Executive Director’s Update to Principals #44 - 21 August 2025

Amplify – A System-wide Opportunity for Our Schools

We are excited to share that DOBCEL is partnering with Amplify, an innovative music education provider, to strengthen music learning across our primary schools. 

What is Amplify? 
Amplify is a complete music education solution that combines proven pedagogy, digital infrastructure, and hands-on support to help every child experience the benefits of music. Their approach is evidence-based and practical, giving teachers the tools and confidence to deliver high-quality music education in every classroom. 

As global educational experts such as Sir Ken Robinson and Pasi Sahlberg have emphasised, the creative arts play a vital role in learning and development. I share this view strongly: music, drama and dance are not just enriching in their own right, but are proven to enhance literacy, numeracy and student wellbeing. 

The Benefits 
Amplify’s model makes implementation simple and sustainable. With a flat-fee structure, a clear opt-out process, and a dedicated local coordinator, schools can be confident of transparency and strong support. All contracting and invoicing will be managed centrally by DOBCEL, while Amplify takes responsibility for day-to-day operations. 

Schools that join will receive: 

• Direct training and resources for classroom teachers 
• Full access to Amplify’s digital platforms and curriculum tools 
• Prompt troubleshooting and instructional guidance 
• An initial onboarding report following school engagement 
• Ongoing termly reports  

A dedicated Amplify Ballarat Coordinator will oversee the program locally, serving as the primary point of contact for schools and DOBCEL. 

Fees 
The fees outlined below are calculated on the basis of all DOBCEL primary schools participating in each program. They are only achievable if the majority of schools commit to joining. Should fewer schools take part, costs may increase, so a system-wide effort is essential to keep fees affordable for everyone. Importantly, the programs deliver even greater value as additional subject areas are added, with the per-student cost increasing only marginally while significantly expanding the learning opportunities available. 

Getting Started 
Onboarding of participating schools will begin later this year, with the program to be fully in place for the 2026 academic year. Importantly, the system-wide cost works out to just $28 per student for the Full Performing Arts Program, including music, dance and drama, if all DOBCEL primary schools opt in, making this a cost-effective way to bring music education to life across our Diocese. 

From Executive Director, Tom Sexton 
“Our partnership with Amplify represents a significant opportunity to strengthen music education for every child in our Diocese. The evidence is clear: when students engage in the creative arts, whether music, dance or drama, they build confidence, enhance their literacy and numeracy and experience greater wellbeing. Amplify’s model, combined with strong local support and system-wide coordination, ensures that all our schools can deliver these benefits. I strongly encourage every school to take up this opportunity for the good of your students and our shared future.” 

Expressions of Interest 
Please indicate via the following survey link your preferred option of engagement with Amplify by 29 August 2025.   

DLG Updated Materials

Thank you to everyone who attended and participated at DLG with GM Sponsors in Horsham last week. It was fantastic to see such strong engagement with GM Sponsors by our school leaders. The opportunity to discuss partnership with education providers is valuable, especially at a time when we are all together.

The PowerPoint presentation, Pasi and Dave’s Collective Autonomy and Agency slides and the list of GM Sponsors have been added to the Diocesan Principal’s DLG Google Folder (Meeting 05 - 14-15 August 2025) for your reference. Advice on the availability of the session recordings will be communicated in a future update.

Thank you to Stephen Madden, who shared the following YouTube clip, ‘The Decline of Play | Peter Grey | TEDxNavesink,’ for principals to view after Pasi’s session on ‘Play’.

Student Agency Forum – Listening to the Voices of Our Students

Following the update at last week’s DLG, we’re pleased to share access to the new Student Agency Forum Canvas page. Please note: the page is a work in development and is being shared to provide oversight of the project’s key roles and commitments.

The Student Agency Forum is a system-wide initiative to strengthen student voice by hearing directly from students about what engages them in their learning and school community. It will also grow the skills and capabilities of middle leaders in supporting student agency in leadership. Principals, teachers, and small groups of students (Years 5–6 and Years 8–10) will work with Dr Jean Stiles to explore engagement and participation and to support students to instigate meaningful change in their schools.

Click here to access the Student Agency Forum

• This special link gives you direct access to the Canvas page.
• Log in with your existing account or create one in 1–2 minutes.
• Once logged in, select “Join Course” to begin reviewing resources and information.

Please note that questions raised last week regarding structural guidance for staffing arrangements are still being worked through with further updates to follow.

For any access issues, contact Matthew Watson.

DS2035 Baseline Survey Extended

The DOBCEL Strategy 2035 Baseline Survey for schools has been extended, giving staff a final opportunity to contribute to shaping the future of Catholic education across our Diocese.

The survey is open to all teaching and education support staff in schools. Responses will provide the baseline for our 2035 strategy and help us to track progress over the next decade.

We encourage all staff to complete the survey before it closes on Tuesday 26 August.

Your voice is essential in shaping the future of Catholic education in our Diocese.

