2025 WAIRC 00573
Independent Schools' Teachers' Award 1976

1B. - MINIMUM ADULT AWARD WAGE

(1) No employee aged 21 or more shall be paid less than the minimum adult award wage unless otherwise provided by this clause.

(2) The minimum adult award wage for full-time employees aged 21 or more working under an award that provides for a 38-hour week is $953.00 per week.

The minimum adult award wage for full-time employees aged 21 or more working under awards that provide for other than a 38-hour week is calculated as follows: divide $953.00 by 38 and multiply by the number of ordinary hours prescribed for a full-time employee under the award.

The minimum adult award wage is payable from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

(3) The minimum adult award wage is deemed to include all State Wage order adjustments from State Wage Case decisions.

(4) Unless otherwise provided in this clause adults aged 21 or more employed as casuals, part-time employees or piece workers or employees who are remunerated wholly on the basis of payment by results, shall not be paid less than pro rata the minimum adult award wage according to the hours worked.

(5) Employees under the age of 21 shall be paid no less than the wage determined by applying the percentage prescribed in the junior rates provision in this award (if applicable) to the minimum adult award wage, provided that no employee shall be paid less than any applicable minimum rate of pay prescribed by the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993.

(6) The minimum adult award wage shall not apply to apprentices, employees engaged on traineeships or government approved work placement programs or employed under the Commonwealth Government Supported Wage System or to other categories of employees who by prescription are paid less than the minimum award rate, provided that no employee shall be paid less than any applicable minimum rate of pay prescribed by the Minimum Conditions of Employment Act 1993.

(7) Liberty to apply is reserved in relation to any special category of employees not included here or otherwise in relation to the application of the minimum adult award wage.

(8) Subject to this clause the minimum adult award wage shall –

(a) Apply to all work in ordinary hours.

(b) Apply to the calculation of overtime and all other penalty rates, superannuation, payments during any period of paid leave and for all purposes of this award.

(9) Minimum Adult Award Wage

The rates of pay in this award include the minimum weekly wage for employees aged 21 or more payable under the 2025 State Wage order. Any increase arising from the insertion of the minimum wage will be offset against any equivalent amount in rates of pay received by employees whose wages and conditions of employment are regulated by this award which are above the wage rates prescribed in the award. Such above award payments include wages payable pursuant to enterprise agreements, consent awards or award variations to give effect to enterprise agreements and over award arrangements. Absorption which is contrary to the terms of an agreement is not required.

Increases under previous State Wage Case Principles or under the current Statement of Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset the minimum wage.

(10) Adult Apprentices

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this clause, the minimum adult apprentice wage for a full-time apprentice aged 21 years or more working under an award that provides for a 38-hour week is $791.30 per week.

(b) The minimum adult apprentice wage for a full-time apprentice aged 21 years or more working under an award that provides for other than a 38-hour week is calculated as follows: divide $791.30 by 38 and multiply by the number of ordinary hours prescribed for a full-time apprentice under the award.

(c) The minimum adult apprentice wage is payable from the beginning of the first pay period commencing on or after 1 July 2025.

(d) Adult apprentices aged 21 years or more employed on a part-time basis shall not be paid less than pro rata the minimum adult apprentice wage according to the hours worked.

(e) The rates paid in the paragraphs above to an apprentice 21 years of age or more are payable on superannuation and during any period of paid leave prescribed by this award.

(f) Where in this award an additional rate is expressed as a percentage, fraction or multiple of the ordinary rate of pay, it shall be calculated upon the rate prescribed in this award for the actual year of apprenticeship.




14. – SALARIES

(1) (a) The minimum annual salary payable to teachers engaged in the undermentioned classifications shall be:


Total Salary

Per Annum

$
Step 1
55280
Step 2
57115
Step 3
58806
Step 4
60922
Step 5
62897
Step 6
64589
Step 7
66282
Step 8
68396
Step 9
70578
Step 10
72484
Step 11
74032
Step 12
76151
Step 13
78264






(b) On appointment, a teacher shall be placed at the appropriate salary level according to qualifications and full-time teaching experience in Australia. Recognition of qualifications and experience other than that outlined in this clause shall be determined by agreement between the employer and the teacher. In the event that the parties cannot agree on the level of qualifications and/or experience that should apply then the matter may be referred to the Independent Schools Industrial Affairs Consultative Committee.

