Additional relief teacher funding

The Ministry manages a central funding pool to provide additional relief teacher funding in certain situations.

Additional Relief Teacher Funding (ARTF) is an application-based process. In Ed Bulletin 152 6 December 2022(external link), we let you know that we are returning to this process from term 1, 2023. ARTF claims for 2022 have now closed.

Schools apply for ARTF through ERS.(external link)

ARTF is claimable where your school has incurred double costs due to hiring relief cover while the absent teacher is also being paid.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Inform

  • School Boards
  • Principals and Tumuaki
  • Administrators

 

This guidance informs schools of additional relief teacher funding, the eligibility criteria for the funding and how to apply.

ARTF is available:

  • for state and state integrated schools.
  • to help with costs when you employ relief cover to cover a teacher’s paid leave that meets the ARTF criteria.

The leave eligible for ARTF is explained in the table below. Leave includes:

  • Sick leave, sick leave to care for a dependant, family violence leave, and eligible sports or cultural leave.
  • Jury service leave - which is paid automatically.
  • Cases where you have employed a suitably qualified reliever for RTLB cover.

It is important that schools maintain auditable records regarding the teacher’s leave and the hiring of relief cover.

Eligible leave for additional relief teacher funding applications

We provide ARTF when the teacher is on eligible paid leave, the school hasn’t received other funding to cover their leave, and relief cover has been employed.

Eligible leave

Reason for paid leave

Payroll codes

What is assessed in the application

What you need to know

Sick leave – for the teacher

SL - Sick Leave

SICK - Sick Leave

The teacher’s leave is coded as sick leave in Payroll.

Evidence provided of reason for sick leave.

The minimum number of days of leave is met. 

Your school or kura must fund the relief teacher costs for the first eight days of sick leave for each teacher, each school year.

The additional relief teacher funding can contribute to the cost of relief after the eighth day of sick leave.

You must submit evidence of the reason for leave. This is explained in the Evidence section.

You must maintain auditable records that a reliever was hired.

Sick leave – for the teacher to care for a dependant

Sick leave DOMDE - Domestic/Dependant/ Family Leave

The teacher’s leave is coded as sick leave – domestic dependant in Payroll.

Evidence provided of reason for sick leave.

The minimum number of days of leave is met. 

Your school or kura must fund the relief teacher costs for the first eight days of sick leave for each teacher, each school year.

The additional relief teacher funding can contribute to the cost of relief after the eighth day of sick leave.

You must submit evidence of the reason for leave.  This is explained in the Evidence section.

Maintain auditable records that a reliever was hired.

Family Violence Leave

DVVL - Domestic Violence Leave

The leave is coded correctly in Payroll.

We provide funding from the first day of absence up to 10 days’ family violence leave.

Maintain auditable records that a reliever was hired. 

Sick Leave for RTLB and attached teachers who are not included in the relief teacher calculation of operational funding

 

SL - Sick Leave

SICK - Sick Leave

Sick leave DOMDE - Domestic/Dependant/Family Leave

 

A suitable qualified relief teacher is hired for the whole period of absence. 

The leave was coded correctly in Payroll.

 

We provided funding from the first day of absence if the sick leave is for more than a week.

You must submit evidence of the reason for the leave. This is explained in the Evidence section.

Maintain auditable records that a suitably qualified RTLB reliever was hired.

 

Jury Service

JURYL - Jury Leave

The correct leave is coded in the payroll system so that funding can be delivered correctly.

The funding is delivered automatically based on jury service recorded in the payroll system for the teacher.

The funding system looks back three months for any jury leave to calculate funding. 

Sports or Cultural leave

 

SPORT - Sport Leave

CULT - Cultural Leave

That the sport meets our criteria for ARTF for sport leave.

That the cultural event meets our criteria for ARTF for cultural leave.

This is only provided in cases were the event meets our conditions for sports and cultural ARTF

 

For cases of hardship due to the long-term illness of your principal, contact your Regional School Finance Advisor to discuss your situation.

More additional relief teacher funding is only granted in exceptional circumstances and involves one of our financial advisors assessing your school’s financial position.

Local Ministry offices

Apply for additional relief teacher funding through ERS

You submit ARTF applications through ERS Education Resourcing System (ERS).(external link)

If you do not have access to ERS, follow this link to: how to set-up access to ERS.(external link)

What evidence to provide for additional relief teacher funding

This section expands on the table above. It explains the information required as proof for ARTF applications for sick leave.

