 hours per week for a full-time employee (or on a pro-rata basis for a part-time employee). This will only occur when the work is unavoidable, and reasonable notice is provided. As an alternative to time in lieu an ES and the principal can agree to payment for TIL at the ES’s normal rate of pay where the time in lieu was for work performed within the normal span of hours (7am–6pm). Where the time in lieu was accrued for work performed outside the normal span of hours, then it will be paid at 150% of the employee’s normal rate of pay.

TIL for camps clauses 24 (8)(iii) and (9)(v)

Teachers and ES required to attend camp will be rostered into the following categories:

• Normal hours – time in lieu does not accrue during this time; 
• On duty time – for time outside the normal hours of duty, where the staff member is required to perform duties, time in lieu accrues at 100% during this time; or 
• On call time – time in lieu accrues at 50% during this time.

Staff rostered as ‘on call’ between 11pm and 7am will receive an automatic payment for this time at the rate of:

• Teachers – 100% of their normal hourly rate of pay;
• ES – 150% of their normal hourly rate of pay (because it is outside the ES span of hours).

Staff rostered as ‘on duty’ between 11pm and 7am (such as being the designated staff member to respond to students, or a staff member who attends to an ill student), will accrue TIL for this time. For TIL accrued through ‘on duty’ work, staff can nominate to receive TIL as time rather than payment. This will be agreed for each activity before the activity occurs.

For the period of time that exists between the period that occurs outside of normal hours of attendance and the ‘overnight period’, teachers and ES will accrue TIL hour for hour.

The arrangements outlined above apply to external camps and school sleepovers on school grounds.

In 202X, the table below shows the structured school activities that will require staff attendance, including time for setting up and packing up of these activities. 

Most excursions are planned to be within teacher and ES working hours but if, due to unforeseen circumstances, these continue outside staff attendance hours then TIL will be accrued. 

Staff are expected to make appointments with parents during school hours. Where this isn’t possible, staff are to seek approval of appointments for the purpose of TIL.

* Given that ES attendance varies, it is vital to calculate each ES accrual individually to ensure all extra working hours are compensated with TIL. 

^ Time in lieu accrued for attendance at parent teacher interviews is acquitted by shifting the attendance on the day, and by releasing teachers from duty for the Tuesday meeting. The Wednesday meeting is also cancelled but teachers are still required to be in attendance on that day. If some ES are required on this day to support teachers and this results in them working outside their hours of work then they will accrue TIL.

** Other staff interested in attending the Year 12 graduation will not be required to perform duties.

12. Time in lieu – acquittal

Time in lieu accrued for attendance at parent teacher interviews is acquitted by varying attendance for the remainder of the week – i.e., shifting attendance time on the day of the conferences and reducing the number of meetings held that week.  

Teachers and ES staff with accrued time in lieu in relation to other structured school activities, such as camps, parent information BBQ, etc. can apply to take accrued time in lieu or seek payment by following the requirements set out in the VGSA 2022 clause 24(8) and (9).

For teachers, time in lieu is to be acquitted at a time that is least disruptive to the educational program, and for ES at a time following consideration of the operational needs of the school. Where possible, TIL should be acquitted at a time that is mutually agreed upon by the teacher or ES and principal. The amount of TIL accrued, as well as the method of acquittal, will be agreed before the event takes place.

Where time in lieu is acquitted without CRT replacement, it will be provided at a time where the staff member does not need to be on site at the school. Such acquittal, at the beginning or end of the school day, where replacement of the teacher is not required, will come from the 8 component with the teacher’s planning and preparation time preserved for that week. When a staff member is not required to attend work to perform duties (i.e., acquitting time in lieu) they will have the number/amount of duties which are required during that week reduced, equivalent to the TIL taken. 

13. Teacher work 30 + 8 (VGSA 2022, clause 22(8)) 

This section details the organisation of teacher work as described in the VGSA 2022.  

30 + 8
A full-time teacher will be provided with 30 hours of time to undertake the work directly related to the teaching and learning program of their class(es) (such as face-to-face teaching, planning, preparation, assessment of student learning and collaboration), with the duties undertaken within that time determined by the teacher. 

The remaining eight hours are available for other activities (such as yard duty, meetings, and lunch). This will be pro-rata for part-time teachers.