(c) On application by the teacher and by agreement with the employer, salary may be deemed to include an amount which is paid on behalf of the teacher into an Approved Superannuation fund nominated in accordance with the provision of Clause 22. - Superannuation of the Award, and not being an employer contribution to superannuation paid in accordance with Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992, Federal legislation or an employer’s contributory superannuation fund.

(d) A copy of any agreement reached in accordance with paragraph (c) of this subclause shall be attached to the salary record of the teacher concerned.

(e) For the purposes of determining weekly or fortnightly salary, the annual salaries as prescribed in this subclause, shall be divided by 52.16 or 26.08 respectively.

(2) In determining the appropriate minimum salary level the following will apply:

(a) Teachers not elsewhere provided for shall commence at Step 1 and proceed by annual increments to and including Step 9.

(b) Two-year or three-year trained teacher holding a Teacher's Certificate or a teacher holding a University Degree (other than Bachelor of Education) but not a Teacher's Certificate shall commence at Step 3 and proceed by annual increments to and including Step 9.

(c) Teacher holding:

University Degree and Diploma of Education; or

University Degree and Teacher's Certificate; or

Bachelor of Education Degree;

shall commence at Step 5 and proceed by annual increments to and including Step 13.

(d) Teacher holding the qualifications as outlined in paragraph (c) of this subclause plus a second or higher degree as outlined in paragraph (h) of this clause shall commence at Step 6 and proceed by annual increments to and including Step 13.

(e) The term Degree or Diploma will be deemed to include equivalent qualifications. In the event of a dispute the matter may be referred to the Independent Schools Industrial Affairs Consultative Committee.

(f) A teacher who obtains an additional qualification which is recognised as the equivalent to an additional year of training, shall be credited with the extra year for salary purposes.

(g) The qualifications referred to in paragraph (f) above, shall be determined by agreement through the Independent Schools Industrial Affairs Consultative Committee and shall be reviewed each year and shall be listed to apply from the beginning of each calendar year.

(h) A teacher who obtains a second, or higher degree shall be credited with one extra year's experience for salary purposes. For the purpose of this subclause, a second or higher degree shall mean to include a graduate diploma or a degree at honours level.

(i) The years of experience is indicated by the equivalent number of steps from the entry level.

(3) SENIOR TEACHER:

(a) Subject to the provisions for implementing the classification set out in the Appendix to this Award, an appointee to a Senior Teacher classification shall be entitled to the following annual allowance:

Level One - 3.2% of the maximum total salary per annum as prescribed in subclause (1) of this clause.

Level Two - 6.9% of the maximum total salary per annum as prescribed in subclause (1) of this clause.

(b) A teacher in a promotional position who achieves a Senior Teacher Level 1 classification shall be entitled to the minimum allowance applicable to the promotion position or the Senior Teacher Level 1 classification whichever is the greater.

(4) Part-time and part-time temporary teachers shall be paid in accordance with this Award for duties performed in proportion to the time those duties bear to an ordinary full-time teaching week.

(5) (a) Relief teachers employed for five (5) consecutive working days or more shall be paid for the period at the rate of salary appropriate to their qualifications and experience on a weekly basis of annual salary divided by forty (40) or a daily basis of annual salary divided by two hundred (200).

(b) A relief teacher employed for less than five (5) consecutive working days shall be paid according to the following formula:

(i) Less than four year trained

(aa)

Full day

=

Step 6 Annual Salary

/

200













(bb)

Half day

=

Step 6 Annual Salary

/

400



(ii) Four year trained

(aa)

Full day

=

Step 8 Annual Salary

/

200













(bb)

Half day

=

Step 8 Annual Salary

/

400



Note: For the purposes of this subclause a half day is determined as the hours usually worked in a school prior to the lunch break or the hours worked from the beginning of the lunch break until the end of the school day.

