Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) - REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 - CECV
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Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020
Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Contents
Contents .......................................................................................................................................................................................2
Foreword ......................................................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction..................................................................................................................................................................................4
Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................................6
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) ........................................................................................ 6
Working groups ............................................................................................................................................... 6
Program managers .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Recurrent funding ............................................................................................................................................ 7
Grants Allocation Committee (Primary) ........................................................................................................... 7
Grants Allocation Committee (Secondary) ...................................................................................................... 7
The Australian Government – recurrent funding .................................................................................................................8
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students .............................................................................................. 10
English as an Additional Language/New Arrivals (EAL/NA) ......................................................................... 12
Refugee strategy funding .............................................................................................................................. 14
Languages – Speak Up! ................................................................................................................................ 16
Literacy and numeracy .................................................................................................................................. 18
National School Chaplaincy Programme ...................................................................................................... 20
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability ................................................ 23
Pathways and Transition Funding ................................................................................................................. 29
State Government – targeted funding ..................................................................................................................................33
Support services ............................................................................................................................................ 34
Youth support services .................................................................................................................................. 36
Interest subsidy scheme................................................................................................................................ 38
State facilitation program for school improvement ........................................................................................ 40
Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................................42
Appendix A: Acronyms .................................................................................................................................. 42
Appendix B: GAC(TP) – terms of reference .................................................................................................. 44
Appendix C: GAC(TP) working parties – terms of reference ........................................................................ 47
Appendix D: Summary of federal and state funding targeted programs ....................................................... 49
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 2Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Foreword
Building a culture of learning together
We cannot live without hope and education generates hope. In fact, education gives birth,
it helps grow, it’s part of the dynamics of giving life.
(Pope Francis, Vatican Radio, 9 February 2017)
Diversity in Catholic schools is enacted through a pedagogy of inclusion and a commitment to uphold the
rights of all to be welcomed, valued, acknowledged and actively engaged in education. Provision for the
diversity of all learners is grounded in the Catholic faith and reflects an inclusive approach that aims to
empower learners, celebrate difference and eliminate discrimination.
The Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd (CECV) echoes the Catholic ethos and considers each
child as central to decision-making processes by recognising that the child is placed within a family, a school
and a broader community.
The CECV has responsibility for the ethical administration of funds, the associated accountability, and audit
and compliance requirements. A series of committees support the work of the CECV to understand the needs
of schools, and to design responsive policies and processes. Three committees work effectively together to
design and enact the funding processes:
Grants Allocation Committee (Primary)
Grants Allocation Committee (Secondary)
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs).
The role of the Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) is to implement funding structures for
targeted programs that specifically support the work of schools to meet the needs of all students, especially
those impacted by disadvantage. The Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) establishes working
parties to design and develop policy advice and guidance materials that:
respond to specific government funding initiatives in targeted areas
ensure adherence to funding requirements, including advice regarding the use of funds, accountability
measures and reporting requirements
assist Catholic schools in meeting legislative requirements, specifically those designed to maximise
access and participation in education
support the work of Catholic schools to design and implement inclusive strategies to identify learning
strengths and challenges accurately, and to consider effective approaches and adjustments that cater
for the ongoing and active engagement of every student.
This reference guide documents the parameters within which the Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted
Programs) works to support the needs of designated student cohorts and specific program initiatives.
Jim Miles
Executive Director
Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Ltd
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 3Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Introduction
The Australian federal and state governments provide funding to Victorian Catholic schools to assist with
the ongoing costs of school education. The main source of funding for Catholic schools in Victoria comprises
recurrent funding from the Australian and Victorian governments. The Catholic Education Commission of
Victoria Ltd (CECV) is the approved system authority responsible for establishing procedures for the
distribution of government funding to Catholic schools and diocesan education offices in Victoria.
In addition to the general recurrent grants (GRGs) determined by the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth),
the CECV receives funding from the federal government’s Non-Government Reform Support Fund (NGRSF)
(which supports the implementation of national reforms in schools to improve educational outcomes) and the
National School Chaplaincy Programme (NSCP).
The Victorian Government provides funding to Victorian Catholic schools as state recurrent grants (SRGs) in
accordance with the funding and services agreements (FSAs) signed between the CECV and the Department
of Education and Training (DET) Victoria. The FSAs record the funding amount to be provided by DET
Victoria to the CECV for teaching, learning and improving the welfare of students attending non-government
schools. This funding supports the implementation of primary prevention and early intervention programs to
improve:
student wellbeing
visiting teacher, speech pathology and psychology services in schools
the provision of interest subsidy grants to repay borrowings undertaken by schools to finance capital
expenditure.
With the introduction of the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth), significant changes were made to funding
from the Australian and Victorian governments, and most of the targeted programs were discontinued. From
2014, the CECV Board, through its Grants Allocation Committee (Primary) (GAC(P)) and Grants Allocation
Committee (Secondary) (GAC(S)), approved the following funding splits to be provided to schools:
all recurrent funding determined by the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth) (including amendments
up to the Australian Education Amendment Act 2014 (Cth)) involving the CECV as the approved system
authority
all funding determined by the Victorian non-government school funding agreement from 2017
all funding determined by the Student First Support Fund (SFSF) between the Australian Government
and the CECV.
