Education Support Funding Program

Purpose

To assist schools and regions to enhance education support to eligible students in care, which is linked to goals identified through the student's education support planning process and based upon an assessment of the student's needs in relation to:

• participation—access, attendance and engagement in education
• wellbeing—social, emotional, psychological and physical
• academic achievement—including extension and learning support
• other priorities.

Assistance provided through the Educational Support Funding Program (ESFP) should be to supplement, when required, the services and programs already provided by schools to support the academic, social and emotional needs of all students, including, but not limited to, learning and disability support, and access to guidance officers, school-based youth health nurses, chaplains, youth support coordinators and student welfare workers.

Duration of program

Ongoing

Eligibility

State schools, secondary schools and special schools that have eligible student enrolments and have submitted education support plans to their regional office.

Allocation of funds

Each region should develop a regional action plan based on:

• the particular needs of eligible students in care enrolled in their schools, identified through requests based on the education support plan process
• all school-based support services and other programs currently available
• gaps in education support services
• funds provided by Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs (Child Safety) under Child Related Costs—Education Support
• funds available to the region.

Current regional methodologies

Metropolitan region

• Schools can access targeted ESFP funds for eligible students in care.
• Submissions are made by schools to the metropolitan regional office accompanied by the student's education support plan. Funding requests are based on their individual educational needs and participation in educational activities as identified in their Education Support Plans (ESPs).
• Funds are allocated in 2 major funding rounds—at the beginning of Semester 2 (20 weeks) and Semester 1 (20 weeks).
• Submissions are considered according to individual needs by the Regional Working Party for students in care—a group consisting of representatives from the Department of Education (DoE) and Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs.
• Funding allocations are very specific and each school receives notification outlining funding details for each student, what the funds have been approved for and the conditions of the allocation.
• Emergent/contingency funding is available outside this time for short-term or unexpected needs or for students new to Metropolitan region schools or newly placed in care.
• ESFP may be used to implement regional or school-based strategies aimed at closing the educational gap between students in care and other students.

South East region

• Schools can access targeted ESFP funds for eligible students in care.
• Submissions are made by schools to the south east regional office with evidence that each student has a current Education Support Plan (ESP) and an eligible Child Protection Order.
• Funding requests are based on students’ individual goals as outlined in their ESP.
• Funds are allocated in 2 funding rounds each financial year, Semester 2 (25 weeks) and Semester 1 (15 weeks). At the beginning of each semester, regional office will advise schools that the funding round has opened.
• Applications received are considered by the regional ESFP panel, which comprises of primary and secondary principals, regional representatives, Senior Guidance Officers and a Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs (DCYJMA) representative.
• Once all applications have been considered and funding is approved by the panel, an outcome email is sent out to principals and nominated school ESFP contacts, which will list individual student names and the total amount of funding that has been allocated to each student. This outcome email will also list the conditions of the grant including expenditure of funds by the 30 June.
  
• At the end of each financial year, the region conducts an acquittal process of unexpended ESFP funds. In accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding, the region will then negotiate with DCYJMA the best use of any recouped funds to improve eligible students’ outcomes.
• Emergent/contingency funding is available outside of a funding round for the provision of short-term intensive support for emergent and/or unanticipated needs.
• ESFP funding may be used to implement regional or school based strategies aimed at closing the educational gap between students in care and other students.

Darling Downs South West region

Program funding is available to all students who are ESP eligible. A regional assessment tool utilises school-based professional judgment of student characteristics and needs to determine a tier between 0–3, which are as follows:

• tier 0 is supported by universal and existing resources within the school and receives a nominal amount of funds
• tier 1 provides targeted support and adjustments in some areas
• tier 2 provides intensive support and adjustments in most areas
• tier 3 provides individualised support and adjustments across all areas. Tier 3 is the highest level funding.

For students above tier 0, Complex Case Support on OneSchool must be submitted to the region and the regional assessment tool must be available on OneSchool with the student’s completed ESP.

Funding is determined based on the regional figures across the four tiers and total available funding.

Moderation of a sample of students at tiers 1–3 occurs each semester to:

• provide feedback to schools about alignment to the tier
• maintain consistency and equity of funding distribution
• identify trends to inform training and capability building
  
• refine the methodology, if required.

North Coast region

• Schools prepare individual education support plans for eligible students.
  
• Schools then submit these plans to the regional office with a request for funding.
  
• Funding amounts are determined based on the identified needs and subject to budget availability.
  
• Some funding is held by the region to manage the program outcomes.
  

Central Queensland region

• Schools prepare individual education support plans for eligible students.
• Schools then submit a request for funding to the regional office by set dates.
• Funding amounts are determined based on the identified resourcing needs in the education support plan and subject to budget availability.
• Some funding is held by the region to manage the program outcomes.
• A proportion of the budget is held as contingency funding which can be applied for at any time during the year for emergent issues.

North Queensland region

• Schools prepare individual education support plans for eligible students.
• Schools then submit these plans to the regional office with a request for funding.
• Funding amounts are determined based on the identified needs and subject to budget availability.
• Some funding is held by the region to manage the program outcomes.

Far North Queensland region

• Schools prepare individual ESPs for eligible students.
• Schools then submit a funding application with the ESP to the regional office by a set date. Approximately 80% of funding is allocated in this process using a weighted basis that takes into account a student's participation in schooling, wellbeing and achievement.
• The remainder of the budget is held as contingency funding which can be applied for at any time during the year for emergent issues.

Payment details

Payment timelines and proportions will change from year to year based on the school calendar and how each region assesses funding applications from schools. Contingency funding is generally assessed and paid on an ad-hoc basis.

Data requirements

Recoupment process

Schools receive funds based on individual students. If a student exits the school, refuses to engage in the service or program, or no longer qualifies for the program, recoupments of residual funding may be requested from the school.

How to apply

Access to funding under this program will depend on the specific regional funding allocation models. Please contact your local regional office for further information.

Contact

Central Queensland
Phone: (07) 4842 8300

Darling Downs and South West
Phone: (07) 4616 3771

Far North Queensland
Phone: (07) 4037 3822

Metropolitan
Phone: (07) 3028 8052

North Coast
Phone: (07) 3203 9000

North Queensland
Phone: (07) 4758 3222

South East
Phone: (07) 5656 6688