On this page:
The Workload Reduction Fund (WRF) is Action 12 of the National Teacher Workforce Action Plan. It commits $30 million of Australian Government funding to state and territory governments to pilot innovative projects to reduce workloads and maximise the value of teachers’ and school leaders’ time.
States and territories are responsible for planning, implementing and evaluating WRF pilots. They also match Australian Government funding for all pilots.
There are two phases under the WRF program, supporting a total of 26 pilots. Under Phase 1, the Australian Government provided $4 million to pilot 8 initiatives. Phase 1 pilots occurred over 2023-25 and are now complete.
Under Phase 2, $26 million has been allocated to all states and territories for a further 18 pilots. Pilots are in progress and are expected to be complete during 2026-27.
Phase 1: Completed pilots
| State | Pilot Title | Description | Commonwealth funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | School Administration Improvement Program (SAIP) pilot | The ‘School Administration Improvement Program’ (SAIP) pilot aimed to reduce administrative workload by funding an additional 42 full time equivalent school administrative and support staff across 44 schools. Schools had discretion to use funding towards a range of positions including School Administration Officers, Business Managers, Aboriginal Education Officers and Community Liaison Officers. The NSW pilot was part of larger roll out of the SAIP program consisting of more than 600 staff in 419 schools. | $800,000 |
| Vic | Pilot design to reduce teachers’ administrative burden | The ‘Design to Reduce Teachers’ Administrative Burden’ pilot supported two feasibility studies. Five schools received help from education support staff to do tasks that do not require the skills and qualifications of a registered teacher. A further 100 schools trialled templates and forms for individual student planning through cloud-based integrated technology solutions. The feasibility studies supported Victoria's Phase 2 'Operational Teaching Assistants' pilot. | $250,000 |
| QLD | New Support Roles in Schools to Reduce Teacher Workload pilot | The ‘New Support Roles in Schools to Reduce Teacher Workload’ pilot aimed to modernise administrative processes and redirect tasks from teachers to new support roles at schools, freeing up teachers to focus on core tasks related to teaching and learning. 11 Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW) coordinators were employed across in 33 schools under the pilot. | $943,000 |
| WA | Reducing Teacher Workload Using Digital Forms pilot | The ‘Reducing Teacher Workload Using Digital Forms’ pilot aimed to streamline administrative processes by digitising commonly used forms for teachers and school leaders, reducing red tape, manual handling, and duplication. 36 forms were digitised as part of the pilot. It was implemented across all public schools in WA using the Department of Education intranet. | $900,00 |
| SA | Personalised Learning System pilot | The ‘Personalised Learning System’ pilot supported a streamlined process for developing personalised learning plans for vulnerable cohorts of children, including First Nations students. A series of prototypes were developed featuring redesigned IT systems and user interfaces to reduce teacher workloads. | $300,000 |
| SA | Community Connection Officers pilot | The ‘Community Connection Officers’ pilot (also named the ‘Primary School Attendance Action Research project) relieved teachers and student wellbeing leaders of administrative tasks associated with student attendance management. The pilot tested whether the officers reduced teacher workloads in 10 disadvantaged primary schools. It also tested the efficacy of employing an administrative officer dedicated to improving student attendance and engagement. | $500,000 |
ACT
| Education System Pulse Dashboard for Principals pilot | The ‘Education System Pulse Dashboard for Principals’ pilot supported public schools to have their own personalised dashboard, visible to both the school’s principal and the ACT Education Directorate. The dashboard aimed to improve administrative processes and school practices and help principals maximise their time on educational leadership and learning outcomes. The dashboard was rolled out to all ACT schools in 2024. | $150,000 |
| NT | Small School Shared Position Model Pilot | The 'Small School Shared Position Model' pilot supported leaders in 15 remote and very remote schools across the Top End. Four shared positions were created and tasked with helping teachers and principals with their administrative tasks and providing professional support to schools, including literacy coaching and mentoring. | $157,000 |
| TAS | Did not participate in Phase 1 | ||
Phase 2: In progress pilots
| State | Pilot Title | Description | Commonwealth funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | NSWEduChat Trial Expansion pilot | ‘NSWEduChat’ is a teaching and learning tool powered by generative AI which can support teachers with a range of teaching, learning and administrative tasks to reduce workload. The pilot supports the expansion of the tool to staff in approximately 700 schools. | $1.500 million |
| NSW | School Admin Reduction Program pilot | The 'School Admin Reduction Program' pilot builds on the Phase 1 ‘School Administration Improvement Program’ pilot. It provides 25.2 full time equivalent additional administrative support staff in 66 public schools to reduce workloads, including through development of centralised school resources and administrative support. | $1.048 million |
| NSW | Cechat - A Generative AI in Schools pilot | The ‘Cechat - A Generative AI in Schools’ pilot involves an AI-powered chatbot, tailored for Catholic education institutions around Australia, to reduce teacher workloads by automating routine tasks and supporting educational leadership. Implementation of the pilot is led by Catholic Schools NSW. | $724,000 |
| NSW | Mastery in Mathematics pilot | The ‘Mastery in Mathematics’ pilot provides practical and adaptable curriculum resources and professional learning support in Year 9 and 10 mathematics. Implementation of the pilot is led by the National Catholic Education Commission. Resources will be made available online to all sectors and states and territories for a minimum of three years. | $228,000 |
| NSW | Reducing Teacher Workload: Assessment, Marking and Feedback pilot | The ‘Reducing Teacher Workload: Assessment, Marking and Feedback’ pilot trials a teacher workload reduction framework in Independent schools. It incorporates the use of generative AI to reduce the time teachers spend on marking, assessment and feedback and more time on core teaching tasks. Implementation of the pilot is led by the Association of Independent Schools of NSW. | $500,000 |
