Month: February 2023

Six hundred high-achieving public school teachers from across NSW will be the first to earn salaries of up to $152,000, thanks to a $100 million commitment from the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.

The first cohort of 200 teachers across more than 50 schools will start in 2023, helping shape the career pathway before it is expanded across NSW.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government was future-proofing education by attracting the best teachers into the profession, and keeping them in the classroom to lift student outcomes across the State.

“This is seismic reform that will modernise the teaching profession and ensure we have the best teachers in our classrooms to benefit students for generations to come,” Mr Perrottet said.

“We want our children to have the best start in life and that all starts with a world-class education. The Rewarding Excellence in Teaching career pathway recognises outstanding work and ensures teachers stay in the profession.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said if re-elected a NSW Liberal and Nationals Government would create 600 additional roles for highly-effective teachers over four years with a vision of growing the roles further.

“Our vision is for Rewarding Excellence in Teaching to be an integral part of the classroom career pathway in NSW schools, which is why we are doing the work now to get this right and making a clear commitment to delivering this reform longer-term,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Parents and students engage with amazing teachers every day in our schools and this commitment means those teachers stay in the classroom.”

Professor John Hattie, who has been the lead independent adviser on the reform, said the scale of 600 teachers over four years was the right step towards system-wide reform, based on extensive research and consultation.

“The best evidence says you need to co-design these roles in partnership with schools to get the biggest uplift in student outcomes. Over time, we would want to see this scaled up to around 10 per cent of teachers, or about 6,600 roles, to have the biggest impact,” Professor Hattie said.

“To help ensure these higher paid positions are as effective as possible, an initial group of more than 50 schools will be working with us to co-design the roles and what works best in different school contexts.”

The Rewarding Excellence in Teaching Program has been the subject of one of the largest consultation processes ever undertaken by the NSW Department of Education, as detailed in the ‘Rewarding Excellence in Teaching – Consultation Playback Report’ published today.

The consultation included:

• 117 roundtables held across every school network in NSW
• 1,267 teachers from 849 schools directly consulted
• 4,554 online surveys completed

Schools involved in the first phase of the program represent a cross-section of school settings from across the State:

• Albion Park Rail Public School
• Asquith Girls High School
• Bellbird Public School
• Belmore South Public School
• Ben Venue Public School
• Blacktown Girls High School
• Brooke Avenue Public School
• Buninyong Public School
• Byron Bay High School
• Callaghan College, Wallsend Campus
• Callaghan College, Waratah Campus
• Cecil Hills High School
• Cobbitty Public School
• Cronulla South Public School
• Croppa Creek Public School
• Denman Public School
• Eastwood Heights Public School
• Elanora Heights Public School
• Epping Heights Public School
• Fairfield West Public School
• Francis Greenway High School
• Girraween Public School
• Glendale East Public School
• Gorokan High School
• Guyra Central School
• Gymea Technology High Schoo
• Jordan Springs Public School
• Kapooka Public School
• Kyeemagh Public School
• Londonderry Public School
• Millthorpe Public School
• Minchinbury Public School
• Murray Farm Public School
• Narrabeen Sports High School
• Newcastle High School
• Oakhill Drive Public School
• Parramatta Public School
• Prestons Public School
• Russell Lea Public School
• Sackville Street Public School
• Southern Cross School of Distance Education
• Stokers Siding Public School
• Strathfield South High School
• Tarcutta Public School
• Temora High School
• The Grange Public School
• The Ponds School
• Thornleigh West Public School
• Ulladulla High School
• Wattle Grove Public School
• Woodport Public School
• Woollahra Public School

A re-elected NSW Liberal and Nationals Government will give principals at our top public schools greater autonomy over hiring teachers as part a plan to boost standards and learning outcomes for students.

The plan will involve a major expansion of the Government’s nation-leading Ambassador Schools program, which brings together our highest performing public schools so their methods can be applied to other schools.

An additional 40 schools will be added to the program, bringing the total to 50 across the state, with these principals to be granted specialised staffing arrangements to enable them to make their own hiring decisions for a period of three years.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said these changes would give principals greater freedom and flexibility to hire staff that align with the culture and values of their school.

“We are putting the power back in the hands of those who know best, giving our best principals greater autonomy to pick the right teachers for their school,” Mr Perrottet said.

“By providing them with more flexibility and freedom to make these important decisions, we’re empowering our principals to achieve the very best outcomes for their students.

“This is all about cutting bureaucratic red tape so that our kids get the very best learning experience and can thrive at school.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said this approach would ensure best practice is identified and shared across the entire school system.

“Our nation-leading Ambassador Schools program has already proven a huge success, bringing together our best schools so we can learn from their methods to improve the entire education system,” Ms Mitchell said.