Organisation of teacher work including the face-to-face teaching requirement
Face-to-face teaching is a maximum of 18.5 hours and all face-to-face teaching is to be considered within the 30 hours of the 30+8 model.

A full-time face-to-face teaching allotment is:

• 21 x 50 minutes (1050 minutes) – of regular timetabled classes, and may also consist of team-teaching, special programs or tutoring. Or pastoral sessions.
• Up to 10 extras per year, with no more than one per fortnight. Teachers who have an allocated less-than-full-time face-to-face teaching allotment will be eligible for additional extras according to the following table. 

Non-face-to-face time that makes up their 30 hours is available to teachers to undertake the work directly related to their teaching and learning program of their class/es consistent with clause 22(8)(a)(i). The time between 18.5 and up to 30 hours is time where duties are determined by the teacher. This time will generally be given in blocks of not less than 30 minutes.

The remaining 8 hours will be shown on the timetable and should be read in conjunction with the yard duty roster. Duties in the 8 hours (e.g., lunch, yard duty, meetings, morning briefings, responding to emails not related to the teacher’s classes, walking time between classes, online learning modules, data collection and analysis when not related to a teacher’s class, supervision) are characterised by being school-directed.

Pupil free days and teacher professional practice days
In 202X there will be five days over the year where teachers aren’t required to teach students, structured as follows:

* The work undertaken on professional practice days will be consistent with Departmental and school priorities and selected from the following areas: planning, preparation, assessment of student learning, collaboration, curriculum development, relevant professional development and peer observation including feedback and reflection (as outlined in VGSA 2022 clause 22(12)(b)).

Organisation of work of teachers in their first 12 months of teaching
Teachers in their first 12 months of teaching will teach a maximum of 17.5 hours face-to-face per week and will not be required to take ‘extras’. The usual arrangements for replacement classes will apply. In addition, teachers requested to act as mentor for a classroom teacher in their first 12 months will be allocated a one-period time allowance per week per early career teacher mentored to facilitate mentoring.

Replacement classes and extras
Where a teacher is absent or unavailable to take their class, a replacement teacher will be allocated to take the class. The school will first seek a casual relief teacher and then use available ‘extras’. See clause 13 above for further information on maximum extras to be allocated.

Where a teacher’s normal class is absent (e.g., attending an excursion), that teacher may be assigned a replacement class on the day their class is lost, up to the amount of periods the teacher lost. 

A teacher who teaches a Year 12 class(es) will not be allocated replacement classes until the students in that class(es) have completed the final exam for that subject. This is to ensure that a Year 12 teacher can continue to provide pre-exam support to students.

Early commencement / Step Up programs
As senior classes are dismissed at the end of the year, Exampleville Secondary College will run a week-long early commencement program for students entering Year 11 and Year 12 in the following year. Teachers required to teach these programs will be provided with an allotment of not more than 80% of the teacher’s dismissed classes, in the week those classes were dismissed. 

Allotment preferences at Exampleville Secondary College
All teachers will be consulted through an allotment preference process at the end of Term 3 to enable them to identify their preferred allotment for the following year. Every effort will be made to provide each teacher their preferred allotment.  

14.  Education support staff supervision of students

The circumstances in which ES can be required to supervise students, and the number of students they can be required to supervise, will depend on their specific role and the range at which their role is classified.

15. Education support staff – contract dates and annual leave 

At Exampleville SC, all ES fixed-term contracts will include the December and January holidays i.e., January 202X to January 202X. ES staff will attend for duty on the first day of Term 1 with teaching staff.

16. Yard duty

Yard duty will be allocated equitably across the teaching staff (pro-rata for part-time staff) and is to be considered as part of a teacher’s ‘other duties’ under the 30+8 model. Yard duty scheduled before and after school will occur with staff via consultation and agreement rather than allocation. The maximum yard duty allotment will be one lunch (30 minutes) and two recess or before/after school duties (15 minutes each).

Yard duties will be allocated in a way that ensures that every member of staff is still able to take a 30-minute lunch break free from assigned duties. Efforts will be made to ensure a teacher does not have yard duty directly after a class, or directly before a class.

17. Cultural responsibility and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff

All staff at Exampleville Secondary College have a role in ensuring that the school is culturally safe for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff, students, families and visitors.

