The education sector is constantly evolving. Schools, colleges, training organisations and other educational institutions face increasing expectations around governance, compliance, financial sustainability, funding accountability and risk management.
At the same time, education leaders are focused on delivering quality learning outcomes for students, staff and the broader community.
We understand the challenges education organisations face. From changing regulatory requirements and financial reporting obligations to strategic planning and operational performance, there is growing pressure on leadership teams and boards to make well-informed decisions.
Our education specialists work alongside your organisation to provide practical advice, independent assurance and financial insights that support long-term success.
Saward Dawson supports a broad range of education organisations, including:
Our team understands the unique regulatory, governance and financial requirements that apply across the sector.
“We have worked with Saward Dawson as our auditors for over five years and the experience has been consistently excellent. They know our School well and bring a strong understanding of how an independent school operates which makes the audit process far more effective and less stressful for my finance team.”
Tania Parkyn – Director of Business Operations
Our experienced audit team provides independent assurance to boards, management and stakeholders.
We conduct audits using advanced electronic audit methodologies and data analytics to deliver meaningful insights into financial reporting, internal controls and governance processes.
Our goal is to provide confidence that your organisation’s financial reporting is accurate, compliant and fit for purpose.
Strong governance is essential in today’s education environment. We assist boards and leadership teams with:
By identifying risks and opportunities early, we help organisations strengthen decision-making and improve accountability.
Education providers need access to reliable financial information to support strategic planning and sustainable growth. Our advisory services include:
Many government departments and other funders require an independent audit of funding provided. We provide tailored grant acquittal services to meet the funder’s requirements. These acquittals include recurring government funding, tutor initiative funding, capital funding (BGA) and other government funding acquittals.
The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) requires all schools in Victoria to have a 5-year financial plan certified every 5 years.
Our Education Sector Team understand the VRQA’s requirements and can provide a thorough, independent review of school’s 5-year financial plan and advice in relation to key focus areas for VRQA reviews.
Murray Nicholls leads our Remuneration Services team. Murray is a specialist in various areas of remuneration, including fringe benefits, salary packaging and taxation planning, and provides advice to a number of clients in the education sector.
We have extensive experience working with organisations across the education sector and understand the challenges facing administrators, business managers, boards and executive teams.
Our specialists combine technical expertise with practical advice to help education organisations remain compliant, financially sustainable and focused on achieving their educational mission.
Whether you require audit and assurance services, governance support, business advisory assistance or financial modelling expertise, our Education Sector team can help. Contact our Education specialists today to discuss how we can support your organisation’s future success.
Matt and David lead our Education sector. If you have questions about audit, remuneration, or business advisory support for your school, contact Matt or David for a confidential conversation about how we can help.
Saward Dawson acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and we pay our respects to Elders past and present.
Level 1, 20 Albert Street, Blackburn VIC 3130
PO Box 1212, Blackburn North VIC 3130
contact@sawarddawson.com.au | +61 3 9894 2500
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Fair Work Commission Approves Wage Increases For Early Childhood Sector
The Fair Work Commission has recently handed down a decision that will make a big difference for early childhood services organisations and their staff. As part of a broader review into gender undervaluation, the Commission has confirmed that educators working under the Children’s Services Award will see their wages increase over the next five years.
From 1 July 2025, wages increased under the award by 3.5%, with the possibility of further phased increases to follow.
What do organisations in the Early Childhood Sector need to do?
It is crucial to understand which awards apply to your staff and whether they are being paid appropriately under those awards. As noted above, awards are subject to regular changes and can be highly complex. For example, Victorian Early Childhood Teachers and Educators Agreement in Australia (VECTEA) will change in response to this Fair Work decision, making compliance a continual process. We recommend seeking an external review of your award compliance every few years to ensure ongoing alignment with the requirements.
Ensure that your base rates are at least equal to, or higher than, the relevant award. With the recent 3.5% increase, it is important that your EA rates remain above the minimum wage requirements.
In its preliminary decision in April 2025, the Fair Work Commission flagged wage increases of up to 23% for certain staff over the next five years. It is important to factor these potential rises into your future budgets. We are still awaiting the government’s response on how the sector will fund these increases, so now is the time to review your workforce structures and staffing mix.
Further changes in the sector are expected, so it is important to remain informed and up to date.
For further insights, see our recent articles:
Frequently Asked Questions
The increases apply to staff covered under the Children’s Services Award. Other agreements (like VECTEA or Enterprise Agreements) may also be impacted depending on your organisation.
From 1 July 2025, wages increased by 3.5%. Further phased increases are expected over the next five years, with some roles potentially seeing rises of up to 23%.
