School administrative and support staff staffing entitlements

Guidance on the school administrative and support staff (SASS) entitlements for primary, secondary, central and community schools, intensive English centres, schools for specific purposes, distance education centres and education and training units in juvenile justice centres.

Audience

All principals, school administration managers, business managers and school executives.

Version Date Description of changes Approved by

V01.0.0

17 /12/2024

Under the 2023 Policy and procedure review program, new policy document consolidating existing instructions and improving clarity and readability.

Chief People Office, People Group


About the policy

Under the Workforce planning and management policy, the department is committed to maintaining a capable, well-managed and sustainable workforce, and delivering educational services of the highest quality by ensuring the right people and plans are in place to deliver the best outcomes for our communities.

The department allocates permanent staff resources based on formula determined by student enrolment and school type.

Principals are provided an annual report confirming formula-driven permanent staff entitlement to support resource planning and allocation.

Term Definition

AEO

Aboriginal education officer

DEC

Distance education centres

EEC

Environmental education centres

GA

General assistant

IEC

Intensive English centres

SAM

School administrative manager

SAO

School administrative officer

SASS

School administrative and support staff

SLSO

School learning support officer

SSP

Schools for specific purposes

What needs to be done

Schools must fill their school administrative and support staff (SASS) entitlement positions with a permanent employee following the SASS recruitment procedure unless the specific circumstances described in section 1.1 Procedure for temporary appointment to a permanent position apply.

Principals may consider options available to vary the mix of staff within school entitlement in line with the Determining the Mix of Staff in NSW Public Schools Procedure (DOCX 437 KB).

Principals can declare a SASS or government sector employment (GSE) vacancy to be delimited (deleted) due to the school having a sufficient workforce following permanent appointments under the temporary workforce transition initiative.

Support staff entitlement is reviewed and amended when anticipated and actual enrolments are submitted. If enrolment increases throughout the year, principals can request a review of their entitlement for the remainder of the year.

This document does not include the staffing entitlements specific to secondary colleges.

School administrative managers

A school administrative manager (SAM) level can fluctuate based on school enrolment. If the SAM position is permanently occupied, and there is a decrease in school enrolments, the level of the position will be preserved for as long as that occupant remains in the position. When the position is vacated, the level will be adjusted based on the school enrolments.

If the school has varied the mix of staff and created a business manager position using the SAM full-time equivalent (FTE), a decrease in SAM entitlement will have an impact on the funding that is being used to fund and maintain the business manager position.

If the business manager position continues, funding will need to be adjusted and provided from school funds.

1. Primary schools

1.1 School administrative and support staff entitlements

Table 1 School administrative and support staff entitlements in primary schools
Enrolment SAM FTE SAM Level SAO GA Total staffing entitlement

