Accreditation/Re-accreditation Guidelines for funding in 2016 under the Community Languages Schools Funding Program

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1 Accreditation/Re-accreditation Guidelines for funding in 2016 under the Community Languages Schools Funding Program Purpose The Department of Education and Training (DET) Community Languages Schools Funding Program provides annual funding to support accredited community language schools to deliver community language programs to Victorian school-aged students outside school hours. The DET Community Languages Schools Funding Program includes an accreditation process to ensure community language schools provide high quality language programs. These guidelines outline the process that new and existing community language schools must follow, and the documentation they must provide when applying for accreditation or re-accreditation with DET. Community language schools that apply for and are granted accreditation or reaccreditation during 2015 will be eligible to apply for student per capita funding in 2016 under the DET s Community Languages Schools Funding Program. Accreditation is usually granted for a period of 3 years. All accredited community language schools must re-apply for accreditation prior to expiry of their current accreditation, usually during their 3 rd year of accreditation. Eligibility for Accreditation The DET Community Languages Schools Funding Program supports students to learn and maintain their mother tongue/heritage language. Funding under this program is available to accredited not-for-profit, community-based organisations providing language programs outside school hours. For the purposes of this program, a community language is defined as a language used on a daily basis to communicate with family members, and within their own community, by members of a cultural or linguistic group resident in Victoria. Prior to applying for accreditation for the first time, a community language school must: - have operated successfully and independently for a minimum of 12 months - provide evidence of financial viability - have a minimum of 10 school aged students eligible for funding. NOTE: An existing accredited community language school with less than 10 students eligible for funding per year over three consecutive years will not be re-accredited until it can provide evidence that projected student numbers have increased to a minimum of 10 eligible students. DET funding is linked to each community language school's premises and location at the time of applying for accreditation or re-accreditation. This means that an accredited community language school which intends to open an additional campus OR to move classes to a new location must notify the DET by submitting a Community Language School New or Additional Campus Application. NOTE: Students attending a new campus or a new location that has not been approved by DET will not be funded. ET #

2 NOTE: DET accreditation is language specific. DET assesses each community language school s capacity to provide a high quality language program for each language the school may offer. Therefore, if a school wishes to offer more than one language it must seek and be granted approval by DET for each language in order to claim DET funding. Please contact DET for more information. Accreditation or re-accreditation of a new community language school or a new campus of an existing accredited community language school will NOT be granted if the same language is offered by the Victorian School of Languages (VSL) ( or another community language school situated within a radius of five kilometres from the proposed location of the new community language school or the new campus, except under exceptional circumstances as determined by the DET. NOTES: A community language school that does not provide a language program for two consecutive years will lose its accreditation. The school must apply as a new school to regain accreditation. The Department reserves the right to not accredit an organisation or to suspend an organisation s existing accreditation if the organisation, its officer, board member, employee, member, volunteer, subcontractor representative or agent: - behaves in a way that the Department believes that its continued association with the organisation may be detrimental to the reputation of the Department - is not a fit and proper person, having regard to the special nature of working with children in a school setting - has a conviction or findings of guilt for a sexual offence - is convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment - induces or attempts to induce any student to convert to a particular religion - is critical of or denigrates another religion, religious tradition, religious belief or religious practice, - denigrates, offends or instils hatred for other minority group(s), language(s) and culture(s) Exclusions An accredited community language school cannot claim funding for students: for whom tuition is being provided as a result of an agreement negotiated with a day school who are temporarily residing in Australia (all categories of temporary visas are excluded) from overseas (International Students) who pay full fees to attend government or non-government schools in Australia for whom the community language school is providing tuition or coaching in other subjects e.g. mathematics, English and music, even if the course or program is also conducted in the community language attending language classes at a non-approved/non-accredited campus of a community language school who enrolled at the community language school after Term 1 of the school year who are overseas at the time the funding application was made who have transferred to another community language school ET #