In 2020, the GAC(P) and GAC(S) will administer the funds outlined above. However, there are four programs
that are deemed to be separate targeted areas and will be directly administered by the Grants Allocation
Committee (Targeted Programs) (GAC(TP)):
the National School Chaplaincy Programme (NSCP)
the 2014 FSAs between the CECV and the then Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development (Victoria), which includes school support services, suicide prevention (otherwise known
as youth support) and the interest subsidy scheme
the state’s facilitation program for school improvement
the Australian Government’s 2019 funding for vocational education and training (VET) in Victorian
Catholic schools (the Victorian Common Funding Agreement).
This administration by GAC(TP) ensures that GAC(P) and GAC(S) are aware of the total recurrent funding
attracted to the CECV as the approved system authority receiving funds related to their member schools.
The GAC(TP) will be advised of the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth) loadings attracted to the system
each year; all grant acquittals from last year have been reconciled.
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 4Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Both the GAC(P) and GAC(S) have agreed for 2020 that they will honour the existing allocations based on the
new arrangements for FSAs, which were implemented as of 2015, and resulted in reducing and streamlining
the number of acquittals from three to one.
The CECV’s GAC(TP) advises on the management and distribution of the four programs’ targeted areas,
while the assigned program manager is responsible for the administration of the funding.
This document is a reference guide for the current funding for targeted expenditure in Victorian Catholic
schools and provides:
a detailed explanation of each CECV targeted area or program administered by GAC(TP)
an outline of the key information relevant to the calculation of each targeted area or program funding
an explanation of the methods of distribution for each targeted area or program for schools and diocesan
Catholic education offices (if applicable).
The Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs): Reference Guide 2020 draws from a number of
current documents and relevant legislation, including:
the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth) (together with amendments up to the Australian Education
Amendment Act 2017 (Cth) – all available on the Commonwealth of Australia’s legislation website).
This Act provides a needs-based Australian Government funding model for schools, whereby the
approved system authority, committed through a memorandum of understanding (MoU), sets out the
implementation plan that is applied consistently across all schools
the Australian Education Regulation 2013 (Cth). This Regulation outlines the financial accountability
and other funding matters that are required of approved system authorities
the Australian Education Amendment Act 2017 (Cth). This Act amends the Australian Education Act
2013 (Cth)
the Australian Education Amendment Regulation 2017 (Cth). This Regulation amends the Australian
Education Regulation 2013 (Cth) to reflect amendments made to the Australian Education Act 2013
(Cth) by the Australian Education Amendment Act 2014 (Cth)
the Education and Training Reform Amendment (Funding of Non-Government Schools) Act 2015 (Vic.)
the Victorian Non-Government Schools Funding Agreement 2018–2021
the 2019 FSAs between the Victorian Government and the CECV, which include school support services,
youth support services and the interest subsidy scheme
the Victorian Facilitation and Reward Program for School Improvement (its conditions and implementation
arrangements for 2017)
the annual service level agreement (SLA) between Catholic Education Melbourne and the CECV
the MoU between DET Victoria and the CECV, including the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data
(NCCD) on School Students with Disability.
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Overview
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs)
The Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) (GAC(TP)) was established by the CECV in 2008,
and is the approved system authority for the receipt and distribution of targeted-area funding from the
Australian and Victorian governments to Victorian Catholic primary and secondary schools. The GAC(TP) is
responsible for determining the distribution model for each targeted program (including central costs) and
whether the program is statewide or diocesan-based.
The GAC(TP) provides advice on the administration of targeted program grants in accordance with state and
federal legislation (in particular, the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth)), the Victorian Non-Government
Schools Funding Agreement 2018–2021, and funding and services agreements (FSAs) entered into by the
CECV and DET Victoria. The GAC(TP) meets at least four times per year, including a designated meeting to
discuss the budgets for the following year, and reports to the CECV Board.
Responsibilities
The GAC(TP) is responsible for:
determining the distribution model for targeted programs and whether the program is statewide or based
on a diocesan-share calculation
ensuring, with GAC(P) and GAC(S), that the CECV meets its financial and educational accountability for
each targeted program to the Australian and Victorian governments, as well as for allocations approved
by GAC(P) and GAC(S) and to be administered by GAC(TP)
ensuring the equitable distribution of targeted recurrent funding to Catholic schools in Victoria
assigning a program manager to each of the CECV targeted programs to manage the operations of the
specific targeted area
reviewing recommendations and submissions by the relevant program managers or working groups of a
targeted area that request additional funding from GAC(P) or GAC(S) for GAC(TP)’s approval
reviewing on a quarterly basis the actual financial results for the targeted programs administered by
GAC(TP) against the budgeted figures
ensuring that Catholic schools in Victoria are adequately resourced to meet the educational objectives of
the Australian and Victorian governments
conducting an annual risk assessment of the GAC(TP)’s processes and objectives, and reporting the
outcomes to the CECV Board.
Please refer to Appendix B: GAC(TP) – terms of reference for more detailed information.
Membership of GAC(TP)
The GAC(TP) comprises the following members:
a chairperson
voting members
non-voting members.
Please refer to Appendix B: GAC(TP) – terms of reference for specific information about membership.
Working groups
There are nine working groups which meet to discuss specific targeted programs and report to the GAC(TP).
These working groups provide advice on professional learning, research training, policy initiatives and
operational matters.
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 6Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
The target programs for the working groups are listed below.
1. NCCD and student support services
2. Student wellbeing
3. Languages
4. EAL students and new arrivals, and refugees
5. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) students
6. Literacy and numeracy
7. National School Chaplaincy Programme (NSCP)
8. Out-of-home care
9. Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL)
Please refer to Appendix C, GAC(TP) working parties – terms of reference, for more information.