Where an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander staff member agrees to undertake work that requires a cultural responsibility, the impact of that responsibility will be considered in the context of the employee’s duties and will be recognised with time release and/or a special payment, in consultation with the staff member and consultative committee.

By the end of 2024, all staff will have had the opportunity to attend a school-sourced and -organised Professional Learning on Cultural Safety and Inclusion, within the normal meeting structure.  

Exampleville Secondary College will begin each whole staff meeting with an Acknowledgement of Country. 

Exampleville Secondary College will apply VGSA 2022 clause 26(24)(a) – Cultural and Ceremonial leave clause.

18. Organisational duties

Organisational duties, including any allocated time allowance and special payment, will be reviewed through the consultative committee by the end of Term 3 as per the VGSA 2022 clause (22) (11). A finalised list of positions of responsibility will be published during Term 4, to enable school staff to express interest, subject to a local merit-based selection process.  

19. The structure of selection and other panels for the purpose of making recommendations to the principal

Selection panels for all staff positions (teachers and ES) will comprise a minimum of three people:

• principal or principal nominee
• an elected union representative
• an additional staff member

Staff will be invited to nominate to be included in panels for the year. At least one panel member will have merit and equity training, and provision will be made for gender representation. Where possible the panel should include an employee from the same employment classification as the position being advertised.

20. Accessing external professional development opportunities

All school staff – teachers, ES, and principal class – can benefit from accessing professional learning relating to their area of work. Applications to undertake external professional development should be completed using the online form and, where possible, submitted at least four weeks before the scheduled professional development. Late applications will be considered on their merits. The principal, in consultation with relevant leaders, will decide on attendance within one fortnight of receiving the application and advise the employee the outcome in writing.

21. Agreed consultation arrangements

On 1 September, agreement was reached between the Exampleville SC Principal and AEU Sub-Branch Representative(s) on consultative arrangements. The consultative arrangements for 202X will be: 

Composition:

• principal
• assistant principal (principal nominee)
• business manager (principal nominee)
• AEU CC teacher representative
• AEU CC ES representative 
• staff representative (ES or teacher)

The operational procedures, including the chair, and schedule of meetings:

• the chair will be the principal and we will follow ‘Exampleville College’s meeting norms’
• meetings will occur every two weeks and be within the normal hours of attendance for both the teacher and ES reps. The schedule of meetings will include the consultative committee.

The arrangements to enable committee members the opportunity and time to canvass views in their school:

• time will be provided at the end of each staff meeting for staff reps to canvass views. The AEU reps will schedule other meetings with the sub-branch where required.
• it has been agreed that additional time may be provided where needed, and that request will come through the consultative committee.

Time release for one union nominee to enable consultation with the union sub-branch, which must not be less than provided in sub-clause (4)(d)(iii):

• the union rep will be provided with the equivalent of one period per week
• additional blocks of time will be provided where a significant school change is occurring.

The treatment of confidential material as it relates to employees of the school:

• all consultative committee members understand and agree that personal information disclosed during discussions will be treated confidentially.

The method of recording and communicating decisions to staff:

• it is agreed that the minute-taker role will be rotated each meeting. Each member of the consultative committee will take minutes except for the chair. These will be sent to the principal for finalisation and distributed to all staff within three days of the meeting.
• all recommendations, main points of discussion and decisions will be minuted
• the agenda will be available at least three days prior to the meeting and any staff member can request an item be included on the agenda. The consultative committee will as a minimum discuss matters listed in clause 12(5)

Consultative committee representatives:

• representatives for the consultative committee will be elected/nominated at the end of Term 3, to begin their one-year term in Term 4. Each member of the committee may appoint a proxy for when they are unable to attend.

The consultative committee will be provided with the following to enable informed consultation to occur:

Management reports (every meeting):

• SRP indicative (October)
• predicted enrolments (Term 4)
• anticipated staff movements (as arise)
• SRP confirmed (April)

Review and changes

• consultative arrangements will be reviewed during Term 3, for agreement by 1 September.
• any proposed changes to this long-term plan must involve genuine and full consultation, and agreement, prior to any decision being made.
• the discussions for the long-term plan for the following year will begin in Term 3.