Kindergarten Teachers, Head Teachers and Senior Teachers' Collective Agreement

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Kindergarten Teachers, Head Teachers and Senior Teachers' Collective Agreement [PDF, 623 KB]

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Part Eight: Senior Teachers

Kindergarten Teachers, Head Teachers and Senior Teachers' Collective Agreement
Effective: 5 April 2023 to 4 April 2026

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This part of the agreement shall apply to Senior Teachers only.

  • 8.1 Hours of Work
      1. The normal hours of work should, as far as practicable, not exceed 40 hours per week to be worked from Monday to Friday inclusive.
      2. There may, however, be occasions when employees are required to attend the workplace, or elsewhere, outside normal hours to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of the position or for other purposes connected with their employment. Reasonable time off in lieu may be granted in recognition of this.
  • 8.2 Senior Teacher Appraisal
      1. The employer shall put in place appropriate procedures for professional performance appraisal developed in consultation with employees who are senior teachers.
      2. The setting of performance expectations and development objective(s) and the appraisal of senior teachers will be based around a set of national professional standards.
      3. When setting performance expectations and development objective(s) with individual senior teachers for the coming year, the appropriate professional standards against which the senior teacher is to be assessed should be confirmed between the senior teacher and the employer.
  • 8.3 Salary Scales
      1. In the settlement of the Kindergarten Teachers, Head Teachers and Senior Teachers' Collective Agreement 2000-2002 the parties committed themselves to the implementation of pay parity for kindergarten teachers. Senior teacher K3 and K4 salaries were benchmarked to the base salary (excluding the roll-based supplementary component) of a primary U2 and U3 principal respectively.
      2. Subject to 3.2, the following salary rates apply:
        1. Scale K3 Senior Teachers
          - Rates prior to
          1 Dec 2022
          Rate effective
          1 Dec 2022
          Rate effective
          3 July 2023
          Rate effective
          1 Dec 2023
          Rate effective
          3 April 2024
          Rate effective
          2 Dec 2024
          KR3 $99,327 $103,327 $104,877 $106,427 $109,061 $113,315
        2. Scale K4 Senior Teachers
          - Rates prior to
          1 Dec 2022
          Rate effective
          1 Dec 2022
          Rate effective
          3 July 2023
          Rate effective
          1 Dec 2023
          Rate effective
          3 April 
          Rate effective
          2 Dec 2024
          KR4 $107,770 $111,770 $113,447 $115,123 $117,972 $122,574
  • 8.4 Operation of the Salary Scale
      1. An employee shall be paid a salary on the K3 salary scale, unless the employee is appointed to a position where that employee is responsible for the management of other employees in the senior teacher team in which case that employee shall be paid the K4 salary rate.
      2. A senior teacher, who at 2 October 2000 was employed in a sole responsibility position which has been recognised under the terms of the expired Kindergarten Senior Teachers’ Collective Employment Contract as a K4 position, shall continue to be recognised as K4 for salary purposes.
  • 8.5 Annual Holidays
    • Note: The following provisions are inclusive of and not in addition to the provisions of the Holidays Act 2003.

      1. Senior Teachers are entitled to six weeks paid annual holidays in respect of each completed 12 months of employment (Refer s16 of the Holidays Act 20023 for the impact of leave without pay on continuous employment).
      2. Senior Teachers are entitled to one day's paid holiday to be taken between Christmas and New Year in addition to the annual holidays entitlement.
      3. Senior Teachers may take annual leave at any time during the year following prior arrangement with the employer whose consent shall not be unreasonably withheld. The employer shall ensure that the senior teacher is able to take a two-week period on uninterrupted leave annually.
      4. Where agreement between the employer and senior teacher cannot be reached, the employer may direct the senior teacher to take annual holidays entitlement with not less than 14 days’ notice.
      5. Where a senior teacher's employment terminates on the last working day before a public holiday, they will be entitled to be paid for the public holiday concerned.
      6. Where a senior teacher ceases employment before becoming entitled to annual holidays under clause 8.5, the employer will pay them a sum equivalent to 12 percent of their gross earnings, less any payments made to the teacher for annual holidays taken in advance.
      7. Where a senior teacher who has become entitled to annual holidays under clause 8.5.1 ceases employment before taking their full entitlement, the employer will pay them upon termination for the proportion of holiday entitlement not taken.
  • 8.6 Professional Development
      1. The parties recognise the importance of ongoing professional development for the role of senior teachers. The professional development needs of a senior teacher will be agreed in terms of the annual appraisal and/or on the identification by the employer or senior teacher of a particular professional development need or opportunity.
      2. A senior teacher will be entitled to ten days of professional development time in each full year for which they are employed, reduced on a pro rata basis for periods of employment of less than a full year, subject to:
          1. the senior teacher submitting to the employer a proposal identifying the professional development need and the means proposed of addressing it;
          2. the employer’s approval not being unreasonably withheld; and
          3. reasonable notice being given of the proposed programme and the timing which should have due regard to the employer’s operational requirements.
      3. The employer may reimburse related expenses.
      4. Professional development time not used in any given year may, with the approval of the employer, be carried forward for a further six (6) months.
      5. With the prior agreement of the employer, professional development time may be taken adjoining annual leave.
  • 8.7 Provision of Vehicle or Reimbursement of Expenses Incurred in the Use of Private Vehicles
      1. Provision of vehicle
        An employer may decide to provide a vehicle to senior teachers, where it considers the provision of a vehicle to be in the interests of the association. Use of the vehicle by the senior teacher shall be permitted for undertaking association work only, except as otherwise provided for by virtue of clause 1.8.1.
      2. Reimbursement for expenses incurred in the use of private vehicles
        Motor vehicle allowance at a rate of 62c per km for a car and 18c per km for a motor cycle or equivalent public transport fares shall be reimbursed to employees required by the employer to use their own vehicles undertaking association work.
  • 8.8 Accommodation and Meal Allowance
      1. Where the employer requires the employee to undertake duties which necessitate the employee's absence from home overnight, the employer shall reimburse actual and reasonable expenses incurred by the employee on submission of the appropriate receipts or vouchers.
      2. Where an employee’s attendance at a meeting prevents the employee returning home for the evening meal, the employer shall reimburse actual and reasonable expenses incurred by the employee in purchasing a meal on submission of the appropriate receipts or vouchers.