Menu
Education
Global Search

Policy library

Beginning Teachers Support Funding

Providing funding support to schools for eligible permanent and temporary beginning teachers.

Changes since previous version

2021 Oct 11 - updated the policy statement to specify that School Workforce directorate is responsible for transferring any remaining funding when a permanent teacher moves to another school or a temporary teacher ceases. Previously the school was responsible for transferring funds.

Document history

2020 May 21 - updated contact details.

2020 May 14 - updated contact details and changed wording in Section 4.2.

2018 Oct – made minor changes to contact details and text at 3.3 and 3.8 updated payment information with generic advice to accommodate unforeseeable changes to payment frequency.

2017 – made changes to payment method, pro-rata and eligibility requirements

2016 Nov 22 - published V4 and changed the eligibility requirements to include funding extended to eligible temporary teachers.

2016 Apr 26 - published V3 and changed the eligibility requirements to include:

  • This policy does not apply to those teachers who do not require accreditation, or who have already gained Proficient Teacher accreditation at their date of entering on duty.
  • This policy applies to NSW public school teachers appointed from Term 2, 2016 as permanent beginning teachers, pursuant to Section 48 of the Teaching Service Act 1980, who are either conditionally accredited or provisionally accredited at their date of entering on duty from day 1, Term 2, 2016.

2015 Feb 02 - published V2 and included increased funding support

2007 Jan 31 - published V1

.Superseded documents

Beginning Teachers Support Policy 2007
Beginning Teachers Resource Allocation Procedures 2007
Beginning Teachers Support Funding Policy 2014
Beginning Teachers Support Funding Procedures 2014
Beginning Teachers Support Funding Policy 2016
Beginning Teachers Support Funding Procedures 2016