3 who are not enrolled in a Victorian mainstream government or non-government school who are pre-school children or adults NOTE: DET will only provide ONE per capita grant per student for language study outside school hours. DET will not fund the same student to attend more than one school or to study more than one language. DET funding cannot be used to support: political, religious and/or cultural programs such as distinct and separate programs that teach traditional arts, crafts, music, dance or the study of religious texts capital works or the purchase of furniture or buildings administrative costs not directly related to supporting the learning of the language activities designed specifically to orient recently arrived students to the Victorian education system, or to living in the Victorian community. Audit Process Once accredited, community language schools may be subject to a DET Compliance Audit of their organisational and administrative practices. Schools randomly selected for audit will be notified by the end of May in each year of the accreditation period. In addition, the Ethnic Schools Association of Victoria (ESAV) will work with the DET to conduct random on-site student attendance audits of a small number of accredited community language schools each year. Community language schools should conduct an annual self-assessment against the DET accreditation requirements. Evidence of this assessment being undertaken on an annual basis will be requested as part of the DET Compliance Audit. Accreditation/Re-accreditation process 1. Complete and Sign Business Authentication Form: Requirement 1 2. Complete and Sign the Accreditation/Re-accreditation Form: Requirement 2 3. Attach all required evidence 4. Submit to the Languages Unit, DET for processing Accreditation Requirements Community language schools seeking accreditation or re-accreditation must complete and submit the following two forms: 1. Business Authentication Form 2. Accreditation/Re-accreditation Form Requirement 1: Business Authentication Form A community language school seeking accreditation or re-accreditation must demonstrate its status as a not-for-profit organisation and verify that all relevant legal or regulatory obligations have been met. ET #

4 The applicant must firstly demonstrate that the school has established all the necessary operational and administrative procedures required to successfully conduct its business. Evidentiary requirements: Certificate of Incorporation A Certificate of Incorporation to show that the community language school is registered as a not for-profit organisation under one of the following Acts: - Associations Incorporation Act Corporations Act 2001 as a Company Limited by Guarantee - Religious and Accessories Charitable Trust Act 1958 Australian Business Number (ABN) The community language school s Australian Business Number must be included on all relevant documents Contact Details The names, addresses, phone numbers and addresses of all School Council, Parent Committee and/or Board of Management members Constitution A copy of the community language school s constitution School Charter or Plan A School Charter or Plan that includes the community language school s operational and administrative procedures for the accreditation or reaccreditation period Suitable premises Evidence that the school is operating out of or has secured suitable premises Emergency Management Plan A detailed plan of how the community language school will prepare and respond to emergency situations, describing the actions to be taken during and following a critical incident or emergency to ensure the safety of students, staff and visitors Working with Children Clearances Certified copies of current Working with Children clearances OR current Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) registration for the Principal, committee members and all staff First Aid Certificate A certified copy of a First Aid Certificate for at least one current member of staff for each campus of the community language school Electronic Recordkeeping Evidence of detailed and accurate electronic recordkeeping, including records of all enrolled students, programs and/or services provided, curriculum documentation and expenditure School Account A dedicated school account that is monitored regularly and from which the school communicates with DET. Requirement 2: Accreditation/Re-accreditation Form This requirement allows DET to assess the community language school s capacity to provide a high quality language program. It also identifies the school s obligations in operating and providing a language program to its students. ET #

5 Community language schools seeking accreditation or re-accreditation must provide information about the core curriculum to be delivered to students and the level of professional support provided to staff. The community language school s language program must provide students with activities covering all four macro skills i.e. speaking, listening, reading and writing, as well as cultural activities that meet the requirements of the intercultural dimension of a robust languages program. ET #

