Overview of government school funding

The Australian and Northern Territory (NT) government both contribute to the funding of NT schools. The Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) and the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (BFSA) are the basis for determining both governments’ contributions to government schools. The NT Government is the primary funder of the government schooling system, with the funding contribution shares outlined in the BFSA.

The SRS is calculated using school and student attributes but is intended to fund the operation of the education system as a whole, including services provided to and for schools and students. Funding is provided to the Department of Education and Training (the department) to administer using their specific allocation model to best reflect the needs of their unique context. How schools are funded in the NT is detailed in the overview of government school funding – transition to year 12 information sheet PDF (878.8 KB).

The MySchool website provides information on the total resources (direct and indirect) for a school. The financial information is based on expenditure for a completed calendar year.

To find out more, go to the MySchool website.

Government school funding in the Northern Territory

The department is committed to delivering, supporting and regulating early childhood, school education and training services to enable Territorians of all ages to learn the skills and develop the capabilities to contribute to the Territory’s social and economic future.

School funding includes additional resources provided by the department for the three school improvement priorities:

• Boost literacy and numeracy
• Raise school attendance and hold parents accountable
• Create pathways to real jobs

The NT Government is the primary funder of government schools. The department supports government schools through direct funding based on the School Resourcing Model and the provision of differentiated regional and system support and services.

Schools may also generate funds through fundraising, facility hire, educational supply sales, educational items, optional extras, voluntary contributions and grants.

School Resourcing Model

Under the School Resourcing Model (SRM), schools have flexibility to use their funding, together with cash held, to deliver education programs and services that meet the needs of their current students and school community.

The model has three funding components:

1. Student funding – this component meets the needs of students with various weightings for example year level, Aboriginality and English as an additional language or dialect. This is determined using the Student Needs Based Funding Formula (SNBFF) and is used to fund teachers, support staff and program costs.
2. Facility funding – for the fixed costs of school operations like grounds maintenance, utilities and non-urgent minor repairs.
3. Targeted funding – to separately fund department-approved programs:
   • ­driven by educational needs for a large number of schools for which there is currently no weighting within the SNBFF for those needs
   • ­for specific programs that are unique to individual schools, provided to a small group of schools or for programs that deliver services to schools.

An additional per-school allocation, centrally funded direct school costs, is administered and paid for centrally on behalf of schools. This covers direct school costs such as principals’ salaries, teacher remoteness allowances, teacher relocation costs, teacher housing and remote study leave.

Student funding

Most school funding is directly allocated through an equitable student needs based funding formula. The formula provides a base amount for every government student (from preschool to secondary) with weightings for additional funding for students and schools with specific needs. For transition to year 12, this includes:

• Year level
• Socio-economic status
• Aboriginal status
• Aboriginal concentration
• Remoteness of school
• English as an additional language/dialect
• Students with disability
• Distance education
• School size

Student information is collected in August of each year and validated by principals, as part of the National August Age Census. The census information is used to create a student needs profile for the school from which the school’s average per student rate is calculated and communicated to schools in October. This informs the school’s School Resourcing Model (SRM) funding for the following year.

Students with disability funding

Schools receive funding for students with a disability through the SRM in a number of different ways.

All mainstream schools receive funding based on the number of students requiring supplementary, substantial or extensive levels of adjustment under the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data for Students with Disability (NCCD) as captured in the Age Grade Census in August of the previous year. Additional funding is available through an application and assessment process for each eligible high-extensive student who requires complex, sustained and extensive adjustment to access education.

All mainstream schools also receive a flat rate of $720 for every full-time equivalent student from transition to year 12 to build inclusive practices and meet the needs of all students, including those requiring Quality Differentiated Teaching Practice (QDTP) adjustments under the NCCD.

Special education schools and annexes receive targeted funding, which is calculated using a different funding methodology.

School generated funds

Schools also generate funds from fundraising, facility hire, educational supply sales, educational items, voluntary contributions and grants.

Government school funding rates

To find a school’s funding rate, select the school name in the search box below.

The per student rate is determined by the student needs specific to each school and based on validated student information collected in the annual Age Grade Census in August of the previous year. Facility and targeted school funding is not included in the per student rate.

Please contact your school for further information.