Kia ora koutou
Welcome back. We hope you have had an enjoyable term break as we head into Term 3.
Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement
The Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement (ASTCA) was ratified on 24 April 2026. The agreement includes increases to pay rates and allowances. We plan to implement the payroll changes in PP09, with pay day on 4 August 2026.
ASTCA key dates
- The agreement term is effective from 25 March 2026.
- Payslips from 4 August 2026 (pay day PP09) will show backdated pay from 25 March 2026 for employees covered by the collective agreement, including the new salary rates and allowance increases. IEA employees will receive the new rates once they have signed the new IEA.
- The Principal Nominee allowance is effective from 14 July 2026.
- The School Camp Allowance increases from 28 January 2027.
ASTCA salary increases
Salary rates for trained and untrained area school teachers increase from 25 March 2026, with a further increase from 28 January 2027. For the base salary tables, see Education Circular 2026/11 on the Ministry’s website.
You do not need to do anything about these changes. We will update salary rates and backdate eligible payments automatically.
ASTCA allowance increases
Unit rates
The value of permanent and fixed-term units increases to $5,500 from 25 March 2026.
Middle management allowance increase
This allowance increases to $2,400 from 25 March 2026.
Principal’s Nominee allowance
A new Principal’s Nominee allowance is available from 14 July 2026. This applies to a teacher appointed as the school’s Principal’s Nominee for NZQA consent to assess responsibilities.
The allowance is $2,500. It applies to part-time and full-time roles and is not pro-rated unless the role is job shared. Where this applies, the allowance and the time allocation will be shared in proportion with each teacher’s responsibilities, which must be agreed at the time the arrangement is entered into (or varied).
If your school appoints a Principal’s Nominee, use the Allowance Changes for Teachers and Principals (EP16t) form, or add the allowance in EdPay > Pay Details. Use pay code PNA.
School camp allowance
The school camp allowance increases to $35 from 28 January 2027.
Area school coverage changes - protection allowance
Changes to area school coverage affect a small number of schools. Teachers whose overall remuneration is reduced because of those changes will receive a protection allowance.
Learning Support Coordinators
Schools can now employ Learning Support Coordinators full-time, part-time or in job-share arrangements.
ASTCA service qualification increment
Permanent teachers assessed at Level 5 or higher on the Whakamatauria Tō Reo Māori framework may be eligible for the service qualification increment. Up to 20 teachers can receive the increment at any one time. Teachers receiving the Māori Immersion Teacher Allowance are not eligible.
ASTCA IEA information
Education Payroll will move existing employees to the new agreement once they have signed the IEA. Authorised users can enter IEA details in EdPay > IEA screen or submit an EP22 form between the promulgation date, 5 May 2026, and the implementation date, PP09, 4 August 2026.
Education Payroll will automatically move new employees who start after 5 May 2026 to the new IEA.
Forms portal coming soon – time to get ready
Our new forms portal is scheduled to go live to Beta schools on Tuesday 11 August, then to all schools on Tuesday 8 September.
To help prepare, check out our eLearning module and quick reference guide.
To access the new forms portal, you’ll need to have linked your ESL and EdPay accounts.
Reminders
Primary part-time additional hours (PPTAH)
From 19 July 2026, the PPTAH pay code was removed from EdPay timesheets and CSV options.
The NZ School Boards Association’s Term 3 update includes a link to the Ministry of Education’s advice (developed in consultation with NZEI Te Riu Roa). This guidance sets out the options for engaging and paying part-time teachers when they work additional hours (but less than full-time) – either increasing the teacher’s FTTE or engaging as a short-term reliever. A link to this advice is here.
Support Staff in Schools Collective Agreement – grandparenting 37.5 hour full-time employment
From 20 July 2026, schools can no longer set up new hires who work 37.5 hours per week as full-time employees.
From 20 July 2026, new employees who work less than 40 hours per week are considered part-time.
Existing employees set up as 37.5 hour full-time employees before 20 July 2026 will keep their existing employment terms and continue to be considered full-time until they:
- resign from their role or take up a different role at their current school or another school, or
- reduce their hours in their current role below 37.5 hours per week.
Ngā mihi
Education Payroll