Program managers
Each target area is assigned a program manager, who is at a senior management level and responsible
for the equitable distribution of the targeted program funds to Victorian Catholic schools on a diocesan or
statewide basis. The program manager reports to the chair of the GAC(TP) and makes recommendations
to the GAC(TP) for the committee’s consideration and approval.
Recurrent funding
The Australian and Victorian governments provide recurrent funding to the CECV as the approved system
authority for Victorian Catholic systemic schools. If applicable, a funding request is devised by a specific
GAC(TP) working group and presented to GAC(TP) for consideration; it is subsequently presented to GAC(P)
and GAC(S) as required. A formal written endorsement, by way of a minutes extract from GAC(TP) – together
with the CECV briefing paper and supporting documentation reviewed by GAC(TP) – is necessary for the
funding request to be presented at GAC(P) and GAC(S) meetings. The GAC(P) and GAC(S) must formally
approve, endorse or decline the request for funding, and provide the same information to the CECV Board for
review.
Cost centre Additional funding from recurrent funding (transfers from)
207 Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander – GAC(P) – transfer from GAC(P) to 063
280 Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander – GAC(S) – transfer from GAC(S) to 063
280 Pathways and Transition distribution to schools and VET expenses – GAC(S) –
transfer to 040 VET
Grants Allocation Committee (Primary)
The GAC(P) is the approved CECV authority for the distribution of recurrent funding to Catholic primary
schools in Victoria. The GAC(P) recommends an allocation mechanism to the diocesan offices for distribution
to primary schools based on need. The committee meets at least four times per year and manages the budget
for the Victorian Catholic primary schools.
Grants Allocation Committee (Secondary)
The GAC(S) is the approved CECV authority for the distribution of recurrent funding to Victorian Catholic
secondary schools. The GAC(S) distributes to member schools on the basis of an agreed needs-based
formula. The committee meets at least four times per year, and manages the budget for the Victorian
Catholic secondary and combined schools.
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 7Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
The Australian Government – recurrent funding
The Australian Government is the main source of funding for Victorian Catholic schools to assist with
the recurrent costs of school education. The Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth), and its subsequent
amendments, and the Australian Education Regulation 2013 (Cth) provide the framework for funding
from the Australian Government for Catholic schools.
As outlined by the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment website:
The Act sets out the funding arrangements, including recurrent funding for non-government schools,
capital funding for non-government schools, and special circumstances funding. The Act also sets out
the expectations for approved authorities to ensure funding accountability to the Commonwealth and to
school communities. The Act provides the Minister with authority to provide funding to non-government
school representative bodies. These bodies may include associations of independent schools and
Catholic Education Commissions.
The Australian Education Regulation 2013 (Cth) provides more detail to support the operation of the Act:
it outlines the financial accountability and other conditions that are necessary to receive funding.
The CECV, as the approved system authority, is required to distribute Australian Government funds to
Victorian Catholic schools by using a needs-based loading arrangement that complies with the principles
set out in Regulation 61 of the Australian Education Regulation 2013 (Cth). The CECV, in its ability to have
system autonomy in regards to the allocation of financial resources, is required to report to the Secretary
of Education each year with details of the total amount of financial assistance to Victorian Catholic schools,
including each school’s base amount and the loadings included in the approved system authority’s needs-
based funding arrangements (please refer to Regulation 36(1) (b) (ii) of the Australian Education Regulation
2013 (Cth)).
From 2014, recurrent funding from the Australian Government includes a base amount for every student,
which encompasses an amount known as the schooling resource standard (SRS).
2020 Schooling Resource Standard (SRS)
Primary $ 11,747
Secondary $ 14,761
The SRS amount is used to calculate the base amount for each school; other considerations are the number
of students at the school for the year and the capacity of the school’s community to contribute financially to
the school. In addition to the SRS funding amount, there is funding available for students who need more
support, in the form of loadings. These loadings are calculated as a percentage of the SRS funding amount
for either the primary or secondary sectors, and the number of students at a particular school that qualify for
that loading.
The six loadings provided for in the Act include:
1. Students with a disability (SwD)
2. A&TSI students
3. Students with a low socioeconomic status (SES)
4. Students who have a low English language proficiency (ELP)
5. Schools that are not in major cities (i.e. location)
6. Schools that are not large (i.e. size).
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 8Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd) The model is complex because of its transition arrangements since 2014 under the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth); subsequent amendments to the Act have also had a significant impact. The general recurrent grants (GRGs), together with the loadings, form the total pool of funds made available to the Catholic system in Victoria. The CECV is authorised to distribute this funding to primary and secondary Catholic schools in Victoria. The targeted programs supported by GAC(P) and GAC(S) from the recurrent funding pool in 2020 are outlined in the next table. Cost centre Australian Government – recurrent funding 063 A&TSI students 024 EAL students and new arrivals 044 Refugee strategy 032 Languages – Speak Up! 023 Literacy and numeracy 022 NCCD SwD 040 Pathways and Transition delivered to secondary school students Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 9
Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
Cost centre 063 (including Indigenous education: Primary 207; and Secondary 280)
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (A&TSI) students in Victorian Catholic schools are funded by
recurrent funding under the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth) in the form of a loading for each A&TSI
student. The A&TSI loading is supplementary funding allocated by the federal government to increase
schools’ capacity to improve the educational outcomes for A&TSI students. Three ‘working criteria’ are
accepted as confirmation of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage:
being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island descent
identifying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person
being accepted as such by the community in which you live, or formerly lived.