“This initiative will see greater resources and support directed towards placing the right staff in the schools where they are needed. This is on top of the additional teacher supply being added to NSW through the Teacher Supply Strategy.”

As part of the expanded program, 20 schools will partner with universities to facilitate placements for teachers undertaking the Government’s recently announced one-year Masters degree, giving graduates the chance to undertake work experience at some of our best schools.

In addition, the Government will also create an annual ‘School Success Forum’ as the new flagship school summit for effective and innovative practice in NSW. This will become a major event in the education calendar that will help drive up standards across all school sectors in NSW.

The 40 new Ambassador Schools will be confirmed by the end of 2023, with the first School Success Forum held in early 2024.

High-achieving teachers in Riverstone will be some of the first to earn salaries of up to $152,000, thanks to a $100 million commitment from the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.

Local teachers will be among the first cohort of 200 teachers across more than 50 schools will start in 2023, helping shape the career pathway before it is expanded across NSW. 

The Riverstone school with teachers involved in the first phase is The Ponds School.

Liberal candidate for Riverstone Mohit Kumar welcomed the announcement and said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government was future-proofing education by attracting the best teachers to the profession, and keeping them in the classroom to lift student outcomes across the State.

“This is seismic reform that will modernise the teaching profession and ensure we have the best teachers in our classrooms to benefit students for generations to come,” Mr Kumar said

“We want our children to have the best start in life and that all starts with a world-class education. The Rewarding Excellence in Teaching career pathway recognises outstanding work and ensures teachers stay in the profession.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said if re-elected a NSW Liberal and Nationals Government would create 600 additional roles for highly-effective teachers over four years with a vision of growing the roles further. 

“Our vision is for Rewarding Excellence in Teaching to be an integral part of the classroom career pathway in NSW schools, which is why we are doing the work now to get this right and making a clear commitment to delivering this reform longer-term,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Parents and students engage with amazing teachers every day in our schools and this commitment means those teachers stay in the classroom.”

The Rewarding Excellence in Teaching Program has been the subject of one of the largest consultation processes ever undertaken by the NSW Department of Education, as detailed in the ‘Rewarding Excellence in Teaching – Consultation Playback Report’ published today.  

The consultation included: 

· 117 roundtables held across every school network in NSW 

· 1,267 teachers from 849 schools directly consulted 

· 4,554 online surveys completed 

“This is another great example of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s long-term economic plan delivering for teachers, students, and families across Riverstone and NSW,” Mr Kumar said.

The Entrance’s Liberal candidate has welcomed the commitment by the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government to inject $23 million in to Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW), the biggest investment in the organisation in its 116-year history.

Candidate for The Entrance, Nathan Bracken, said the funding will significantly enhance SLSNSW’s capability with new rescue vehicles, jet skis and more.

“There are 21,000 volunteer lifesavers in NSW and hundreds of these are in our own region. Support frontline services is a key initiative from the Perrottet Liberal Team and it is only possible because of the strong economic record in NSW,” Mr Bracken said.

“I am proud to be part of a team that is delivering record funding to secure a brighter future for our volunteer lifesavers who are so integral to our community. They do an incredible job keeping our beaches safe.”

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke said the funding commitment for SLSNSW comes at a critical time.

“This summer is not over yet but we’ve already experienced record numbers of rescues and sadly drownings. This extra funding will go a long way towards ensuring our volunteers are better supported to keep our communities safer and stronger,” Ms Cooke said.

SLSNSW President George Shales said an investment in lifesavers is an investment in community safety.

“I welcome today’s announcement, which is a significant increase on previous NSW Government support for our thousands of volunteers and staff. Every single dollar will make a difference to the equipment and resources our volunteers rely on, helping us to save more lives,” Mr Shales said.

The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s $23 million funding commitment consists of:

• 22 new rescue vehicles and 68 new jet skis, which can also be deployed during other natural disasters like floods;
• 40 additional Emergency Response Beacons, enabling lifesavers to remotely monitor unpatrolled sections of the NSW coastline;
• Additional emergency management staff permanently based in Regional NSW;
• Radio communications upgrades on the Far South Coast, South Coast, North Coast and Mid North Coast; and
• An additional $5 million for the Surf Club Facility Program (taking it to $15 million in total), which is administered by the Office of Sport to develop facilities that increase participation in surf life saving for all people, increase usage and improve safety.

High-achieving teachers in Parramatta will be some of the first to earn salaries of up to $152,000, thanks to a $100 million commitment from the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government.

Local teachers will be among the first cohort of 200 teachers across more than 50 schools will start in 2023, helping shape the career pathway before it is expanded across NSW.

The Parramatta school with teachers involved in the first phase is Parramatta Public School.

