AT801922 - Victorian Catholic Schools and Catholic Education Offices Award 1998 [Transitional]

32. CLASSIFICATION

32.1 School Officer Level 1 (Entry Level)

32.1.1 General work description

32.1.1(a) This classification applies to employees who are engaged in routine duties requiring no specific skill, prior experience or prior training. On the job training will be provided. The School Officer may be undertaking external training.

32.1.1(b) At the conclusion of the established training period or on successful completion of the training program, or on attaining satisfactory progress towards the acquisition of a relevant qualification, the school officer will progress to the next level. The maximum duration for appointment at this level is one year.

32.1.2 Direction

The School Officer at this level requires direct supervision meaning:

• the work performed is checked regularly;
• the choice of actions required is clear;
• routines are established, methods and procedures are predictable.

32.1.3 Supervision

The School Officer at this level receives direct supervision from a higher level School Officer (excluding level Two), teacher or Principal. This School Officer does not supervise students without a higher level School Officer, teacher or Principal being present. A School Officer at this level shall not supervise other School Officers.

32.1.4 Experience/Qualifications

A School Officer at this level has no relevant experience or qualification to perform the tasks required.

32.2 School Officer Level 2

32.2.1 General work descriptions

An employee at this level is not required to have any qualifications and is required to perform any combination of a wide range of functions under direct supervision. The School Officer, after gaining experience, may exercise some degree of autonomy and discretion. The School Officer at this level would need little or no prior experience to perform the tasks required.

32.2.2 Direction

The School Officer at this level receives specific direction meaning:

• receives instructions on what is required and how it is to be performed;
• is subject to progress checks with tasks being continuously monitored;
• requires basic technical knowledge or prior experience

32.2.3 Supervision

The School Officer at this level receives direct supervision from a higher level School Officer, teacher or Principal. This School Officer does not supervise students without a higher level School Officer, teacher or Principal being present.

32.3 School Officer Level 3

32.3.1 General work description

An employee at this level undertakes duties which require knowledge and skills which may be gained by the completion of a relevant one or two year post-secondary certificate or approved trade certificate or equivalent or from the on- the-job experience considered relevant by the employer. The employee may be required to perform any combination of a wide range of functions under routine direction but may, after gaining experience, exercise some degree of autonomy.

32.3.2 Direction

The School Officer at this level receives routine direction meaning:

• receives instructions on what is required, on unusual or difficult features and when new techniques or practices are involved, on the method of approach;
• is normally subject to progress checks usually confined to the unusual or difficult aspects, and has assignments reviewed on completion;
• has the technical knowledge and/or experience to perform basic duties usually without technical instructions.

32.3.3 Supervision

The School Officer at this level receives direct supervision from a higher level School Officer, Teacher or Principal. The School Officer may be required to supervise students while performing their normal duties but may not be used instead of a teacher to conduct classroom lessons, extras, etc. The School Officer at this level may be expected to supervise School Officers from level one or two.

32.4 School Officer Level 4

32.4.1 General work descriptions

32.4.1(a) The employee, in addition to the knowledge and skills required at level three, is required to undertake duties needing additional experience or knowledge such as may be gained by the completion of a relevant three year post secondary qualification or from on-the-job experience considered relevant by the employer.

32.4.1(b) The employee is often required to exercise significant initiative and discretion and is required to demonstrate expertise.

32.4.2 Direction

The School Officer at this level will receive general direction meaning:

• receives general instructions, usually covering only the broader technical aspects of the work;
• may be subject to progress checks usually confined to ensuring that, in broad terms, satisfactory progress is being made;
• although technically competent and well experienced, may on occasion, receive more detailed instructions.

32.4.3 Supervision

The School Officer at this level receives little direct supervision and would be expected to take significant initiative and responsibility but would still be responsible to a Level Five and Six School Officer, Teacher or Principal. The School Officer may be required to supervise students while performing their normal duties but may not be used instead of a teacher to conduct classroom lessons, extras, etc. The School Officer at this Level may be expected to supervise School Officers from Levels One, Two and Three and could have:

• Technical responsibilities in the Library, Laboratory or Information Technology area; or
• specialist expertise in assisting students in the classroom or;
• senior responsibilities in office administration.

32.5 School Officer Level 5

32.5.1 General work descriptions

32.5.1(a) the employee, in addition to the knowledge and skills required at Level Four, may be required to be directly supervising other employees in a large unit within the workplace or across the workplace.

32.5.1(b) positions at this level may, under general direction, assist with the co-ordination of the financial, personnel and other support services.

32.5.1(c) if in a support role to a senior administrator a position at this level would, generally be required to manage a specific support function or assist the senior administrator in the management of support functions. This may include supervision of staff delivering a single support function, for example, operation of the office.

32.5.1(d) the employee has the skills required to do the job either as a result of experience or qualifications or both.

32.5.1(e) such positions may include duties similar to those of previous levels but involving more complex duties.

32.5.2 Direction

The School Officer at this level will receive limited direction meaning:

• receives limited instructions comprising a clear statement of objectives ;
• has work usually measured in terms of the achievement of stated objectives;
• is fully competent and very experienced in a technical sense and requires little guidance during the performance of work.

32.5.3 Supervision

The School Officer at this level would normally be responsible to the Principal. The School Officer at this level may be required to supervise students while performing their normal duties but may not be used instead of a teacher to conduct classroom lessons, extras, etc. The School Officer at this level may be expected to supervise School Officers from Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 and have overall responsibility for a large unit such as audio-visual unit, computing, laboratory or administration unit. The School Officer at this level would have a high degree of initiative, discretion and capacity to program work.

32.6 School Officer Level 6

32.6.1 General work description

32.6.1(a) An employee would only be appointed to this level where there is a requirement to manage a specific functional responsibility (eg. the emotional/pastoral needs of students) or where that employee has responsibility for the coordination of library resources, information technology, or office administration across more than one campus.

32.6.1(b) The employee would be responsible for providing key support and timely advice to senior management, as well as undertaking effective liaison on behalf of the education institution with the general community, government agencies and service providers.

32.6.1(c) Positions at this level would be a support role to the principal involving responsibility for the function or the resource.

32.6.1(d) The School Officer at this level should be professionally qualified with respect to the particular area of functional responsibility or have the necessary experience to manage that function.

32.6.2 Direction

The School Officer at this level would receive general direction only meaning:

• is fully competent in a professional sense and requires no guidance during the performance or work;
• has responsibility and broad ranging accountability for the structure, management and output of the work of others;
• high level judgement is required in planning, design, operational, technical and/or management functions;
• is recognised as the “expert practitioner” within the specific functional area(s).

32.6.3 Supervision

The School Officer at this level would normally be responsible to the Principal. The School Officer may be required to supervise students while performing their normal duties but may not be used instead of a teacher to conduct classroom lessons, extras, etc. The School Officer at this level may be expected to supervise School Officers from levels 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

32.7 If an employer requests a school officer to obtain a higher level of skill through a qualification, this request shall be put in writing. The letter shall include the guarantee that upon successful completion of the study, the school officer shall advance to the appropriate higher level of pay.

32.8 Possession of a qualification is not an automatic guarantee of classification at a particular level.

32.9 If the school officer believes that the nature of the job has changed to such an extent as to warrant a re-classification, the school officer shall apply to the principal with supporting evidence. If a dispute arises as to the level of classification clause 10 – Grievance procedures, shall apply.