The A&TSI loading is one fifth (20%) of the relevant SRS funding amount multiplied by the number of A&TSI
students at the school for the current year. In 2020, the total funding approved by GAC(P) and GAC(S), via a
request by GAC(TP) to support primary and secondary A&TSI students, is $5,703,174; the amount to be
distributed to Victorian Catholic schools is $4,145,011; distributions to diocesan Catholic education offices
amount to $1,400,827 and the amount for the CECV’s central costs is $157,336.
Funding period
The funding period is from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.
Use of funding
The funding for A&TSI students is used to assist schools in improving student learning outcomes for A&TSI
students, as well as to increase school retention and attendance rates, participation in Koorie education
initiatives, and to develop teaching and learning strategies for A&TSI students. This assistance includes:
the salaries of education officers, Koorie education workers and ancillary staff to support A&TSI students
professional development opportunities in cultural awareness for staff
curriculum development which incorporates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ perspectives
participation of A&TSI students in the Deadly Pathways program.
Explanation of funding
The funding for A&TSI students is allocated by the CECV’s GAC(P) and GAC(S), via the request from
GAC(TP). A request for the continuation of the primary and secondary A&TSI student funding is made by the
A&TSI students working group to the GAC(TP) for endorsement. Once support for the funding request is
given by GAC(TP), then the same information is presented to the GAC(P) and GAC(S). Both committees then
formally approve the A&TSI student funding decision and provide all information to the CECV Board to finalise
the budget process. In 2020, the GAC(P) approved $3,086,753 for the A&TSI program, while the GAC(S)
approved $2,616,421, which totals $5,703,174. Please refer to the table below for more information.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander funding
YEAR GAC(P) GAC(S) TOTAL
2017 $2,645,818 $2,300,561 $4,946,379
2018 $2,703,232 $2,350,483 $5,053,715
2019 $2,838,393 $2,401,488 $5,239,881
2020 $3,086,753 $2,616,421 $5,703,174
% share 54.12% 45.88% 100%
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 10Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Implementation of funding
The funding amount for distribution to schools in 2020 is $4,310,066. Funding is allocated to each diocese
based on the number of A&TSI students enrolled in Victorian Catholic schools and confirmed through the
2019 August census. Based on these student numbers and the advice provided by each diocese, the CECV
submits the proposed loading allocations to the GAC(TP) for approval by 1 March 2020. The CECV processes
the distribution of A&TSI funding to the Archdiocese of Melbourne, and the dioceses of Ballarat, Sandhurst
and Sale, on a percentage-share basis of A&TSI student enrolments, diocesan office allocations and central
costs. The funding allocated for A&TSI education in 2020 is detailed in the next table.
Primary
A&TSI Office Primary distribution
2020 % enrolment Central cost
enrolment allocation to schools
Melbourne 413 37.8% $218,814 $15,399 $870,153
Ballarat 192 17.6% $118,649 $7,159 $390,313
Sandhurst 328.8 30.1% $287,931 $12,259 $742,604
Sale 158 14.5% $102,597 $5,891 $314,984
1091.8 100% $727,991 $40,708 $2,318,054
Secondary
Secondary
A&TSI Office
2020 % enrolment Central cost distribution to
enrolment allocation
schools
Melbourne 320 41.1% $169,541 $47,964 $815,573
Ballarat 172.1 22.1% $106,351 $25,796 $425,885
Sandhurst 204 26.2% $178,644 $30,577 $550,857
Sale 82 10.5% $53,246 $12,291 $199,697
778.1 100% $507,782 $116,628 $1,992,012
Total
A&TSI Office Distribution to
2020 % enrolment *Central cost
enrolment allocation schools
Melbourne 733 38.33% $442,618 $63,363 $1,685,726
Ballarat 364.1 21.02% $225,000 $32,955 $816,198
Sandhurst 532.80 29.15% $586,800 $42,836 $1,293,461
Sale 240 11.50% $146,409 $18,182 $514,681
1869.9 100% $1,400,827 $157,336 $4,310,066
* Central costs include: Koorie education workers PL ($16,000), Year 12 Dinner ($36,000), Deadly Pathways (formerly WOW) ($35,000),
and office allocations apportioned for primary (54.12%) and secondary (45.88%); the SLA allocation to Catholic Education Melbourne is
for 1.00 full-time equivalent of a Catholic Education Melbourne staff member ($70,336).
A letter is sent to each diocesan director confirming the total allocation for their diocese and reflecting the
breakdown (for 2020, these are shown in the table above). The funds are used by the diocesan office to meet
administrative costs and salaries, with the residual funds being distributed to schools as determined by each
diocese. The first payment is 50 percent of the total entitlement and is made in March, with the balance of the
entitlement made in July.
The CECV program manager for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students is Judy Connell,
Manager, Learning Diversity.
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English as an Additional Language/New Arrivals (EAL/NA)
Cost centre 024
The targeted area of English as an additional language (EAL) and new arrivals is funded by the CECV’s
GAC(P) and GAC(S) via a request from GAC(TP). The CECV provides support for newly arrived students
from non-English speaking backgrounds as an additional allocation. The funding for EAL and newly arrived
students is administered by GAC(TP), and assists Victorian Catholic schools in meeting the educational
needs of EAL students enrolled for the first time and newly arrived students. The total amount approved by
GAC(P) and GAC(S) in 2020 for EAL and newly arrived students is $4,022,810. Please refer to the table
below for more information.
