2025 ES Local Agreement

Thank you to all the ES staff members who voted on the three proposed options for the 2025 ES local agreement.

The ES local agreement further extends the 2022 VGSA and provides localised context for our ES staff.

After voting concluded, option 1 had the majority vote.

Here is a summary of option 1:

Classroom ES (.79 FTE (6 Hours Per Day, 5 Days Per Week)

• Classroom ES staff members start at 8:30 am and finish at 3:10 pm each day
• Classroom/Inclusion ES Staff members undertake 3 permanent yard duties a week
• Senior Secondary ES staff members (VPC & ASDAN) are not assigned a permanent yard duty whilst onsite
• Classroom/Inclusion ES staff members are not assigned yard duties whilst on travel training or excursions
• Classroom/Inclusion ES staff members are to attend 8 professional learning sessions from 3:10 pm – 4:30 pm throughout the year (scheduled on a Tuesday on the Jackson Termly)
• Staff who do not work 5 days a week or are not scheduled to work on Monday 4th November 2025 will have specific arrangements set to cater for their work schedule/time fraction
• ESS who also work for Their Care at Jackson High-Intensity OSHC Program, start their OSHC duties at 3:00 pm each day they are rostered to work. On these days you are required to start work at Jackson at 8:20 am.

Classroom ES (1.0 FTE (Fulltime 7.6 Hours Per Day, 5 Days Per Week))

• Classroom/Inclusion ES staff members start at 8:00 am and finish at 4:19 pm
• Classroom/Inclusion ES Staff members undertake three permanent yard duties a week
• Senior Secondary Classroom ES staff members (VPC & ASDAN) are not assigned a permanent yard duty whilst onsite - Additional yard duties can be assigned.
• Classroom/Inclusion ES staff members are not assigned yard duties whilst on travel training or excursions.
• Classroom/Inclusion ES staff members are to attend eight professional learning sessions from 3:08 pm – 4:30 pm throughout the year (scheduled on a Tuesday on the Jackson Termly).
• Classroom/Inclusion ES staff members are to make up 7 yard duties throughout the year
• Staff who do not work 5 days a week or are not scheduled to work on Monday 4th November 2025 will have specific arrangements set to cater for their work schedule/time fraction

Allied Health/Wellbeing/Admin ES

• Admin, Allied Health & Engagement and Wellbeing ES Staff to make up 7.6 hrs throughout the year if they are scheduled to work on Monday 4th November 2025.

Please find below the full local agreement for 2025.

Education Support Class 2025 Local Agreement 

Working Hours and Days

The standard attendance hours and agreed-upon working times for an education support (ES) class employee is listed in the table below:

* The standard working hours exclude the 30-minute unpaid free from duty break 

** To facilitate the extra hours worked, the time accrued from the additional 60-minute free yard duty per week and the time in lieu from Monday, 3rd November 2025, will be used. 

Working hours outside the listed above must be negotiated and approved by the principal.

 For part-time education support class employees, your working days will be set based on the demands and needs of the school.

2025 Return Date

The return date for all Education Support (ES) class staff members for 2025 is Tuesday, 28th January 2025.

Annual Leave and Additional Paid Leave

All Education Support Class employees who do not receive a fortnightly leave purchase allowance are entitled to 50 days of leave annually. 28 days of additional paid leave will be used throughout the terms 1, 2 & 3 vacation periods, 20 days of annual leave, and 2 days of additional paid leave will be used during the four vacation periods. 

Breaks & Yard Duty

Per the 2022 Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA), all Education Support Class employees are entitled to a 30-minute unpaid break free from duties after working over 5 hours daily. 

Breaks will be taken between the hours of 11:00 am – 2:00 pm.

All ES staff members are required to do yard duties during the week.

Please refer to the table below for how many yard duties you are required to do each week:

Please note: If you are required to go offsite to support students in external activities/courses, you will not be assigned any yard duties.

Professional Learning

All Education Support Class employees must participate in either Jackson School or Department of Education (DE) organised professional learning sessions throughout the year. All ES staff members must attend professional learning sessions 8 times throughout the year. These will usually occur on a Tuesday from 3:10 pm – 4:30 pm.

The time accrued from the additional 60-minute free yard duty per week and the time in lieu from Monday, 3rd November 2025, will be used to facilitate the professional learning sessions. 

Student Free Days

Education Support class employees must attend on all planned student-free days. If staff members are not required to attend during the student-free day, the hours must be made up as time in lieu.

Time in Lieu

Education Support class employees may be required to attend school-organised events from time to time.

It is at the employee’s discretion that he/she/they attend.

If an ES staff member attends a school-organised event, the ES staff member will accumulate time in lieu consistent with the time in lieu arrangements as per the VGSA.

All accrued time in lieu will be acquitted throughout the year as agreed with the principal, or alternatively, your accrued time in lieu can be paid out.

Validity 

This local agreement is effective from Tuesday 28th January 2025, and valid until Monday 26th January 2026.