Expressions of Interest – Leadership Opportunities 2026

We are pleased to invite expressions of interest for three leadership development opportunities commencing in 2026. These programs, delivered in partnership with The Brown Collective, and are designed to support current and aspiring leaders in deepening their leadership practice and strengthening outcomes for our schools and communities. Please consider if any of these opportunities might be relevant for you or any of your team members.

Opportunities available:

• Pathways to Principalship – Pathways to School Leadership. The content of this program will be tailored from previous years to ensure direct relevance to the DOBCEL Strategy 2035 and the DOBCEL Leadership Competency Framework. (Audience: Deputy Principals, Aspiring Principals, Members of school leadership teams.)
• Experienced Principal Program – 6R Leadership Program (Audience: Principals with at least 3 years of principalship)
• Leading with Integrity for Excellence: Governance for Catholic Schools (Audience: Principals and System Leaders)

Please click here to view further program details, costs, and requirements.

If you have any questions, please contact Fiona Murphy.

PageUp Goes Live Across 14 DOBCEL Schools

We are thrilled to announce that 14 DOBCEL schools have now completed their training in PageUp and are officially live, using the platform for all recruitment and onboarding needs. This marks a significant milestone in the Nexus Project and reflects the dedication and collaboration of our school communities, the CEB ICT/Simon Team and the People and Development Team.

Following the successful pilot launch with 4 schools and the CEB office, the momentum has continued with 10 additional schools now fully onboarded and actively using PageUp.

The feedback from early adopters has been overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the ease of use and the time saved during recruitment processes.

What’s Next?
The rollout continues! Over the coming months, we’ll be partnering with an additional 12 schools to complete their PageUp training and implementation in 2025.

Our goal is to have all DOBCEL schools transitioned to the platform by June 2026, ensuring a consistent and streamlined recruitment experience across the Diocese.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their preferences for the 2026 training program. If we didn’t receive a response from you, we’ve placed you in a group to ensure your participation. Please view the groupings via the links below. 

We’ll be in touch during Term 4, 2025 to confirm your group and provide exact training dates to prepare for Go Live.

For any questions, please reach out to Emma Baldwin or Vicki Dekker.

Employee Relations Update

Whilst I mentioned the requirement to use the TIL Tracker at DLG meeting on 12 June 2025, I wish to reiterate my expectation that schools will use the TIL Tracker and FTE Calculator / Timetable tools.

Instances where schools have not been able to demonstrate how TIL is being tracked or that the correct FTE is calculated based on Scheduled Class Time (SCT) continues to occur.  As Principal, the final responsibility falls to your role to ensure that employee records are accurate and that the correct tools are being used.

Time in lieu Tracker
The TIL Tracker VCEA will provide accurate records for the school and payroll so that TIL can be managed and or acquitted before 1 March next year. TIL not acquitted by March 1, 2026, will result in either having to release staff immediately, or, having to pay out accrued TIL owed 150% of ordinary rate of pay, or potentially to engage a CRT.  This would place an additional burden on staffing in Term 1 and on the school budget.

FTE Calculator and Timetable
The FTE calculator is designed to assist schools to accurately classify and allocate hours of work once SCT hours have been confirmed. Put simply, the SCT hours drive the FTE allocation for payroll. 

The Timetable Tool (link) is then used to build and plot all hours of work in to the designated areas as per the CEMEA 30+8 model which is Scheduled Class Time, Class Focus Time and Other Duties (directed duties). Both the FTE Calculator and the Timetable Tool are available on SIMON under Knowledge Banks (Finance and Administration Resources).

New OSR Application and User Guide

A new Online Staffing Records (OSR) application can be found on the CEVN website here (online staffing records) Or; for OSR Beta Version OSR Beta.

The new application has a range of new features including improved screen layout and the ability to save staff reports for reference. The old OSR application will be decommissioned on 30/11/2025.

Principals are asked to ensure that this information is passed on to staff responsible for updating the OSR on the CEVN website. For further assistance, please contact ictsupport@macs.vic.edu.au.

Term 3 Employee and Industrial Relations Update

On 22 July 2025, VCEA emailed relevant employees the notice of employee representational rights (the Notice) outlining their right to be represented by a bargaining representative during negotiations. Principals are requested to ensure the Notice is displayed on the staff notice board and shared with relevant employees that don’t have access to their school email address, such as casual staff currently employed or employees that are on extended leave. Principals are also asked to share the Notice with relevant new employees commencing from the start of Term 3. Please refer to the email correspondence shared with all principals on 21 July 2025 for a copy of the Notice and further instructions. 

Additionally, a dedicated VCEA Enterprise bargaining website  has been set up to provide key bargaining information and updates throughout the bargaining process.

Changes to the Government Paid Parental Leave Scheme

The amount of paid parental leave available under the Government Paid Parental Leave Scheme has increased. Eligible employees who are the carer of a child born or adopted from 1 July 2025 can receive up to 24 weeks’ Parental Leave Pay. Employees receiving Parental Leave Pay for children born or adopted from 1 July 2025 will receive a superannuation contribution of 12% on their payment directly from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). The ATO will pay superannuation directly to an employee’s superannuation fund. These contributions will be paid from July 2026 onwards.