Your EA rates must remain equal to or higher than the minimum award rates. You may need to review and adjust your EA to remain compliant.
Not necessarily. Your obligation is to ensure your Enterprise Agreement rates remain at least equal to or higher than the updated Children’s Services Award rates. If your EA rates are already above the new minimums, you don’t automatically need to apply the same 3.5% increase. However, you should:
Generally the Federal Government increases funding in line with award increases; however we are yet to hear of any additional increases to further support the sector. You should begin planning and budgeting for higher wage costs now.
Awards are complex and subject to change. A payroll or award compliance review is the best way to ensure your staff are paid correctly.
Need help preparing for the changes?
Our team can assist with workforce financial modelling, projecting the impact of wage increases and reviewing your cost structures as you plan for these changes. We also undertake Payroll Reviews, focusing on controls, processes and ensuring staff are paid in line with award requirements. We’ll continue to keep you updated as the rollout progresses and can help you work through what these changes mean for your organisation.
Contact us today to discuss how we can support you in preparing for these changes.
Talk to Matthew about how these changes impact your organisation.
Federal Government Announces Significant Changes for Early Childhood Service Providers
On 31 July 2025, the Federal Parliament passed a new bill that will reshape how early childhood education and care is regulated across Australia. These changes are aimed at strengthening child safety and ensuring high-quality early learning services across Australia.
The Early Childhood Education and Care (Strengthening Regulation of Early Education) Bill 2025 introduces some of the most significant changes we’ve seen in years. Once the bill becomes law, these changes will begin rolling out nationally. For full details, you can visit the official bill page on the Parliament of Australia website.
Here’s what’s changing and what you need to know.
1. Funding is now more closely linked to compliance
Under the Act, early childhood education and care (ECEC) services that fail to meet the National Quality Standards (NQS) may have their Child Care Subsidy (CCS) approvals suspended or cancelled. This means CCS funding is no longer guaranteed if safety or quality repeatedly falls short. The Government now has the authority to:
This means staying compliant isn’t just about avoiding penalties, it’s tied directly to your funding.
2. Additional checks before getting approved or renewed
When providers apply for CCS approval or renewal, the Government will now look at:
These additional checks aim to ensure only services that meet the highest standards can operate, protecting children’s safety and learning from the very beginning.
3. Changes to how gap fees are collected
If the bill is passed, from 1 January 2026, educators in Family Day Care (FDC) and In Home Care (IHC) will no longer be collecting gap fees directly. Instead, families will pay the provider directly, most often via electronic transfer. This change is intended to:
This will require providers to set up systems and processes to enable collection of fees previously handled by educators.
What this means for early childhood services
The Government has a clear focus on transparency, compliance and child safety in the early childhood sector. We believe there are more changes coming including a National Workforce Register, mandatory child safety training and exploration of CCTV cameras in centres.
As an early childhood provider it is crucial you stay across these changes. As a Board, compliance with legislative requirements should be high risk on your Risk Register. As manager, you need to understand how the changes apply to your organisation and what you need to do to stay compliant.
How Saward Dawson can help
Our team works closely with early childhood education providers to help make sense of regulatory updates, strengthen internal financial processes and prepare organisations for what’s ahead.
Contact us to find out how we can support you during this transition. To discuss your specific needs, please reach out to our Education Sector Expert, Mathew Crouch.
ACNC Transitional Reporting Arrangement Extension
Each charity registered under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is required to provide an Annual Information Statement (AIS) to the ACNC and upload their financial statements on the public register unless it has a specific exemption.
The ACNC has transitional reporting arrangements in place with the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC), The Department of Education (DoE) and cooperatives in each state and territory.
These arrangements provide different exemptions for these charities that provide financial information to these regulators. These arrangements under the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (Consequential and Transitional) Regulation 2016 are due to expire in 2024.
In the 2024-25 Federal Budget, the Government announced it will “remake the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (Consequential and Transitional) Regulation 2016 with an extension of the current charity transitional reporting arrangement for five years.”
This will allow Non-Government Schools, Indigenous Corporations and co-ops to continue to submit financial statements to their relevant regulatory body and the ACNC will gather the information they require from them.
The federal government have released an exposure draft in December 2024 – Australian Charities and Not‑for‑profits Commission (Consequential and Transitional) Regulations 2025 that extends the transitional reporting arrangement for charities to 2028–29.
They have invited feedback from interested parties on the draft and responses can be submitted to this consultation up until 14 January 2025.
The ACNC website has guidance about transitional reporting arrangements.
For information on the transitional arrangements, please reach out to Matt Crouch or David Mitchell.