1–25

0.496

1

0

0

0.496

26–50

0.696

1

0

0

0.696

51–100

1.000

1

0.206

0

1.206

101–150

1.000

2

0.406

0

1.406

151–159

1.000

2

0.606

0

1.606

160–200

1.000

2

0.622

0

1.622

201–250

1.000

3

1.022

0

2.022

251–300

1.000

3

1.122

0

2.122

301–350

1.000

3

1.422

0

2.422

351–400

1.000

3

1.422

0

2.422

401–450

1.000

3

1.622

0

2.622

451–500

1.000

3

1.782

0

2.782

501–550

1.000

3

1.962

1

3.962

551–600

1.000

3

2.062

1

4.062

601–650

1.000

3

2.062

1

4.062

651–700

1.000

3

2.262

1

4.262

701–750

1.000

3

2.472

1

4.472

751–800

1.000

3

2.672

1

4.672

801–850

1.000

3

2.872

1

4.872

851–900

1.000

3

3.172

1

5.172

901–950

1.000

3

3.872

1

5.872

951–1000

1.000

3

3.872

1

5.872

1001–1050

1.000

3

4.072

1

6.072

1051–1100

1.000

3

4.272

1

6.272

1101–1150

1.000

3

4.472

1

6.472

1151–1200

1.000

3

4.672

1

6.672

1201–1250

1.000

3

4.872

1

6.872

1251–1300

1.000

3

5.072

1

7.072

1301–1350

1.000

3

5.272

1

7.272

1351–1400

1.000

3

5.472

1

7.472

1401–1450

1.000

3

5.672

1

7.672

1451–1500

1.000

3

5.872

1

7.872

1501–1550

1.000

3

6.072

1

8.072

1551–1600

1.000

3

6.272

1

8.272

1601–1650

1.000

3

6.472

1

8.472

1651–1700

1.000

3

6.672

1

8.672

1701–1750

1.000

3

6.872

1

8.872

1751–1800

1.000

3

7.072

1

9.072

1801–1850

1.000

3

7.272

1

9.272

1851–1900

1.000

3

7.472

1

9.472

1901–1950

1.000

3

7.672

1

9.672

1951–2000

1.000

3

7.872

1

9.872

2001–2050

1.000

3

8.072

1

10.072

2051–2100

1.000

3

8.272

1

10.272

2101–2150

1.000

3

8.472

1

10.472

2151–2200

1.000

3

8.672

1

10.672

2201–2251

1.000

3

8.872

1

10.872

1.2 Primary schools with preschool enrolments

The primary school is provided with SASS allocation using Kindergarten to Year 6 enrolments and applying the primary school formula.

The preschool is allocated a 0.2 FTE school administrative officer.

There is one school learning support officer preschool or an Aboriginal education officer preschool per class.

1.3 School administrative manager

The level of the SAM is determined by the number of permanent entitlement school administrative officers (SAO) the SAM supervises.

Table 2 School administrative manager formula – primary school
Level Formula

Level 1

SAM/SAO < 1.4 FTE

Level 2

SAM/SAO 1.4 to < 1.8 FTE

Level 3

SAM/SAO 1.8 to < 10 FTE

Level 4

SAM/SAO 10 + FTE

1.4 General assistant

General assistant entitlement is driven from student enrolments.

Primary schools with less than 500 students are reviewed when anticipated and actuals enrolments are submitted.

Table 3 General assistant formula – primary
Enrolments FTE

1–500

Reviewed when anticipated and actuals are submitted

501 or more

1.000 FTE

Secondary schools with less than 100 students are reviewed when anticipated and actuals enrolments are submitted.

General assistant formula – secondary
Enrolments FTE

1–100

Reviewed when anticipated and actuals are submitted

101–500

0.500 FTE

501 or more

1.000 FTE


1.5 Two adults in small schools supplementation

Primary schools with 25 students or less may receive additional SAS staff to ensure that 2 adults are onsite during school hours (excluding the general assistant).

A principal can request the supplementation at any time throughout the year. This supplementation can only be used to engage a temporary SASS position, such as the SAM and it cannot be used to engage teachers.

If additional support is required to provide a second adult on-site during school hours, the principal must submit a Two Adults Supplementation Request Form (staff only) to their director, educational leadership for approval. After the director’s approval, recruitment will allocate additional supplementation to the school.

Note: the maximum supplementation is 0.504 FTE as all schools would have a full-time teaching principal and a 0.496 FTE SAM allocation.

1.6 Special education entitlements

School learning support officer (SLSO)

A school is allocated a school learning support officer for each support class established. School recruitment will be notified by the specialist support services when a class is being established.

SLSO student health support

A reclassification to a school learning support officer student health support may be requested when undertaking catheterisation, tube feeds, suctioning or tracheostomy support. Director, educational leadership approval is required for a reclassification.

Refer to the QRG, Reclassify – How to request a reclassification of an SLSO position (staff only).

2. Secondary schools

2.1 School administrative and support staff entitlements

Table 4 School administrative and support staff entitlements in secondary schools
Enrolments SAM FTE SAM level SAO GA Total staffing entitlement

