Reading recovery travel reimbursements

Learn about the reimbursement that cluster-based reading recovery teachers can claim for from a school for their reading recovery-related travel.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Inform

  • Administrators
  • Reading Recovery Teachers
  • Principals and Tumuaki

In order for cluster-based reading recovery teachers to claim reimbursement for reading-recovery related travel, they must meet the requirements below.

Teachers eligible for travel reimbursement

In many rural and some urban schools, a teacher (full- or part-time) on the staff of one or more school(s) travels during the school day to nearby schools to deliver a Reading and Recovery and Early Literacy Support programme. Where this arrangement is approved by the Ministry and coordinated by reading recovery tutors, it's known as a reading recovery cluster or network. These teachers can claim travel reimbursement.

A teacher may be employed separately by 2 or more boards as a reading recovery teacher, rather than by the board of a base school in an approved cluster. These teachers can also claim for reading recovery-related travel reimbursement.

When not to pay reimbursement

As with all other teachers, reading recovery teachers are responsible for travel from home to the first place where they teach, and from the last place they teach to home.

Where a reading recovery cluster teacher isn't required to return to the base school to teach at the end of the day, mileage back to the base school can't be claimed.

Where a Reading Recovery teacher is not required to attend another school to teach at the end of the day, mileage to another school cannot be claimed.

Seeking approval for exceptions to policy

There may be circumstances where the Ministry may, at its discretion, approve limited reimbursement of travel expenses from a reading recovery cluster teacher’s home to the first place they teach, and/or from the last place they teach to home. However, this will only be when:

  • the reading recovery cluster teacher is required to begin or end the day in a school other than their base school, and
  • there are compelling reasons why approval is given. Such reasons may be to best use a teacher’s teaching time, or there may be local approved circumstances.

In these cases, you must get approval from the local Ministry office before seeking approval from the Resourcing Division.

The rate for travel reimbursement

Travel is reimbursed at the rate agreed in the 2023/04 Settlement of the Primary Teachers' Collective Agreement.

As with all other teachers, reading recovery teachers are responsible for travel from home to the first place of teaching duties and from the last place of teaching duties to home, whether this is the base school or not.

Claims and payments procedure

The following steps outline the process for reading recovery cluster teachers to claim and receive reimbursement and for boards to receive reimbursement for travel payments.

Step 1 The reading recovery cluster teacher keeps a log of daily travel.
Step 2

At the end of each term, the teacher completes a Claim for Reimbursement of Reading Recovery Travel Expenses Form.

Reading Recovery Travel Expenses Form [DOCX, 80 KB]

Step 3 The teacher gives their completed form and a copy of their daily travel log to the reading recovery tutor for checking and initialling.
Step 4 The tutor confirms the claim as correct, and sends to principal of the base school for approval and payment.
Step 5 The school pays the reading recovery cluster teacher’s travel expenses from the base school’s operational funding.
Step 6 The teacher signs the receipt part of the claim form to acknowledge payment.
Step 7 The principal of the base school may then submit a claim for the reimbursement of the travel payment.
Step 8

Send the claim to the Resourcing Division who will then reimburse the base school. You can send it to the address on the form, or scan and email it to:

resourcing@education.govt.nz

Final date for claims

The final date for processing claims for each school term is the end of the following term.

For example, claims for travel during Term 1 must be submitted to the Resourcing Division by the end of Term 2. Make sure your administration processes allow you to meet the deadline.

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