For an absence due to illness, you need to provide:

  • all relevant medical documents and current medical certificates covering the period of absence.

Medical certificate and documentation requirements

For absence due to illness, we need evidence that:

  • the teacher was absent due to their illness
  • the teacher was absent due to the illness of a dependant (a person who depends on the employee for care is sick or injured)
  • the teacher consulted with a medical, nursing or dental New Zealand-registered health practitioner(external link) who is currently practising in New Zealand and eligible to produce medical documentation
  • the teacher re-consulted with a registered health practitioner at the end of the period specified if the absence continued beyond the specified period.

Types of medical documentation we accept

Medical documentation can include:

  • medical certificates
  • hospital admission and discharge forms
  • surgical or specialist reports
  • doctors’ letters or referrals.

Who we accept medical certificates from

Medical certificates must be issued by a New Zealand-registered health practitioner(external link) authorised to produce a medical certificate and currently practising in New Zealand, or a lead maternity carer (as defined by the Ministry of Health).

What medical certificates must include

Medical certificates must state the expected number of days the teacher will be absent, or an expected date that the teacher will return to work. If this information is not stated, we apply an expiry date of one calendar month after the date of issue or the consultation.

Medical certificates must show the date of consultation and/or the date they were signed or issued. Medical certificates that don’t show these dates are not accepted.

Funding is only considered from the dates specified by the medical practitioner on each medical certificate provided.

 

When to renew a medical certificate

If an absence goes beyond the dates covered in the original medical certificate or subsequent certificates, your board must request a renewal of the medical certificate.

When to request a second medical certificate

If you have reasonable doubt about the validity of the issuer or the genuineness of the illness, you have the right to ask a teacher for a second medical certificate.

The second certificate replaces the first medical certificate and should be from an alternative medical provider that your board nominates. This provider should, wherever practical, be a specialist in the illness or condition that is preventing the teacher returning to normal duties.

The first certificate applies up until the date when the second certificate is issued. If a second certificate is not supplied, the first certificate expires on the date the second certificate was requested.

When we might request a second medical certificate

We also have the right to request a second medical certificate and to nominate the provider if we need reassurance that an extended absence is genuine.

Your board must meet the cost of the medical examination for a second certificate. However, we will reimburse the cost if you provide a receipt for payment.

Note: In some circumstances, the provisions for medical retirement may apply. Refer to the relevant collective employment agreement for more information.

Dates for additional relief teacher fund applications

The final date for submitting ARTF claims is one calendar year after the first date of the claim.

For example, if the leave being claimed for started on 18 May 2023, you must submit the ARTF claim by 17 May 2024.

How additional relief teacher funding is paid

Payment of additional relief teacher funding is made directly to your bank account.

How we calculate additional relief teacher funding

ARTF claims are not available for leave taken when relief teachers aren’t required, for example during school or public holidays, or teacher-only days.

We use the following formula to calculate the amount of funding for each approved day of additional relief teacher funding.

  • (Relevant collective agreement annual maximum relieving teacher rate/190) x the no. of approved funded days) + ACC rate + GST. (Normal rounding to two decimal places applies.)

For part-time teachers, funding is calculated in proportion to the teacher’s part-time employed hours and paid in equivalent full-time hours. The working pattern of part-time teachers is required to be provided by schools in their application.

What additional relief teacher funding doesn’t cover

Your board is responsible for managing relief teacher finances and any surpluses or deficits from under- or over-spending on the employment of relief teachers from year to year.

Operational funding components – budgeting for relief teacher expenses

ARTF isn’t a full reimbursement of any board’s particular relief related expenses or salary expenditure, which may include the payment of higher duties or acting up allowances.

Additional relief teacher funding is not available for:

  • leave without pay
  • professional development
  • bereavement leave
  • board-approved discretionary leave, including discretionary leave granted to teachers to attend to dependant members of their family (note: this is not the same as sick leave for a teacher to care for a dependant).
  • leave for job interviews. If the teacher is subject to the redeployment and surplus staffing provisions of the collective agreement, then the employing board is responsible for the actual and reasonable interview expenses.
  • ACC claims (refer to employees on ACC) Accident Compensation Corporation claims
  • leave where a board has received some other form of resourcing to cover the absence of a teacher, for example special reasons staffing.

Contact us

Resourcing Contact Centre

Phone: +64 4 463 8383

Email: resourcing@education.govt.nz

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