(6) SECONDARY SCHOOLS

(a) A teacher appointed to a promotional position in a secondary school shall be placed within one of the following promotion levels in accordance with the duties as prescribed.

Promotional Level 1

The management of a major department, for example, secondary English, or an equivalent responsibility, for example, in the pastoral care of students.

Promotional Levels 2, 3 and 4

The levels assigned will recognise the gradation of responsibilities which apply within a school among various promotional positions.

For example, for promotional Level 2: the management of a small department or an equivalent level of responsibility.

For example, for promotional Level 3: second in charge of a major department, or an equivalent level of responsibility.

For example, for promotional Level 4: co-ordinator of a subject, i.e., subject teachers with minimal supervision of other staff, or an equivalent level of responsibility.

(b) All allowances relating to promotional positions are minima.

(c) The scale of promotional allowances paid shall be based on the promotional level as determined in paragraph (a) of this subclause and the school category as defined in paragraph (d) of this subclause.

(d) The category of the school shall be determined as follows:

(i) Category A: School above 600 full-time equivalent students.

(ii) Category B: School between 300 and 600 full-time equivalent students.

(iii) Category C: School below 300 full-time equivalent students.

(e) The minimum allowance payable for a promotional position shall be as follows:

(i) Promotional Level 1 Category A: 12.5 per cent of the maximum salary level as prescribed in subclause (1) of Clause 14. - Salaries.

(ii) Promotional Level 1 Category B: 10.5 per cent of the maximum salary level as prescribed in subclause (1) of Clause 14. - Salaries.

(iii) Promotional Level 1 Category C: 8.5 per cent of the maximum salary level as prescribed in subclause (1) of Clause 14. - Salaries.

(iv) Promotional Levels 2, 3 and 4 shall be paid 70 per cent, 50 per cent and 30 per cent respectively of Promotion Level 1 of the appropriate school category.

(7) PRIMARY SCHOOLS

(a) Allowances for promotional positions in primary schools, where appointed under this Award, shall be at the Assistant Principal (Administration), Assistant Principal (Religious Education) level or similar designation relevant to the school.

(b) Where a primary school has in excess of 700 full-time equivalent students, an additional promotional position may be appointed at the discretion of the employer.

(c) The allowance payable to Assistant Principals shall be as follows:

(i) Schools with 300 to 700 full-time equivalent students - $6000.00 per annum.

(ii) Schools with 100 to 300 full-time equivalent students - $3000.00 per annum.

(8) Notwithstanding the provision of subclauses (7) and (8) of this clause, where an agreement is reached between the employer and the teacher on any allowance or benefit for promotional positions, expressed in terms other than those prescribed under this clause, then, subject to notification to the Union of such agreement, such conditions shall apply for the purposes of this Award.


SCHEDULE A. – SALARIES (ASNA)

The following schedule provides a history of Clause 14. – Salaries of the Award including all Arbitrated Safety Net Adjustments (ASNA) as at 2025-07-01.

The minimum annual salary payable to teachers engaged in the undermentioned classifications shall be:



Minimum Salary

$ per Annum

ASNA

Total Salary

$ per Annum









Step 1

21935

33345

55280

Step 2

23268

33847

57115

Step 3

24600

34206

58806

Step 4

26138

34784

60922

Step 5

27573

35324

62897

Step 6

28803

35786

64589

Step 7

30033

36249

66282

Step 8

31570

36826

68396

Step 9

33261

37317

70578

Step 10

34645

37839

72484

Step 11

35875

38157

74032

Step 12

37413

38738

76151

Step 13

38950

39314

78264











The rates of pay in this Award include arbitrated safety net adjustments available since December 1993, under the Arbitrated Safety Net Adjustment Principle.

These arbitrated safety net adjustment may be offset against any equivalent amount in the rate of pay received by employees since 1 November 1991 above the rate prescribed in the Award, except where such absorption is contrary to the terms of an industrial agreement.

In the rates pay otherwise made under the State Wage Case Principles, excepting those resulting from enterprise agreements, are not to be used to offset arbitrated safety net adjustments.