6 Evidentiary requirements: Course Outline An outline of the course delivered by the community language school. The course must be based on the Australian Curriculum in Victoria (AusVELS) and the language taught to each student for at least 2.5 hours per week for approximately 40 weeks per year. See for more details on the course requirements. VCE Single Study Language Provider Approval Community language schools which provide senior secondary VCE classes must also comply with the requirements of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) and provide evidence of approval as a VCE Single Study Language Provider Student Progress Reports Samples of the community language school s student progress reports, based on the assessment and reporting policies and practices for Victorian schools. Note: Evidence of regular communication with parents should be reflected in these samples. Professional Learning Program Outline An outline of the Professional Learning opportunities that the community language school will provide for its staff, as well as a commitment from staff to undertake a minimum of 25 hours of Professional Learning per year. Note: Teachers who do not have a recognised qualification in languages teaching must agree to undertake an accredited tertiary Languages Methodology course, such as those organised by the Ethnic Schools' Association of Victoria (ESAV). Student Supervision Schedule A copy of the community language school s student supervision schedule/roster for the term immediately preceding the application for accreditation or reaccreditation. Student Attendance Roll A copy of the community language school s student attendance roll for the term immediately preceding the application for accreditation or re-accreditation. Applying for Accreditation/Re-accreditation Submitting an application: Community language schools can lodge applications for accreditation or re-accreditation at any stage up until 30 September 2015 by submitting all the required forms and documentation to the DET. Documentation must be completed, scanned and submitted electronically via to community.languages@edumail.vic.gov.au On receipt of an application for accreditation or re-accreditation DET will: acknowledge receipt of the application in writing check the application for completeness and seek any necessary further information Where an incomplete application is submitted, DET will make every reasonable endeavour to assist the Applicant to complete and provide the necessary information. DET will advise of the application outcome by 31 December ET #

7 Decisions DET will approve or otherwise the accreditation or re-accreditation of a new or existing community language school. The Executive Director, Secondary Reform, Transitions and Priority Cohorts Division will confirm in writing the school s accreditation /reaccreditation status. All enquiries regarding the accreditation/re-accreditation process should be directed to Ms Vicky Marinelis, Senior Officer, Languages Unit, Secondary Reform, Transitions and Priority Cohorts Division either by phone on or by at community.languages@edumail.vic.gov.au ET #

8 COMMUNITY LANGUAGES SCHOOLS FUNDING PROGRAM Business Authentication Form for funding in 2016 Complete the following details and return this form together with all the relevant evidentiary requirements (see checklist) Business Name (as appears on your Certificate of Incorporation) Australian Business Number (ABN) Postal Address Telephone/Mobile Contact School Account (if different to Contact ) BANKING DETAILS Account Name Bank Name BSB Account Number Is your school registered for GST? YES NO DECLARATION: I hereby declare that the above information is true and correct. Applicant name: Signature: Position in the organisation: Date: / / ET #

9 CHECKLIST Evidentiary requirements to be submitted together with this Business Authentication Form Certificate of Incorporation Australian Business Number (ABN) Contact Details Constitution School Charter or Plan Emergency Management Plan Working with Children Clearances First Aid Certificate Electronic Recordkeeping School Account ET #

10 COMMUNITY LANGUAGES SCHOOLS FUNDING PROGRAM Accreditation/Re-accreditation Form for funding in 2016 Complete the following details and return this form together with all the relevant evidentiary requirements (see checklist) School Name Language Offered Campus Location/s (for existing community language schools applying for re-accreditation, indicate, where applicable, both Accredited and Nonaccredited campuses) Campus address Accredited by DET (for existing Community Language Schools) Yes/No Declaration Please provide details for the person/applicant who is responsible for this application: Details of Applicant Name: Position: Address: Telephone/Mobile: I certify that all documentation provided is true and correct. Signature: Date: ET #

11 CHECKLIST Evidentiary requirements to be submitted together with this Accreditation/Re-accreditation Application Form Course Outline VCE Single Study Language Provider Approval (if applicable) Student Progress Reports Professional Learning Program Outline Student Supervision Schedule Student Attendance Roll ET #