1–50

1

2

0.886

0

1.886

51–75

1

3

2.282

0

3.282

76–100

1

3

2.782

0

3.782

101–150

1

3

3.282

0.5

4.782

151–200

1

3

3.282

0.5

4.782

201–250

1

3

3.682

0.5

5.182

251–300

1

3

4.082

0.5

5.582

301–350

1

3

4.482

0.5

5.982

351–400

1

3

4.882

0.5

6.382

401–450

1

3

5.282

0.5

6.782

451–500

1

3

5.682

0.5

7.182

501–550

1

3

6.082

1

8.082

551–600

1

3

6.482

1

8.482

601–650

1

3

6.882

1

8.882

651–700

1

3

7.282

1

9.282

701–750

1

3

7.682

1

9.682

751–800

1

3

8.082

1

10.082

801–850

1

3

8.482

1

10.482

851–900

1

3

8.882

1

10.882

901–950

1

4

9.372

1

11.372

951–1000

1

4

9.772

1

11.772

1001–1050

1

4

10.172

1

12.172

1051–1100

1

4

10.572

1

12.572

1101–1150

1

4

10.972

1

12.972

1151–1200

1

4

11.372

1

13.372

1201–1250

1

4

11.772

1

13.772

1251–1300

1

4

12.172

1

14.172

1301–1350

1

4

12.572

1

14.572

1351–1400

1

4

12.972

1

14.972

1401–1450

1

4

13.372

1

15.372

1451–1500

1

4

13.772

1

15.772

1501–1550

1

4

14.172

1

16.172

1551–1600

1

4

14.572

1

16.572

1601–1650

1

4

14.972

1

16.972

1651–1700

1

4

15.372

1

17.372

1701–1750

1

4

15.772

1

17.772

1751–1800

1

4

16.172

1

18.172

1801–1850

1

4

16.572

1

18.572

1851–1900

1

4

16.972

1

18.972

1901–1950

1

4

17.372

1

19.372

1951–2000

1

4

17.772

1

19.772

2001–2050

1

4

18.172

1

20.172

2051–2100

1

4

18.572

1

20.572

2101–2150

1

4

18.972

1

20.972

2151–2200

1

4

19.372

1

21.372

2201–2250

1

4

19.772

1

21.772

2251–2300

1

4

20.172

1

22.172

2.2 School administrative manager

The level of the school administrative manager (SAM) is determined by the number of permanent entitlement school administrative officers (SAO) that the SAM supervises.

Table 5 School administrative manager formula – secondary school
Level Formula

Level 1

SAM/SAO < 1.4 FTE

Level 2

SAM/SAO 1.4 to < 1.8 FTE

Level 3

SAM/SAO 1.8 to < 10 FTE

Level 4

SAM/SAO 10 + FTE

2.3 General assistant

General assistant entitlement is driven from student enrolments. Secondary schools with less than 100 students are reviewed when anticipated and actuals enrolments are submitted.

Table 6 General assistant formula
Enrolments FTE

1–100

Reviewed when anticipated and actuals are submitted

101–500

0.500 FTE

501 or more

1.000 FTE

2.4 Farm assistant classification

To be eligible, schools must deliver agriculture as an academic subject and have animals and crops at the school. For further information, refer to SASS Staffing Entitlements.

Entitlement is provided on request to director, educational leadership, who is required to forward approval to sassrecruitment@det.nsw.edu.au.

Secondary schools receive 0.6 FTE and agricultural schools will receive 1.0 FTE.

2.5 Special education entitlements

School learning support officer (SLSO)

A school is allocated a school learning support officer for each support class established. Specialist support services will notify School Recruitment when a class is being established. For further information, refer to SASS Staffing Entitlements.

SLSO student health support

A reclassification to a school learning support officer student health support may be requested when undertaking catheterisation, tube feeds, suctioning or tracheostomy support. Director educational leadership approval is required for a reclassification.

Refer to the QRG, Reclassify – How to request a reclassification of an SLSO position (staff only).

3. Kindergarten to Year 12 central and community schools

3.1 School administrative officer

For Kindergarten to Year 6 enrolments – apply primary formula (refer to section 1. Primary schools).

For secondary enrolments – apply secondary formula (refer to section 2. Secondary schools).

As a school is only entitled to one school administrative manager (SAM), the primary SAM entitlement is converted to school administrative officer (SAO) entitlement.

Add primary and secondary SAO entitlement (including the converted SAM entitlement) together for total SAO entitlement.

Add 0.2 FTE SAO preschool entitlement for any preschool enrolments.

3.2 School administrative manager

A school is only entitled to one school administrative manager (SAM).

The SAM entitlement for primary school is converted to SAO entitlement.

A school can receive a maximum of 1.0 FTE SAM entitlement, which is attached to the secondary entitlement.

The level of the SAM is determined by the number of permanent entitlement SAOs that the SAM supervises.