EAL and new arrivals
YEAR GAC(P) GAC(S) TOTAL
2018 $5,169,240 $1,136,055 $6,305,295
2019 $5,714,307 $1,125,264 $6,839,971
2020 $3,550,358 $472,452 $4,022,810
Funding period
The funding period is from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.
Eligibility for funding
To be eligible for the EAL and new arrivals funding, students must be on an eligible visa subclass category
and have a first language that is not English. The schedule of visa subclasses is regularly updated by the
Australian Government.
Eligible primary students are those who are:
enrolling in Foundation and commencing school within 18 months of arrival in Australia
enrolling in Years 1 to 6 and commencing school within the first six months of their date of arrival in
Australia, or within nine months of their visa grant notice date, and have not previously attended a
language centre or school in Australia.
Eligible secondary students are those who are:
enrolling in a secondary school within the first six months of their date of arrival in Australia, or within
nine months of their visa grant notice date, and have not previously attended a language centre or school
in Australia.
Use of funding
The EAL and new arrivals funding is provided for an initial period of intensive English-language instruction
for newly arrived students. This support is given to enable schools to assist these students with their
educational and social adjustment to schooling in Australia, and to settle them as quickly as possible into
their new learning environment and school.
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Funding can be used to:
support students through the settlement phase, particularly where students have experienced trauma
employ specialist teachers to assess the student’s English language proficiency (ELP) by placing them
on the EAL Developmental Continuum P–10 or the draft F–10 EAL Curriculum
employ specialist teachers to teach EAL in a variety of situations, including intensive and part-time
withdrawal instruction, parallel and team teaching, and regular teacher assistance (enabling teachers
to more effectively attend to English language development across the curriculum for EAL learners)
employ advisory staff, such as interpreters, translators, bilingual welfare officers, teacher aides and
school–community liaison workers
develop curriculum, and EAL teaching and learning materials.
Accountability
As part of the accountability for the funding, schools must complete the CECV’s New Arrival English
Language Proficiency Record for eligible students. By signing this, principals corroborate the evidence at
their schools, which verifies that allocated funding has been used to support the English language learning
needs of the eligible EAL and newly arrived students.
Students attracting ELP loading
From 2014, funding is provided by recurrent funding under the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth). This
takes the form of a loading for students who have a low proficiency in English, which is currently defined as
students with a disadvantaged language background other than English (DLBOTE); that is, the student’s
parent or guardian speaks a language other than English and has attained Year 9 or lower in education.
The ELP loading from the Australian Government is provided to the system and included for eligible schools
through needs-based funding in the government’s 2020 recurrent grants.
Students attracting the ELP loading are students enrolled at Victorian Catholic schools and identified by the
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as students with DLBOTE; refer to
Regulation 19) of the Australian Education Regulation 2013 (Cth).
The CECV program manager for EAL and new arrivals is Judy Connell, Manager, Learning Diversity.
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 13Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Refugee strategy funding
Cost centre 044
Refugee strategy funding is provided for eligible students that entered Australia on a humanitarian visa and
are newly enrolled in a Victorian Catholic school. Funding is provided to the school for a maximum of three
years following the enrolment. Schools are required to confirm their eligible students, via the CEVN portal, in
September (after the August census) to enable the calculation of indicative funding. Schools are also required
to validate their final list of eligible students in February each year, which is confirmed via the February census
process; funding allocations are confirmed annually following the February census.
Eligible students are those who have:
enrolled in a Catholic primary or secondary school in the previous three years (for example, in 2020,
eligible students were newly enrolled and commencing at the school in 2018, 2019 or 2020)
entered Australia on an eligible visa, using visa subclass 200, 201, 202, 203, 204, 447, 448, 449, 451,
785, 786 or 866; or have entered Australia on an eligible visa as an asylum seeker, using visa subclass
050; or have entered Australia as an asylum seeker without a visa after living in community detention
entered Australia on an eligible visa subclass (refer to the point above) and have subsequently been
granted Australian citizenship.
Use of funding
Funding is provided to enable schools to:
support students through the settlement phase, particularly where students have experienced trauma
employ specialist teachers to assess the student’s ELP to inform assessment and reporting
employ specialist teachers to teach EAL in a variety of situations, including intensive and part-time
withdrawal instruction, parallel and team teaching, and mainstream teacher assistance (enabling them to
more effectively attend to English language development across the curriculum for EAL and refugee
learners)
employ advisory staff, such as interpreters, translators, bilingual welfare officers, multicultural education
aides, teacher aides and school–community liaison workers.
Restrictions on funding
Funding must not be used for:
the cost of capital items, including digital devices
generalist curriculum programs.
Refugee strategy accountability
As part of the accountability for funding, schools must complete an accountability statement to record
the goals and outcomes for eligible students or student cohorts. The CECV’s Refugee Support Strategy
Accountability Statement provides a database for evaluation purposes, as well as informing school-
improvement planning. Principals sign this statement to corroborate the evidence at their school, which
verifies that the allocated funding has been used to support the English language learning needs of eligible
students who are refugees.