Liberal candidate for Parramatta Katie Mullens welcomed the announcement and said the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government was future-proofing education by attracting the best teachers to the profession, and keeping them in the classroom to lift student outcomes across the State.

“This is seismic reform that will modernise the teaching profession and ensure we have the best teachers in our classrooms to benefit students for generations to come,” Ms Mullen said.

“We want our children to have the best start in life and that all starts with a world-class education. The Rewarding Excellence in Teaching career pathway recognises outstanding work and ensures teachers stay in the profession.”

Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said if re-elected a NSW Liberal and Nationals Government would create 600 additional roles for highly-effective teachers over four years with a vision of growing the roles further.

“Our vision is for Rewarding Excellence in Teaching to be an integral part of the classroom career pathway in NSW schools, which is why we are doing the work now to get this right and making a clear commitment to delivering this reform longer-term,” Ms Mitchell said.

“Parents and students engage with amazing teachers every day in our schools and this commitment means those teachers stay in the classroom.”

The Rewarding Excellence in Teaching Program has been the subject of one of the largest consultation processes ever undertaken by the NSW Department of Education, as detailed in the ‘Rewarding Excellence in Teaching – Consultation Playback Report’ published today.

The consultation included: 

· 117 roundtables held across every school network in NSW 

· 1,267 teachers from 849 schools directly consulted 

· 4,554 online surveys completed 

“This is another great example of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s long-term economic plan delivering for teachers, students, and families across Parramatta and NSW,” Ms Mullens said.

Eastern Beaches Liberal candidates have welcomed the commitment by the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government to inject $23 million in to Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW), the biggest investment in the organisation in its 116-year history.

Candidate for Coogee Dr Kylie von Muenster and Vaucluse Kellie Sloane said the funding will significantly enhance SLSNSW’s capability with new rescue vehicles, jet skis and more.

“The volunteer lifesavers across the Eastern Beaches do an incredible job keeping our community safe and that’s why investments like this are so important,” Dr von Muenster said.

Ms Sloane said, “It’s only from the Perrottet Liberal Team’s strong economic record and plan for the future that such vital funding can be delivered to our lifesavers. They play a vital role in the community and we support them completely.”

Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience Steph Cooke said the funding commitment for SLSNSW comes at a critical time.

“This summer is not over yet but we’ve already experienced record numbers of rescues and sadly drownings. This extra funding will go a long way towards ensuring our volunteers are better supported to keep our communities safer and stronger,” Ms Cooke said.

SLSNSW President George Shales said an investment in lifesavers is an investment in community safety.

“I welcome today’s announcement, which is a significant increase on previous NSW Government support for our thousands of volunteers and staff. Every single dollar will make a difference to the equipment and resources our volunteers rely on, helping us to save more lives,” Mr Shales said.

The NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s $23 million funding commitment consists of:

• 22 new rescue vehicles and 68 new jet skis, which can also be deployed during other natural disasters like floods;
• 40 additional Emergency Response Beacons, enabling lifesavers to remotely monitor unpatrolled sections of the NSW coastline;
• Additional emergency management staff permanently based in Regional NSW;
• Radio communications upgrades on the Far South Coast, South Coast, North Coast and Mid North Coast; and
• An additional $5 million for the Surf Club Facility Program (taking it to $15 million in total), which is administered by the Office of Sport to develop facilities that increase participation in surf life saving for all people, increase usage and improve safety.

Community sport organisations across The Entrance are set to benefit from more than $45,000 in funding thanks to the NSW Government’s Local Sport Grants Program.

Liberal candidate for The Entrance Nathan Bracken welcomed the announcement and said the 10 projects funded across the area would turbocharge participation in sport across all age groups and bring the community closer together.

“It is so important we continue supporting our local sporting clubs. They are the life-blood of our communities and key to ensuring our kids live a healthy and happy lifestyle,” Mr Bracken said.

Grants of between $2,000 and $10,000 per project were available with up to $50,000 available in each electorate.

Local sporting organisations benefitting include:

• Berkeley Vale Rugby League & Sports Club
• EDSACC Croquet Club Inc
• Killarney Vale Australian Football Club Inc
• Lisarow Ourimbah Cricket Club
• Mingara Killarney District Netball Club
• Razorbacks Rugby Club
• The Entrance Bateau Bay Australian Football Club
• The Entrance Cricket Club
• The Entrance Hockey Club Inc

Minister for Sport Alister Henskens said the program will encourage people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the benefits of sport and active recreation.

“This funding will provide a cash injection to help improve sport facilities, enhance accessibility and hold new and exciting events and development programs,” Mr Henskens said.

“No government has invested in community sport like the Liberal and Nationals, and this program is another example of the more than $1 billion we’ve pumped into grassroots community facilities and infrastructure.”

More information about the program is available online.