  1. Policy statement
    1. Beginning Teachers Support Funding is provided to schools to support the beginning teacher’s induction and professional development, guided by the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
    2. Beginning Teacher Support Funding has been made available under the Great Teaching, Inspired Learning reforms. The provision of structured support for eligible teachers is articulated in Great Teaching, Inspired Learning – a blueprint for action, specifically action 7.1. It is a key strategy to assist new teachers entering the profession.
    3. Principals of schools receiving funds for beginning teachers are accountable for their use in accordance with the following four conditions:
      1. Beginning teachers have reduced responsibilities or teaching loads sufficient to support the development of their skills.
      2. Beginning teachers are provided with ongoing feedback and support that is embedded in the collaborative practices of the school.
      3. Mentoring structures and collaborative practices support beginning teachers within the school or across a cluster of schools, and any teacher mentors have access to specific training and flexibility in their teaching responsibilities to support classroom observation and provide structured feedback.
      4. Beginning teachers have access to professional learning that focuses on classroom and behaviour management, strategies to build student engagement, collaborative professional practices within the school and productive relationships with parents and care givers.
  2. Audience and applicability
    1. Beginning teacher support funding applies to classroom teachers who require mandatory accreditation only and does not apply to teaching or non-teaching executives or principals.
    2. Eligible permanent teachers:
      1. require mandatory accreditation
      2. have not yet achieved accreditation at Proficient Teacher level at the date of entering on duty
      3. are in their first permanent teaching appointment with the department.
    3. Eligible temporary teachers:
      1. require mandatory accreditation
      2. have not yet achieved accreditation at Proficient Teacher level at the date of commencing their temporary engagement
      3. are employed in their first eligible consecutive 4-term, full-time temporary engagement to a public school
      4. have full approval to teach with the department by 1 March in the year of engagement
      5. have worked for the department as a teacher for no more than 406 days in a permanent or temporary capacity (excludes casual experience) prior to the entry on duty date for their temporary engagement
      6. are employed under temporary engagements lodged by 5pm on 1 March in the year of engagement under a consecutive 4-term, full-time temporary engagement within the calendar year.
    4. If a classroom teacher has previously received first year (permanent/temporary) beginning teacher funding, or part thereof, they are no longer eligible to receive first year (permanent/temporary) beginning teacher funding.
    5. If a classroom teacher has previously received second year beginning teacher funding, or part thereof, they are no longer eligible to receive second year beginning teacher funding.
    6. Funding for beginning teachers will be distributed to schools as soon as possible after the teacher’s entry on duty.
  3. Context
    1. This policy has been developed to clarify for principals and teachers the use of Beginning Teachers Support Funding provided to support eligible beginning teachers in the first two years of their first permanent appointment or first consecutive 4-term, full-time temporary engagement to a NSW public school.
    2. Permanent teachers:
      1. For the first year of appointment, schools will receive a funding allocation that has been costed at the equivalent of 2 hours per week release time per eligible beginning teacher, and the equivalent of an additional one hour per week release time per beginning teacher to release an expert teaching colleague to provide practice-based mentoring support.
      2. Schools will receive personalised advice via their school email account when payments have been allocated.
      3. First year funding is to be used to support the beginning teacher within 12 months of their entry on duty (which may include carrying funds over to the next school year). First year funding for eligible permanent teachers in part-time appointments will be paid on a pro rata basis according to the number of days of their permanent appointment.
      4. For the second year of their appointment (or if the teacher received first year funding as a temporary teacher and still meets the eligibility requirements), schools will receive a funding allocation that has been costed at the equivalent of one hour per week release time per eligible beginning teacher. Second year funding for eligible permanent teachers in part appointments will be paid on a pro rata basis according to the number of days of their permanent appointment.
      5. Second year funding will be distributed as a single payment and will be distributed to schools in the second year of the beginning teacher’s permanent appointment.
    3. Teachers in temporary engagements:
      1. For the duration of the 4-term, full-time temporary engagement, schools will receive a funding allocation that has been costed at the equivalent of 2 hours per week release time for the eligible beginning teacher, and the equivalent of an additional one hour per week release time to release an expert teaching colleague to provide practice-based mentoring support during that calendar year.
      2. Schools will receive personalised advice via their school email account when payments have been allocated.
      3. Funding is to be used to support the beginning teacher and must be used by the end of Term 4 of the calendar year.
      4. Second year funding is not available for beginning teachers on temporary engagements.
    4. Permanent and temporary beginning teachers:
      1. Although the funding is costed at the equivalent of teacher release hours, the funding can be used flexibly to meet the individual needs of the beginning teacher. However, it is anticipated that these funds will primarily be used to provide regular release time for the beginning teacher as well as an experienced teacher to provide mentoring support. Specifically, the Beginning Teacher Support Funding should be used to enhance the professional growth of teachers during their induction period in a variety of ways including
        • observing other teachers’ lessons
        • enabling other teachers to observe their lessons
        • engaging in collaborative practices
        • receiving structured feedback based on observation
        • evaluating impact of their teaching on student progress and achievement
        • implementing effective classroom management strategies
        • engaging in professional discussion and personal reflection
        • assessing and evaluating student work
        • planning quality lessons to maximise their impact on learning
        • compiling evidence to achieve mandatory accreditation at Proficient Teacher level with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). If required, the funds can also be used to support a beginning teacher to participate in targeted professional learning activities that are specifically designed to support the beginning teacher’s development.
    5. This funding must not be used to:
      1. provide other forms of release, for example sporting teams, cultural activities or performances
      2. fund graduate studies
      3. purchase technology such as iPads, iPhones and laptops.
  4. Responsibilities and delegations
    1. Directors, Educational Leadership are responsible for:
      1. monitoring the implementation of this policy across schools.
    2. Principals are responsible for:
      • implementing this policy in the school and reporting as required to their Director, Educational Leadership
      • ensuring eligible beginning teachers are made aware of the support available under this policy
      • providing each beginning teacher with an appropriate school-based induction program to induct them into the profession during their first years of teaching, and ensuring that the professional learning associated with this induction is recorded annually on the beginning teacher’s performance and development plan (PDP)
      • managing the funding allocation to support each eligible beginning teacher for either the first two years of their appointment or the duration of their temporary engagement, facilitating professional development for teachers and supporting the achievement of probation (if a permanent teacher) and working towards Proficient Teacher accreditation, in accordance with departmental policy and procedures
      • ensuring the Performance and Development Framework for Principals, Executive and Teachers in NSW Public Schools is implemented in conjunction with the department’s Accreditation at Proficient Teacher Procedures
      • facilitating the expenditure of beginning teacher support funding to provide practice-based mentoring for each beginning teacher during the first year of their appointment or duration of temporary engagement
      • ensuring that funds are used appropriately for the teachers for whom they are allocated and that any unused funds are returned to School Workforce directorate when required.
      1. for permanent teachers
        • In the event that a permanent teacher moves to a new school during their first two years of teaching, the original school must notify School Workforce directorate of the remaining funds and School Workforce directorate will arrange a transfer. Movement of budget allocation should not be processed by the school.
      2. for temporary teachers
        • If the temporary engagement for a temporary teacher is ceased by the principal or the teacher at any time, the principal must return unused funds to School Workforce directorate. Movement of budget allocation should not be processed by the school.
        • If the conditions of the temporary engagement are changed to less than a full-time engagement at any time, the teacher is then no longer eligible for funding and principals must notify School Workforce directorate of the remaining funds and School Workforce directorate will arrange the return of funds. Movement of budget allocation should not be processed by the school.
    3. School executive and beginning teacher supervisors are responsible for:
      1. working collaboratively with other staff to support the professional development of beginning teachers
      2. ensuring that a program of practice-based mentoring support is developed for each eligible beginning teacher
      3. supporting permanent beginning teachers to achieve the requirements of probation by the end of the permanent teacher’s first year of a permanent appointment
      4. supporting permanent beginning teachers to achieve the requirements of accreditation at the level of Proficient Teacher by the end of the teacher’s second year of permanent employment (unless teachers are required to do so earlier based on the date their period of accreditation will end)
      5. supporting temporary beginning teachers to work towards their Proficient Teacher accreditation requirements.
    4. Permanent beginning teachers are responsible for:
      1. working collaboratively with their supervising teachers to develop their practice to achieve
      2. the requirements of probation by the end of the teacher’s first year of permanent appointment
      3. the requirements of accreditation at the level of Proficient Teacher by the end of the teacher’s second year of permanent employment (unless teachers are required to do so earlier based on the date their period of accreditation will end).
    5. Temporary beginning teachers are responsible for:
      1. working collaboratively with their supervising teachers to develop their practice
      2. working towards their accreditation at Proficient Teacher level.
    6. School Workforce directorate is responsible for:
      1. managing the distribution of funding
      2. recouping funds from schools when required
      3. considering exceptional and compelling circumstances for funding, with any decisions being final and not subject to any further appeals process.
  5. Monitoring and review
    1. The Executive Director, School Workforce monitors the implementation of this policy, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.
  6. Contact
    Manager, New Teachers and Programs, School Workforce directorate
    02 7814 3820

Related documents

Document type
Policy
Policy contact
Manager, New Teachers and Programs, School Workforce directorate
0278143820
Reference number
PD-2007-0367-V01.2.0
Implementation date
01-01-2018
Last updated
11-10-2021
Publicly available
Yes
Policy groups
People
Return to top of page Back to top