Table 7 School administrative manager formula – central and community schools

Level Formula

Level 1

SAM/SAO < 1.4 FTE

Level 2

SAM/SAO 1.4 to < 1.8 FTE

Level 3

SAM/SAO 1.8 to < 10 FTE

Level 4

SAM/SAO 10 + FTE

3.3 School learning support officer

School learning support officer (SLSO) entitlement is determined by the relevant program area. One SLSO is allocated for each support class established at the school.

If there is a preschool attached, there is one school learning support officer preschool or an Aboriginal education officer preschool per class.

3.4 General assistant

For further information, refer to SASS Staffing Entitlements.

Central schools (preschool Year 10 enrolments)

Enrolment FTE

1–100

Reviewed when anticipated and actuals are submitted

101–500

0.500

501 or more

1.000

Community and Kindergarten to Year 12 schools

For primary enrolments apply primary formula (refer to section 1. Primary schools).

For secondary enrolments apply secondary formula (refer to section 2. Secondary schools).

3.5 Farm assistant classification

For further information, refer to SASS Staffing Entitlements.

Central schools

To be eligible, schools must deliver agriculture as an academic subject and have animals and crops at the school.

Entitlement is provided on request to director, educational leadership, who is required to forward the approval to school recruitment.

Central schools are allocated 0.4 FTE entitlement.

4. Schools for specific purposes

4.1 School administrative and support staff entitlements


Table 8 School administrative and support staff entitlements
Number of classes Notional enrolment SAM FTE SAM level SAO GA Total

1

30

1

1

0

0.2

1.2

2

60

1

1

0.206

0.2

1.406

3

90

1

1

0.206

0.2

1.406

4

120

1

2

0.406

0.2

1.606

5

150

1

2

0.406

0.2

1.606

6

180

1

2

0.622

0.4

2.022

7

210

1

3

1.022

0.4

2.422

8

240

1

3

1.022

0.4

2.422

9

270

1

3

1.122

0.4

2.522

10

300

1

3

1.122

0.4

2.522

11

330

1

3

1.422

0.4

2.822

12

360

1

3

1.422

0.4

2.822

13

390

1

3

1.422

0.4

2.822

14

420

1

3

1.622

0.4

3.022

15

450

1

3

1.622

0.4

3.022

16

480

1

3

1.782

1

3.782

17

510

1

3

1.962

1

3.962

18

540

1

3

1.962

1

3.962

19

570

1

3

2.062

1

4.062

20

600

1

3

2.062

1

4.062

21

630

1

3

2.062

1

4.062

22

660

1

3

2.262

1

4.262

23

690

1

3

2.262

1

4.262

24

720

1

3

2.472

1

4.472

25

750

1

3

2.472

1

4.472

26

780

1

3

2.672

1

4.672

27

810

1

3

2.872

1

4.872

28

840

1

3

2.872

1

4.872

29

870

1

3

3.172

1

5.172

30

900

1

3

3.172

1

5.172

31

930

1

3

3.872

1

5.872

32

960

1

3

3.872

1

5.872

33

990

1

3

3.872

1

5.872

34

1020

1

3

4.072

1

6.072

35

1050

1

3

4.072

1

6.072

36

1080

1

3

4.272

1

6.272

37

1110

1

3

4.472

1

6.472

4.2 School learning support officer

School learning support officer (SLSO) entitlement is determined by the relevant program area. One SLSO is allocated for each support class established at the school.

If there is a preschool attached, there is one school learning support officer preschool or an Aboriginal education officer preschool per class.

4.3 Juvenile justice centre

Additional SASS entitlements are provided to education and training units in juvenile justice centres, where that unit is conducting classes over an extended school year. The allocation is based on the number of additional school days required by the unit and the total SAS staff entitlement using the following formula.

SASS entitlement is determined by the schools for specific purposes (SSP) formula below:

Extended school year SASS FTE equals Additional school days as a percentage of total school days for the year times Total SASS staffing entitlement, including AEO, SAM, SA and TAS.

4.4 Hospital schools

School administrative manager (SAM) and school administrative officer (SAO)

SAM and SAO entitlement is determined by the schools for specific purposes (SSP) formula.

School learning support officer (SLSO)

SLSOs in hospital schools are determined by the number of ward teachers.

