GUIDELINES
Education Support Team of the Year
PURPOSE OF THE AWARDS
The Victorian Education Excellence Awards showcase the outstanding achievements and
practice of teachers, leaders and school support staff in Victorian government schools. All of
the awards promote the reputation of Victorian government schools as centres of excellence.
Winners will have the ability to influence teaching and learning approaches and to
disseminate outcomes of their work to benefit our entire education system. The awards
acknowledge endeavours that build a collective knowledge and recognise innovation that will
support enhanced instructional practice in our schools.
Given the significance, value and prestige of these awards there is a rigorous selection
process. The achievements of recipients will be celebrated at state level.
KEY DATES
2014 SELECTION PROCESS TIMELINE
Nominations/Applications open
Tuesday 17 December 2013
Applications close
Friday 28 February 2014
Finalists notified
Mid April 2014
ABOUT THE EDUCATION SUPPORT TEAM OF THE YEAR AWARD
The Education Support Team of the Year recognises practice by education support teams
that foster a culture of high performance and continuous improvement in supporting schools
to achieve improved student outcomes.
This award aims to raise awareness of the importance of establishing and maintaining
effective education support teams to make a direct contribution to the school’s capacity to
achieve its educational objectives.
Principals and teaching staff rely on support staff to achieve quality outcomes for their
students. Education support staff aid the educational program of the school by providing
operational, professional or para-professional support, including direct assistance to teachers
in the delivery of educational programs.
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Education Support Team of the Year - 2014 Guidelines
The value of the award for Education Support Team of the Year is $15,000. Please refer to
the section titled Winning the Award for more information regarding award monies.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants for this award can be either self-nominated or nominated by members of the
general public.
The application form contains three key sections, all of which must be completed online at
www.education.vic.gov.au/veea
The three key sections of the application are:
Section 1: Nominating Statement
This is an introductory statement of up to 250 words, summarising why the team is
recommended for this award.
The Nominating Statement is completed by the person who nominates the team or by the
lead member of the team themselves, if they are self-nominating.
The Nominating Statement should also outline the team's current role in a Victorian
government school, their major achievements, special focus areas and the socioeconomic
context of their school.
Section 2: Professional Statement
This is an extended statement of between 1200 and 1500 words, demonstrating the team's
professional excellence by providing evidence of the following:
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exemplary/innovative education support practices in response to student needs /
school priorities
impact on student achievement, engagement, wellbeing
impact on teachers, parents/families
teamwork.
The Professional Statement is to be completed by the applicant only.
Section 2A: Professional Learning Proposal
This is a brief statement of no more than 250 words, outlining the focus of the professional
learning to be undertaken if the applicant is successful in winning the award.
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Education Support Team of the Year - 2014 Guidelines
Section 3: Professional Endorsement
In support of an application, the contact details of two professional referees must be
provided. One of these referees may be the person who nominated the team.
Suitable referees for this award include: the school principal; the assistant principal; a year
level or subject coordinator; the school council chair or a member of school council.
If the team is shortlisted, referees may be contacted by telephone by a member of the
selection panel.
As a general guide, if contacted, referees should focus on the team’s achievements to date
and why they are an outstanding candidate for this award.
WINNING THE AWARD
The Education Support Team of the Year award will enable the successful team to
investigate an identified area of need in their school.
The value of the award is $15,000, which is to be used to cover costs associated with travel,
accommodation, staff replacement costs, further professional learning and any other support
required by the team to investigate, evaluate and share an identified area of need in the
school.
It is expected that the project will be completed before 31 December 2015.
The winning team will be required to submit a professional learning proposal, outlining their
plans for further research, investigation or professional learning which will enhance their
practice as an education support team.
The awarding of prize money will be contingent upon submission of this proposal. Further
details will be available to the winning team.
ELIGIBILITY
The Education Support Team of the Year award is open to education support teams currently
working in Victorian government schools. All team members must be employed by a
Victorian government school as education support staff.
Recipients of other professional state, national or international awards are not excluded from
consideration for this award.
CONDITIONS
The successful applicant is expected to remain in the Department’s employment for a
minimum of two years following the period of the award. The award is not intended for
postgraduate research study.
In most circumstances, the team should consist of no more than 12 members.
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Education Support Team of the Year - 2014 Guidelines
Any unused award monies must be returned to the Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development.
Recipients are expected to share their practice and the outcomes of their professional
learning with the education community through appropriate meetings, forums and
conferences.
Award recipients are required to enter into an agreement with the Department of Education
and Early Childhood Development through a memorandum of understanding.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development reserves the right to use all
or part of any material, including submissions and photographs for any publicity campaign
related to education in Victoria. Copyright of any materials produced during, or as a result of
the award is owned by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development reserves the right not to
make an award.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information relating to the Education Support Team of the Year award, or the
application and selection process, contact the awards coordinator on (03) 9637 3879 or via
email at [email protected]
Applications close Friday 28 February 2014
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Education Support Team of the Year - 2014 Guidelines