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Explanation of funding
The CECV allocates funding from the Australian Government recurrent funding to support the refugee
strategy area. A request for the continuation of funding for the refugee support strategy is made by the New
Arrivals/EAL-Refugee working group to the GAC(TP). This request, which aims to assist schools in meeting
the educational needs of newly arrived students on a humanitarian visa, is then presented to the GAC(TP) for
approval. Once support for the funding request is given by GAC(TP), the same information is presented to the
GAC(P) and GAC(S). Next, both committees formally endorse the funding request and provide all the
information to the CECV Board for its final budget approval.
Funding continues to be provided on a per capita basis for eligible new arrivals. In 2020, the total recurrent
funding contribution to the refugee support strategy is $5,441,010. Please refer to the table below for more
information.
Refugee support strategy
YEAR GAC(P) GAC(S) TOTAL
2017 $2,201,086 $2,183,888 $4,384,974
2018 $2,248,850 $2,231,278 $4,480,128
2019 $3,060,000 $2,430,675 $5,490,675
2020 $3,011,435 $2,429,575 $5,441,010
Implementation of funding
Principals are notified in writing of the funding amount available to their school to assist refugee students. In
2020, the allocated funding amount per refugee student is $3,398.91 for primary and $3,521.12 for secondary.
Please see the table below for more detail on the funding for refugee strategy in 2020.
Refugee funding and number of students in 2020
Number Total
Number of $
of number Total refugee
2020 $per student secondary per
primary of allocation
students student
students students
Melbourne 843 $2,865,281.13 596 $2,098,587.52 1,439 $4,963,868.65
Ballarat 9 $30,590.19 4 $14,084.48 13 $44,674.67
Sandhurst 10 $33,989.10 63 $221,830.56 73 $255,819.66
Sale 24 $81,573.84 27 $95,070.24 51 $176,644.08
Total 886 $3,011,434.26 690 $2,429,572.80 1,576 $5,441,007.06
The CECV program manager for refugee strategy funding is Judy Connell, Manager, Learning Diversity.
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 15Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Languages – Speak Up!
Cost centre 032
Languages education in Victorian Catholic schools is shaped by the CECV’s Languages – Speak Up! F–12
Strategy for Victorian Catholic Schools, which supports school communities in improving the quality of their
Languages education. The funding is provided to schools to support Languages education programs for all
students, provide professional learning opportunities in Languages education, and establish Languages
networks and partnerships within school communities as well as with other schools.
Use of funding
‘Tied’ funding is allocated to Catholic primary and secondary schools as a result of a selection process
managed by the Languages working group, whereby applications for grants are sought, selected via criteria
and approved by the working group. These funds are distributed to schools throughout the year.
In accordance with the CECV’s strategy for Languages education, funding will be made available for the
following uses:
to support the establishment or renewal of Languages education programs, at any level from Foundation
to Year 12, in any language for which language-specific curriculum has been released within the Victorian
curriculum
to engage school communities in their Languages education program and establish partnerships within
their own school community or with other schools
to provide professional learning opportunities in Languages education
to create and support Languages education communities
to purchase minor capital items for explicit use in the delivery of Languages education programs, as set
out in the CECV’s Languages – Speak Up! F–12 Strategy for Victorian Catholic Schools.
Restrictions on funding
Languages education funding must not be used:
to purchase major capital expenditure, including digital devices
to fund overseas experiences
exclusively to support cultural programs where language-learning is not the focus.
Explanation of funding
Languages education is funded by the CECV’s GAC(P) and GAC(S) via a request from GAC(TP). The total
amount approved by GAC(P) and GAC(S) for Languages education in 2020 is $2,400,000. Refer to the table
below for more detail.
Languages – Speak Up! funding
YEAR GAC(P) GAC(S) TOTAL
2017 $2,553,313 $471,204 $3,024,517
2018 $2,473,826 $471,204 $2,945,030
2019 $2,528,636 $471,645 $3,000,281
2020 *$2,016,000 $384,000 $2,400,000
* dfsfsf
The Languages education funding amount approved by GAC(P) is $2,016,000 (including state-facilitation funding of primary allocation
of $ 1,471,322).
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Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 16Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Requirements
The principles underpinning the Languages strategy for Victorian Catholic schools is to provide the
opportunity for all students to learn an additional language and to ensure that every student enjoys a high-
quality Languages program.
The requirement for Victorian Catholic schools is that Languages education funding can be provided under
the following conditions:
a clear guarantee that a Languages program will be provided in the school in the year of funding (only
schools offering a Languages-focused learning program – i.e. not a cultural program – are eligible for
funding)
the completion of the online CECV Languages survey in April to May of the year of funding
an undertaking that any changes to the details provided in the survey, including the teacher or language
details, will be communicated in writing to the CECV
only Languages staff members are assigned to the Languages code when staff members are entered into
the online staffing records.
The SLA allocation to Catholic Education Melbourne is for one full-time staff member that amounts to
$165,000.
The distributions for this targeted area to diocesan Catholic education offices for 2020 is outlined in the table
below.
Melbourne $1,751,760
Ballarat $210,000
Sandhurst $221,280
Sale $216,960
Total $2,400,000
The CECV program manager for Languages – Speak Up! is Simon Lindsay, Manager, Improved
Learning Outcomes.
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 17Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Literacy and numeracy
Cost centre 023
Literacy is a targeted area in Victorian Catholic schools and is supported by recurrent funding from the federal
government, which is allocated to the CECV under the Australian Education Act 2013 (Cth). The Catholic
system uses the grants allocation committee process to request an amount of funding to redistribute in order
to support school improvement in literacy outcomes. The total amount approved by GAC(P) for literacy in
Victorian Catholic schools in 2020 is $22,805,721. Refer to the table below for more detail.