Up to 2 ward teachers = 1 x SLSO

3 or more ward teachers = 2 x SLSOs

Any additional classes may attract additional SLSOs.

Hospital with ED classes receive an additional SLSO per class.

5. Intensive English centres

For mainstream student enrolments use the secondary formula (refer to section 2. Secondary schools).

Intensive English centre (IEC) entitlement is determined by the formula below

Table 9 Intensive English centres formula
Enrolment SAM FTE SAM level SAO

1–100

1.000

1

101–150

1.000

2

0.5

151–200

1.000

3

1

201–250

1.000

3

1.5

251 or more

1.000

3

2

Entitlement for SLSO for Intensive English centres
Number of classes SLSO

1

0.5

2

1

3

1.5

4

2

5

2.5

6

3

7

3.5

8

4

9

4.5

10

5

Thereafter, 0.5 SLSO entitlement will be provided for each additional class


6. Environmental education centres

6.1 School administrative manager

Entitlement of School administrative manager for Environmental education centres

Number of teachers SAM FTE SAM level

1

0.832

1

2

0.992

1

6.2 General assistant

Environmental education centres are entitled to 0.200 FTE general assistant.

7. Distance education centres

Table 10 Distance education centre component formula
Component Description Primary integrated centres Primary autonomous centres Secondary integrated centres Secondary autonomous centres

A

Additional entitlement created by including DEC enrolment with regular student enrolment and applying standard primary or secondary formulas.

Applies

Applies

Applies

Applies


Note for autonomous: the total regular enrolment is the DEC enrolment.

N/A

Applies

N/A

Applies

B: School assistants

Established allocation of school assistants (not dependent on number of distance education students).

0.5 FTE

1.0 FTE

0.6 FTE

1.0 FTE

C: Supplementation

Supplementation based on the number of distance education students at the time of review.

Nil for first 20 students. 0.015 FTE per student thereafter

Nil for first 20 students. 0.015 FTE per student thereafter

Nil for first 20 students. 0.0173 FTE per student thereafter

Nil for first 60 students. 0.0173 FTE per student thereafter

7.1 Secondary distance education

Table 11 Autonomous formula – secondary
Component Formula SAM SAO

A

Secondary formula for distant education enrolments

Add components A, B and C to a maximum of 1.00 FTE

Entitlement created by adding components A, B and C and deducting the entitlement to a SAM (maximum of 1.00 FTE)

B

1.00 FTE

C

(DEC enrolments – 60) X 0.0173 FTE for each student thereafter

Table 12 Secondary integrated formula
Component SAO (main school) SAM SAM (DE)

A

the difference between the entitlement created by adding DE enrolments to regular and support enrolments and applying he standard secondary formula and, the entitlement created by applying the standard secondary formula to regular and support enrolments

B

0.6 FTE plus component C below

C

component B above plus (DEC enrolments - 20) X 0.0173 FTE for each student thereafter to a maximum of 0.4 FTE

Entitlement created by adding components B and C and deducting the school's entitlement to a DEC school administrative manager (maximum of 1.00 FTE)

7.2 Primary distance education

Table 13 Autonomous formula – primary
Component Formula SAM SAO

A

Apply the standard primary formula to DE enrolments

Add components A, B and C to a maximum of 1.00 FTE

Entitlement created by adding components A, B and C and deducting the entitlement to a school administrative manager (maximum 1.00 FTE)

B

1.00 FTE

C

(DEC enrolments - 20) X 0.015 FTE for each student thereafter

Table 14 Integrated centres formula
Component SAO (main school) SAM (DE) SAO (DE)

A

The different between the entitlement created by adding DEC enrolments to regular and support enrolments and applying the standard primary formula and, the entitlement created by applying the standard primary formula to regular and support enrolments

B

0.5 FTE plus component C below

C

Component B above plus (DEC enrolments – 20) X 0.015 FTE for each student thereafter to a maximum of 0.5 FTE

Entitlement created by adding components B and C and deducting the school's entitlement to a DEC school administrative manager (maximum of 1.00 FTE)

Mandatory tools and templates

Supporting tools, resources and related information

Policy contact

School Support Staff Recruitment, school workforce
1300 32 32 32 Options 3,2,2

The Executive Director, School Workforce monitors the implementation of this document, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.

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