Accommodating RTLB
Accommodating RTLB: Factsheet
This factsheet is for RTLB lead and host schools about Ministry provisions for accommodating RTLB.
RTLB (Resource Teachers: Learning and Behaviour) are itinerant teachers who visit schools in their area (cluster) to work with students and their teachers on learning and behaviour difficulties. There are forty clusters throughout New Zealand, and each cluster is managed through a Lead School within the area. The Lead School manages the funding for resources and equipment and employs all the RTLB in a cluster, although they may not all be physically based at the same school.
RTLB will have an office in a host school, which is their home base, but spend most of their day working in various schools within their cluster. In some of the geographically larger clusters they may need to travel significant distances in order to provide the service to all schools.
The RTLB service uses a collective delivery model where all schools in a cluster receive equitable and responsive service. This model relies on all schools in the cluster to support the service. Some schools within the cluster may be required to host RTLB so that itinerating/travel costs are kept to a minimum and more resource is available to be channelled into service delivery.
Schools that provide RTLB accommodation are referred to as RTLB host schools. For each RTLB (1 FTTE), a host school receives:
- 15m2 property area entitlement. This is a legitimate area add on to the host school’s roll-generated entitlement
- heat, light, and water embedded in the their operational grant
- administration funding from the lead school to cover actual ongoing administration expenses.
The host school may also receive capital funding for property modifications if this is needed.
Note: The term ‘host’ schools replaces ‘satellite’ which is used in the RTLB Toolkit. This is because the term ‘host’ better describes the relationship between schools that accommodate RTLB away from the lead school site, and reduces any possible confusion with satellite units.
Initial set-up costs for new RTLB
Establishment grant
Paid to the lead school to cover to following one-off expenses:
- new resources
- new office equipment.
Set-up costs are for new positions. Lead schools that move RTLB positions from one school to another do not attract further establishment grant funding. Resources and office equipment purchased with this grant are the property of the lead school.
Day to day operational expenses - property
General Operations Grant funding (including Property Maintenance Grant funding)
Paid to the host school to cover the following ongoing expenses:
| Operations Grant | Property Maintenance Grant |
|---|---|
| Heat | Painting |
| Light | Minor replacements |
| Water | Patching and repairing |
| Cleaning | Site and ground maintenance |
Heat, light, water, and cleaning are covered in the school’s general operational funding. In addition, RTLB will generate property maintenance grant funding. If a lead school has a case for more resourcing in order to house their RTLB, they are able to apply for additional funding. The Ministry can provide support in exceptional circumstances, but additional support is not available for schools that simply have increased expenditure.
Operational funding for individual RTLB is not itemised in the entitlement and instalment notices.
Day to day operational expenses - office equipment and consumables
Administration grant
Paid to the lead school to cover the following ongoing expenses:
- internet access
- telephone and fax lines
- mobile phones
- photocopying
- stationery
- consumables.
More information on what the administration grant covers can be found in the RTLB Toolkit (see RTLB Toolkit_Management.pdf 2 MB , page 26).
Host schools can access this funding through an agreement with the lead school about the costs of what the worker needs.
Accommodating new RTLB in existing property or new space
The space occupied by RTLB is a legitimate area added on to the school's roll-generated entitlement.
- Capital funding is paid to the host school where needed for new space or modifications to existing buildings, to ensure each RTLB has access to an office with interview space at the school. This funding can be used for:
- extensions
- alterations
- joinery repairs
- painting
- partitions
- curtains
- fixed floor coverings
- light fittings
- fixed shelving and cupboards.
- Capital funding is available where needed for modifying property at the host school and is only available for new RTLB workers. If a host school already has suitable accommodation, it won't be provided with additional Ministry funding to provide space for the RTLB. Any improvements will be kept by the school if the RTLB service no longer requires the space.
- Capital funding is based on the standard size of an office, including storage space, of 15m2 (net) per FTTE. A school with surplus area above their School Property Guide (SPG) entitlement would receive half this amount of capital funding.
Property not owned by the Ministry
The Ministry does not provide maintenance or capital refurbishment funding to schools for property not owned by the Ministry, that is, Board-owned private property. Schools should take this into consideration when looking at accommodating RTLB.
Further information
Go to Governance and Management for advice and guidance on cluster governance and management.
See the RTLB Toolkit for guidance on satellite (host) schools (see RTLB Toolkit_Professional practice.pdf 2 MB , page 11) and for guidance on managing cluster funds (see RTLB Toolkit_Management.pdf 2 MB , pages 25 - 28).
More information on school property can be found in the Property Toolbox, visit http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/Schools/PropertyToolBox. aspx.
For specific information about property funding for Resource Teachers, visit the Ministry website and read this section
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/Schools/PropertyToolBox/ StateSchools/Funding/SpEdPropertyProvision/SpecialEducationPropertyGuide/ ResourceTeachers.aspx.
Download the factsheet here (see Accommodating RTLB factsheet.pdf 137 kB ).
Download a template Memorandum for Understanding for lead and host schools to use when accommodating RTLB (see Memorandum of Understanding.doc 43 kB ).