Literacy funding
Year GAC(P) GAC(S) TOTAL
2017 $21,233,076 $4,077,548 $25,310,624
2018 $21,863,832 $4,198,031 $26,061,863
2019 $22,162,995 $0 $22,162,995
2020 $22,805,721 $0 $22,805,721
% share 100% 0% 100%
The literacy program assists Victorian Catholic schools to improve the literacy and numeracy learning
outcomes of educationally disadvantaged students. Each diocese allocates a proportion of the literacy
funding to numeracy according to the local need.
Funding period
The funding period is from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.
Eligibility for funding
School literacy funding is not based on the needs of a specific cohort, so eligibility is not applicable. However,
for literacy provision, each diocese designs distribution criteria to reflect principles of equity, efficiency and
effectiveness. Some examples include a per capita basis, a flat rate per school, or a formula using factors
of disadvantage such as low SES and language background other than English (LBOTE).
Use of funding
The funding may be used for system, diocesan or school strategies that directly contribute to improving
the literacy and numeracy learning outcomes for students. It is expected that, in administering this funding,
the CECV and schools will take account of relevant national initiatives and agreements, and areas of
importance to the Australian Government.
Restriction on funding
The funding may not be used for the cost of major capital works.
Explanation of funding
The CECV allocates funding from the Australian Government’s recurrent funding to support school
improvement in literacy and numeracy outcomes. The total amount of funding for literacy is established
by the GAC(TP) working group for literacy and numeracy.
The funding for literacy to each diocese is determined as a percentage share of the enrolled student
population, based on the prior year’s August census (please refer to the next table).
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 18Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd) 2020 Percentage share Literacy allocation Melbourne 72.36% $16,501,879.98 Ballarat 9.60% $2,190,886.57 Sandhurst 8.50% $1,938,235.85 Sale 9.54% $2,174,718.61 Implementation of funding Two payments will be made to Victorian Catholic schools in 2020 for literacy. Payments will be made in April and September. Each payment will be one half of the entitlement for the recurrent funding amount. Dioceses will be informed of their total literacy funding amount before its distribution. Each diocese determines how the literacy funding will be expended, according to local need, and informs the CECV of the decision so that the correct payments can be made. There is no SLA for literacy. The distributions to diocesan Catholic education offices in 2020 for this targeted area are shown in the table below. Melbourne $2,468,750 Ballarat $617,506 Sandhurst $210,000 Sale $467,322 Total $3,763,578 The CECV program manager for literacy and numeracy is Simon Lindsay, Manager, Improved Learning Outcomes. Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 19
Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
National School Chaplaincy Programme
Cost centre 060
The National School Chaplaincy Programme (NSCP) is an Australian Government-funded program that
aims to support the emotional wellbeing of students through the provision of chaplains in Victorian schools.
The states and territories are responsible for the administration of this funding from the federal government.
The federal funding provided for NSCP from 2015 to 2018 was extended to 31 December 2019. The
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) enacted a further one-year extension of funding
to existing NSCP schools for 2020. Therefore, the CECV has entered into a one-year extension of their
agreement with DESE on behalf of the Catholic schools participating in the NSCP.
The 2018 National School Reform Agreement – Victorian Bilateral Agreement (which has been updated to
cover the remaining funding period to 31 December 2020) established that the Victorian Government will
provide funding to the CECV for the NSCP, under the terms of the NSCP project agreement between the
Australian Government and the Victorian Government.
In 2020, under the NSCP, schools engaged in this initiative will receive an annual grant of $20,280 per
campus, to appoint chaplains or procure chaplaincy services.
A new NSCP funding round, between 2021 and 2022, is scheduled to be advertised in Term 2, 2020 following
Ministerial approval.
Background
All schools were eligible to apply for NSCP funding in 2014. Section 9 of the 2018 National School Reform
Agreement – Victorian Bilateral Agreement indicates that states and territories needed to form a cross-
sectorial panel to select and prioritise schools for funding in their jurisdiction. The cross-sectoral panel agreed
on the following funding allocation shown in the table below to the 607 Victorian schools.
Sector Campuses % NSCP allocation
(campuses)
Government 1,759 67.92% 412
Catholic 524 20.23% 123
Independent 307 11.85% 72
Total 2,590 100.00% 607
Diocese NSCP Schools Funded
Melbourne 59
Ballarat 25
Sandhurst 32
Sale 7*
TOTAL 123
* Only eight schools applied in 2014. One school declined funding from 2019. Funding has been reallocated to Sandhurst.
Following a statewide-application process in November 2014, 123 Victorian Catholic schools successfully
qualified for $20,000 of annual funding in 2015–2018 under the NSCP, which has had a slight increase in
2020. The total amount from the CECV that is available under NSCP in 2020 is $20,280 per campus,
Grants Allocation Committee (Targeted Programs) REFERENCE GUIDE 2020 Page 20Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd)
Funding period
The funding period is from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.
Explanation and implementation of funding
On behalf of the federal government, DET Victoria pays the CECV the NSCP funds annually by 1 March in
each funded year. The amount of the NSCP funds payable to the CECV under the 2018 National School
Reform Agreement – Victorian Bilateral Agreement is calculated in accordance with the NSCP distribution
model and the NSCP guidelines. All NSCP funds, together with any interest accruing, must be distributed to
schools following this model.
