Staffing reductions/Surplus staffing criteria

Staffing ‘protection’

Staffing ‘protection’ is where the Ministry calculation of a board’s Assured or GMFS entitlement staffing for the coming year is less by 1.0 FTTE or more than the board’s level of entitlement staffing for the current year.

Boards notified as being in need of staffing ‘protection’ may choose to undertake a full analysis of their curriculum, management, and other staffing needs for the coming year. This must include all teaching staff employed from both Teachers’ Salaries (TS) and the board’s operational funding (known as Bulk Grant (BG) for salary purposes).

Conditions for Ministry funding of surplus staffing costs

If a board’s CAPNA or needs analysis identifies surplus staffing and the Ministry deems the school to be in ‘protection’, the Ministry will in most cases meet the surplus staffing costs of the equivalent FTTE up to the whole number part of the entitlement staffing reduction identified on the provisional staffing notice where:

• no permanent appointments have been made following notification from the Ministry that the school is supported by the GMFS or Assured staffing policy to the extent that permanent appointments cannot be made (unless agreed in advance in writing by the Ministry).
• at March, the roll generated entitlement staffing was less than the GMFS or Assured staffing, and where a board can show consideration of attrition was undertaken before any permanent appointment was made during the current year, and where the board has completed an environmental scan when making any appointments within the current year. This refers to a board’s assessment of their staffing situation including:
  • fluctuating roll patterns
  • for schools with year 1 students, checking whether all the new entrants have already arrived and no more are expected
  • whether or not a large class of students at the top year level leave at the end of the year
  • the number of students leaving during the year with no replacements to make up the numbers
  • families with many children moving out of the area
  • any major employer shifting town with families likely to leave and follow the work
  • if a major employer has been set up and families are expected to move into the school zone
  • any closure of a neighbouring school.
• the board can show a full needs analysis has been undertaken and that analysis includes all teacher employees whether their position is funded from BG or TS, and the employment tenure of all teachers has been taken into account, specifically the disestablishment of non-permanent positions.
• the board has actioned surplus staffing procedures within the timelines notified by the Resourcing Division.
• Note: In some cases the staffing entitlement notice may show a reduction in entitlement staffing of less than 1.00 FTTE (eg 0.7 or 1.7). Boards may find that the reduction may be unable to be achieved without the disestablishment of a full-time position. The Resourcing Division will consider, on a case-by-case basis, applications from boards that find themselves in this situation. Boards will need to assure the Ministry that all of the procedural requirements of this section have been met and the reduction of the part-time component can only be met by identifying a full-time position.

Board responsibilities

Responsibility for implementing the staffing reduction process lies with boards.

Boards are responsible for the payment of all surplus staffing costs over and above the Ministry’s limit detailed above.

Any employee whose position as a permanently appointed teacher is disestablished is covered by the surplus staffing provisions of the relevant teachers’ Collective Agreement.

Note: Boards should check with the Resourcing Division that all criteria for Ministry payment of surplus staffing entitlements have been met before confirming to a teacher their access to surplus staffing entitlements. Where a board has any doubts about its liability this should be checked with the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA).

Assistance and advice on identifying and implementing a staffing reduction should be sought from NZSTA.

Criteria used by the Ministry when assessing access to the payment of surplus staffing

Once a board has satisfied all of the conditions outlined above, support for specific surplus staffing entitlements requires the following additional conditions to be met:

• Supernumerary: the default option that will be approved so long as all the conditions above are met.
• Redeployment: will be approved as for supernumerary but only with the written agreement of the teacher’s current employing board and the board to which the teacher is to be redeployed.

Note: The board of the school to which the teacher is redeployed is obligated to permanently employ this teacher should a vacancy arise during the period of redeployment, either through a resignation or an increase in staffing entitlement.  The board should be aware of this prior to agreeing to accept a redeployed teacher.

• Retraining: The retraining course must be approved by the Secretary for Education.  Generally the following criteria must be met before approval will be granted:
  • Tertiary level equivalent, that is NZQA Level 7 or above
  • Be provided by an NZQA accredited provider
  • Be a full time course
  • Enhance or upgrade the teacher’s skills as a teacher.  This means that the course must focus on classroom practice and/or school management.

Surplus staffing timelines

Further enquiries

For advice on how to undertake and/or implement a staffing reduction contact NZSTA on 0800 STA HELP (0800 782 435).

Please refer other queries to

Resourcing Division
Phone 04 463 8383
Fax 04 463 8374
Email resourcing@minedu.govt.nz.