Educational Services (Teachers) Award

MA000077 covers teachers employed throughout Australia in the school education industry and in early childhood education and care - including registered or accredited schools, preschools, kindergartens and long day care centres - and the labour-hire businesses that place teachers into those settings. It is focused on teaching staff. Non-teaching support, administrative and many early childhood educator roles fall under other awards, so confirm coverage for each role against the award and the Fair Work Ombudsman.

Generally no. MA000077 is aimed at teachers. Senior leadership roles such as principals and deputy principals, and non-teaching staff such as administration, grounds, cleaning and many classroom support roles, typically sit outside this award and are covered by other instruments or individual arrangements. Early childhood educators who are not teachers usually fall under the Children's Services Award. Check each role's duties against the award's coverage and the Fair Work Ombudsman before assuming MA000077 applies.

Teachers are graded on a ladder of levels driven by their teaching accreditation or registration and their service. Entry covers graduate teachers and those with provisional or conditional accreditation; teachers then move up on gaining proficient accreditation and, beyond that, after defined periods of satisfactory service, to a top level for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher status or equivalent. Classify each teacher by their actual accreditation and service, then read the current rate for that level from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Always take current rates from the Fair Work Pay Calculator or the MA000077 pay guide rather than memory or an old spreadsheet. Rates are set as annual salaries that differ by classification level and by setting, with a premium for long day care, and they are reviewed each year and rise from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. Valont keeps these figures current as part of award-compliant payroll for schools and education providers.

The award incorporates the National Employment Standards leave entitlement but applies it to the school calendar: a teacher's absence during the non-term (school holiday) weeks is generally deemed to include their annual leave, and the annual salary is paid in full satisfaction of the year. Pro-rata rules apply for teachers who start mid-year or take extended unpaid leave. Confirm the exact leave and re-crediting provisions for this award from the Fair Work source, as they are quite specific.

Yes. Teachers are generally entitled to annual leave loading on their leave, which across awards is commonly 17.5%, recognising that leave should not leave someone worse off than working. Some arrangements pay an equivalent loading spread across each regular pay instead of as a lump sum. Treat 17.5% as a guide, and confirm the exact loading and how it is applied under this award using the Fair Work source before running pay.

Casual teachers are paid a casual loading - commonly 25% across modern awards - in place of paid leave and other permanent entitlements, plus minimum-payment rules for each engagement. In schools that typically means a minimum payment per engagement, while early childhood services use tiered minimums (for example two hours, four hours, or a full day) depending on the hours worked. Treat 25% as a guide and confirm the exact loading and minimums for this award from the Fair Work source.

MA000077 includes a leadership or coordinator allowance for teachers carrying defined extra responsibility, a director's allowance for the director of an early childhood service that scales with the size of the service, an educational leader's allowance for the educator who leads the service's educational program, and a per-kilometre vehicle allowance for required use of a private car. Identify which apply to each role and confirm the current amounts using the Fair Work Pay Calculator, as they are reviewed each year.

Where a teacher is appointed to direct an early childhood service such as a preschool or long day care centre, the award provides a director's allowance on top of their classification salary, with the amount scaled to the size of the service. It recognises the management responsibility of running the service. Make sure the allowance reflects the correct service-size band and that it continues while the role is held, and confirm the current amount from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

School teaching under this award is salaried professional work, so it does not carry the rostered weekend and shift-penalty structure of an hourly award, and teachers are generally not scheduled on weekends or public holidays. Where staff genuinely do work such days, any entitlement comes from the award and the National Employment Standards - as a guide, weekend work across awards commonly runs around 25% to 50% and public holidays up to 150%. Confirm what actually applies for this award against the Fair Work source.

Part-time teachers work a reduced but reasonably predictable load and receive the same entitlements as full-timers on a pro-rata basis. The award caps how large a part-time load can be relative to full-time and requires agreement and notice before a teaching load is changed, with notice periods that differ between school and early childhood settings. Record the agreed load in writing, and confirm the current part-time conditions and notice rules for this award from the Fair Work source before changing anyone's hours.

Modern award minimum salaries and allowances increase following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review added 4.75% to modern award minimums. Apply increases from the correct pay period, not the calendar date, and pull the new figures for each classification level and allowance from the Fair Work source so your payroll stays compliant.

The risks with MA000077 sit in the detail: the right classification level for each teacher's accreditation and service, the annualised-salary and school-calendar leave mechanics, leadership, director and educational leader allowances, leave loading, the long day care premium, and figures refreshed every July. The safest approach is to anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator and review pay each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for schools and education providers, mapping teachers to the correct levels, allowances and entitlements so figures stay current and accurate.

Early childhood educators who are not degree-qualified teachers are covered by the Children's Services Award.

Non-teaching school staff (admin, grounds, support) sit under the Schools General Staff Award.