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

This is a sample Long-Term Planning document to support school-based planning. 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 documents must be provided to all staff in writing by the end of the last week of November each year (clause 12(5)(c)) and should be stored locally.

Please contact your AEU 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 2023 long-term planning and workforce plan for Exampleville Secondary College.

The VGSA 2022 seeks to ensure that employees have the opportunity to perform all of 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

• 2022 enrolment - 550
• 2023 projected enrolment - 525
• 2024 projected enrolment - 535

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 Year 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 teacher will be in attendance for a minimum of seven hours. 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-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. Teachers attend a maximum of two, hour long, meetings per week which will be adjacent to the school day. The remaining hour will be taken up by professional duties undertaken at school adjacent to the school day.

6. Education support staff attendance (VGSA 2022, Clause 24)

Education support employees attend for maximum of 7.6 hours daily between 7.00am and 6.00pm from Monday to Friday. Individual ES attendance arrangements, including starting and finishing times, and break time 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, respectively. 

7. Teachers – breaks

Teachers are entitled to a paid lunch break of not less than thirty 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.

8. Education Support Staff – breaks

Education Support staff are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid lunch break and free from assigned duties between the hours of 11.30am and 2.30pm. The break will be scheduled no later than 5 hours after the scheduled starting time. A lunch break roster will be developed by the relevant leader in consultation with ES staff. In exceptional circumstances where an education support class employee is required to undertake duties and not able to take a lunch break free from assigned duties within that, the employee will be provided with an alternate break within five hours of the employee’s commencement of work on that day.

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

At Exampleville Secondary College, teachers and ES staff are entitled to time in lieu. This applies where teachers are required to attend structured school activities that fall outside their normal attendance hours, and for ES when they are required to undertake work in excess of the employee’s ordinary hours of duty. If the additional hours will unreasonably affect personal or family commitments the staff member may request not to undertake the work and the request will only be refused on reasonable grounds. 

Teachers  
Time in lieu (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. 

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. All time in lieu will be recorded via eduPay. 

Education Support staff  
Time in lieu will be accrued when an ES works in excess of their normal hours of duty. 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 (7.00am–6.00pm). 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. All TIL will be recorded via eduPay. 

For ES and Teachers  
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.

In 2023, the following structured school activities will require staff attendance:  
 

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

10. Time in lieu for camps – Clauses 24(8)(a)(iii) & (9)(v)

Time in lieu accrued during camps is dependent on the staff members’ roster, which will be created by the camp organiser with the support of the daily organiser. Attendance at school camps will be calculated on the basis of 100% time in lieu for the time the teacher/ES is in attendance/performing duties in excess of normal hours and 50% for the time the teacher/ES is on call and available to perform duties.

At Exampleville Secondary College, time in lieu for camps is accrued on the basis that all staff are on duty, as outlined below.

• 8.35am-4.35pm: Normal paid attendance
• 4.35pm-8.35am: 16 hours 'on duty'

If a staff member is required to undertake duties during the ‘on call’ time, eg to assist a student who is unwell, that staff member will then accrue time in lieu as ‘on duty’.  

11. Time in lieu – acquittal

Time in lieu accrued for attendance at student learning conferences 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.  

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 as at the beginning or end of the school day. When a staff member is not required to attend work to perform duties (i.e. acquitting time in lieu) they will have the number of duties which are required, reduced, relevant to the TIL taken.

12. 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 afterschool meetings for that week will not exceed 2 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 will commence at 3.35pm and end at 4.35pm. Attendance at meetings for part-time staff is pro rata.

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 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 requirements   
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)
• Up to 20 extras per year, one per fortnight.

Under-allotted teachers will be given replacement classes up to a full-time teaching allocation. Wherever possible, these will be allocated before extras and could also consist of team-teaching, special programs or tutoring.

Pupil-free days and teacher professional practice days  
In 2023 there will be six days over the year where teachers aren’t required to teach students, structured as follows:

• 27 January: pupil-free day – AIP overview, school communication, OHS & teacher directed;
• Term 2: individual professional practice day: teacher nominates a date to be agreed by the principal, and duties undertaken on this day are teacher determined (individual arrangements to be confirmed as per school process)*;
• 9 June: pupil-free day – assessment and reporting (teacher directed);
• Term 3: pupil-free day – (date and program to be confirmed);
• 6 November: pupil-free day – PLCs and assessment;
• 28 November: common professional practice day (all staff, teacher determined, but in time for reporting).*

* 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 18 hours face-to-face per week and will not be required to take ‘extras’, with the usual arrangements for replacement classes 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 graduate mentored to support their mentee.

Teacher 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. If a person is under-allotted and available, they will be allocated the class prior to a teacher being given an ‘extra’ class or a casual relief teacher being used. 

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. Where a teacher’s regular class has been dismissed for the year (e.g. Year 12s finish in October, Year 10s and 11s finish in November), a teacher may be assigned replacement classes of up to 80% of their timetabled allotment in any given week.

A teacher who is teaches a Year 12 class(es) will not be allocated replacement classes until the students in that class(es) has 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.

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. 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. 

14. Yard duty

Yard duty will be shared 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 1 lunch (20 minutes) and two recess or before/after school duties (15 minutes each).

Efforts will be made to ensure a teacher does not have yard duty directly after a class, or directly before a class.

Education support staff will not undertake yard duty. 

15. 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 2023, all staff will have had the opportunity to attend a school sourced and organised PL on Cultural Safety and Inclusion, within the normal meeting structure. 

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

16. 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 teachers to express interest subject to a local merit-based selection process.  

17. 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.

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.

18. 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 Google form and submitted at least four weeks before the scheduled professional development. 

The principal, in consultation with relevant leaders, will decide on attendance within one week of receiving the application and advise the employee the outcome in writing.

19. Education support staff – duties

The duties, responsibilities, and appropriate salary range of ES staff are outlined in the Dimensions of Work (VGSA 2022, Schedule 4). An ES employee can request that the principal undertakes a range review. Similarly, a range review may be initiated through a discussion at the consultation committee. 

20. Education support staff – contract dates and annual leave

All ES fixed term contracts will include the December and January holidays i.e. January 2023 to January 2024. ES staff will attend for duty on the first day of Term 1 with teaching staff. 

21.    Agreed consultation arrangements

At Exampleville Secondary College, the consultative arrangements for 2023 will be as follows:

Structure:

• principal
• assistant principal (principal nominee)
• business manager (principal nominee)
• AEU CC teacher representative
• AEU CC ES representative
• staff representative.  
   
• Operational procedures including the chair, and schedule of meetings
  • The chair will be the principal and we will follow ‘Exampleville College’s School’s meeting norms’.
  • Meetings will occur every 2 weeks and be within the normal hours of attendance. The schedule of meetings will include the consultative committee arrangements to enable committee members (where the structure involves a committee) the opportunity and time to canvass views in their school.
• Arrangements to enable committee members (where the structure involves a committee) the opportunity and time to canvass views in their school
  • The union rep will be provided with the equivalent of one period per week with additional blocks of time where a significant school change is occurring. It has been agreed that additional time may be provided where needed and that request will come through the consultative committees.
• Time release for one union nominee to enable consultation with the union sub-branch, which must not be less than provided in subclause (4)(d)(iii)
  • The union rep will be provided with the equivalent of one period per week, with additional blocks of time where a significant school change is occurring.
• 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.
• 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.

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