| Vic | Operational Teaching Assistants pilot | The ‘Operational Teaching Assistants’ pilot, informed by the feasibility study in Phase 1, will trial new teaching assistant roles in up to 30 public and non-government schools. It aims to ease the administrative load on teachers and support teachers to focus on core teaching activities that require their professional skills and judgement. | $4.000 million |
| QLD | Small Schools Head of Department – Curriculum pilot | The ‘Small Schools Head of Department – Curriculum’ pilot supports small schools with implementing and developing curriculum, teaching and learning. It does this by providing a Head of Department - Curriculum position shared across a cluster of schools. This will enable small schools to benefit from the educational leadership and expertise of a HOD-C position, reducing the workload for individual teachers and schools. | $2.000 million |
| QLD | Mentoring Support Officer Roles pilot | The ‘Mentoring Support Officer Roles’ pilot provides expertise and practical support for school leaders and teachers working with and mentoring early career teachers, including preservice teachers with Permission to Teach. The Queensland Department of Education identifies locations to be allocated a Support Officer. The pilot could result in sharing of resources with other states and territories and schooling sectors. | $2.000 million |
| WA | Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) pilot | The ‘Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)’ pilot is a cross-sectoral initiative using generative Al to reduce the workload in lesson planning and learning activities for teachers in the adopting the Australian Curriculum version 9. The WA Department of Education is partnering with Catholic Education WA, the Association of Independent Schools WA and the School Curriculum and Standards Authority to implement the pilot. | $2.306 million |
| WA | Parent Liaison Officers pilot | The ‘Parent Liaison Officers’ pilot is trialling increased support for teachers and school leaders in public schools to reduce the workload associated with parent and carer communications, with a particular focus on the management of conflict and mediation. The pilot will strengthen the existing Parent Liaison Office by employing up to 7 full time specialists to help manage parent and carer communications and reduce workloads for teachers and principals. | $1.694 million |
| SA | Supporting Principals to Focus on Core Work pilot | The ‘Supporting Principals to Focus on Core’ pilot trials additional staff member models to enable school leaders in public schools to reduce their operational and administrative burden. Trials could include an additional staff member located at the school to support business and administration functions, a regionally based staff member to service a cluster of schools, and a staff member to support several principals on defined tasks. | $772,000 |
| SA | Initial Teacher Education Pathway for School Support Staff pilot | The ‘Initial Teacher Education Pathway for School Support Staff’ pilot is a cross-sectoral pilot that will deliver a tailored, stackable qualification pathways for the education support workforce to progress towards an initial teacher education degree. The pilot will include support for an initial cohort of school support staff to improve qualifications and evaluate their impact on reducing teacher workload. | $2.000 million |
| SA | Effective Deployment of School Services Officers in Schools pilot | The ‘Effective Deployment of School Services Officers in Schools’ pilot will optimise the deployment of School Services Officers (SSOs) to reduce teacher workload by maximising the impact of SSOs in classrooms. The pilot will deliver on-line training materials, workshops and coaching for leaders, teachers and SSOs to enhance collaborative practices and maximise the impact of SSOs in the classroom. The pilot complements the ‘Initial Teacher Education Pathway for School Support Staff’ pilot (see above). | $1.000 million |
| SA | Mastery in Mathematics pilot | The ‘Mastery in Mathematics’ pilot provides adaptable curriculum resources in Year 9 and 10 Mathematics in the Catholic sector. Professional learning will be provided to teachers to support implementation. Implementation is being led by the National Catholic Education Commission. Resources will be available online to all sectors and states and territories for a minimum of three years. | $228,000 |
| TAS | Maximising Time to Teach pilot | The ‘Maximising Time to Teach’ pilot will help reduce teacher workloads by making high-quality curriculum materials available for teachers, including instructional materials and assessments. The focus of the curriculum materials will be on English and/or STEM subjects (excluding mathematics). Resources will be available online to all sectors and states and territories for a minimum of three years. | $2.000 million |
| ACT | New Educator Support Program pilot | The ‘New Educator Support Program’ pilot increases support to new educators and their mentors to manage workloads. The pilot expands and existing program from 5 to 20 public schools. Each participating school receives up to $10,000 to establish a new educator coordinator who will guide school-wide implementation of mentoring, including upskilling mentors and a dedicated ‘new educator space’ for new educators and mentors to build their capabilities. | $768,000 |
| NT | The End-to-End Teacher Recruitment Model pilot | The ‘End-to-End Teacher Recruitment Model’ pilot provides support for staff recruitment to reduce the workload and administrative burden of schools associated with staff recruitment. A total of 10 full time equivalent staff will provide support to schools across all regions, including recruitment administration and applicant screening, recruitment campaigns, teacher transfers, and workforce planning advice. | $1.272 million |
| NT | Shared Services Model – Top End Region pilot | The ‘Shared Services Model – Top End Region’ pilot builds on the Phase 1 'School Shared Position Model' pilot to provide centralised shared service support to reduce administrative workloads in very remote schools in the Top End Region. The four new shared positions include a Curriculum Coach (Literacy), Secondary Provision specialist, Special Education Teacher (Wellbeing and Inclusion), and an Executive Support Officer. | $728,000 |