The annual grant for schools, which is $20,280 per campus in 2020, is distributed to schools via CECV by
30 April in each funded year.
Use of funding
The NSCP funding and any interest accruing must:
be used by schools to meet the general recurrent costs of providing chaplaincy services that are
consistent with the NSCP guidelines
be applied so that the school receives a minimum of 400 hours of chaplaincy services during the school’s
term and within the school’s usual hours
be used to engage a chaplain who meets the NSCP requirements. These include the chaplain:
- having a satisfactory police records check and a valid Working with Children Check, and listing the
relevant school as a notifying organisation for notices issued under the Working with Children Act
2005 (Vic.)
- having the requisite qualifications, knowledge, skill and experience to provide chaplaincy services
- being a fit and proper person to provide chaplaincy services in a school setting and having direct
contact with children
- having signed and demonstrated an understanding of the code of conduct for chaplaincy services
- being aware of and understanding the NSCP guidelines.
Eligibility
Catholic schools who submitted an online application to DET Victoria in November 2014 were eligible for
consideration of funding. Applications were assessed and ranked against state-agreed criteria. Successful
schools were allocated funding for 2015–2018 and they had a one-year extension for 2019. This was
extended further by DET until the end of 2020.
Government requirements
Regular reporting by schools and chaplaincy service providers is required to ensure the objectives of the
NSCP are met, and that services provided under the program meet performance and accountability
requirements.
On behalf of the Australian Government, DET Victoria has an obligation to the federal government to verify
that NSCP funds have been properly acquitted, and to ensure that schools and providers are operating in
accordance with:
the relevant NSCP agreements
the NSCP guidelines
applicable legislative requirements and departmental policies.
For this purpose, DET Victoria has implemented a six-monthly reporting process for schools and any
chaplaincy provider engaged by a school. A summary of the reporting and accountability requirements,
as it relates to Catholic schools, is in the table below.
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Reporting Reporting
Applies to Reporting areas Report format
frequency requirements
The CECV Every six months: • aggregated data • chaplain NSCP School
• January to June • attestation qualifications Report supplied
(due July) statements • child protection by DET Victoria
• July to December • individual requirements
(due February) chaplain • suitability to provide
information chaplaincy services
• delivery of
chaplaincy services
• professional
development
• performance
management
• record-keeping
Financial accountability
The CECV must keep, and must ensure that schools keep, full and accurate records, including financial
records, to enable:
the identification of all funding provided under the NSCP and the 2018 National School Reform
Agreement – Victorian Bilateral Agreement, as well as the expenditure of NSCP funding
the audit of those records in accordance with current Australian professional accounting standards
the CECV to perform and report on its performance under the 2018 National School Reform Agreement –
Victorian Bilateral Agreement.
Funding
The CECV must certify before 30 June 2020 that the NSCP 2020 funds provided to the designated Catholic
schools were: used by those schools and spent on chaplaincy services, offset, or returned.
The CECV program manager for NSCP funding is Dennis Torpy, Manager, Wellbeing.
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Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability
Cost centre 022
The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) targeted area supports Victorian Catholic schools to
improve the learning outcomes of Students with Disability (SwD) by providing funding to support the
implementation of educational adjustments.
The Australian Government supplies recurrent funding in the form of a loading for SwDs under the Australian
Education Act 2013 (Cth) and its amendments. This loading is based on the level of adjustment being
provided to the student, as reported by the school in the August census through the student’s inclusion in the
NCCD. The three levels of SwD funding informed by the NCCD are: supplementary, substantial or extensive.
(There is also a fourth adjustment level called ‘support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice’
(QDTP), but this does not attract a loading.)
All schools and approved system authorities for schools in Australia participate in the NCCD annually. Specific
data about the school (campus) location and each student (FTE) must be provided when including students in
the NCCD count. This information is essential for funding, so it is very important for all schools and approved
system authorities for schools to ensure that the student information provided to the Department of Education,
Skills and Employment (DESE) is:
accurate
supported by school-based evidence
provided at the location (campus) level required by the DESE
quality-assured.
The NCCD collects data about school students that have disabilities across Australia in a consistent,
reliable and systematic way. The guidelines for the NCCD are published annually. They are approved by the
Australian Government Minister for Education and Training, and the Education Council’s sub-working group,
the Joint Working Group to Provide Advice on Reform for Students with Disability. (Please refer to the
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) 2020 Guidelines.)
The guidelines specify:
the students that approved authorities for schools must report on each year for the NCCD (for the
purposes of section 58A of the Regulation)
the information that approved authorities for schools must provide to the national collection agency
(the DESE) in relation to those students (for the purposes of section 58A of the Regulation)
the day by which that information must be provided to the DESE, for the purposes of subsection 52(3A)
of the Regulation.
Approved authorities and their schools must ensure that schools have sufficient and adequate documented
written evidence of the adjustment(s) provided for students for a minimum 10-week period of their school
education. This 10-week period is anytime in the 12 months preceding the reference date for the 2020 NCCD
(not consecutive weeks).
The DESE carries out post-enumeration (audit) processes to verify the accuracy of census data provided by
non-government schools for Australian Government school-funding purposes, and this includes NCCD data.
The total amount approved by GAC(P) and GAC(S) for NCCD for SwDs in 2020 is $255,322,104.
Funding period
The funding period is from 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020.
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