The Schools First Awards are open to all schools within Australia.

A school is any primary or secondary school or combined P-12/K-12/R-12 school in the Government, Catholic or Independent sectors and special schools.

Schooling offered offsite in non-educational institutions or settings are not considered schools.

The 2010 Schools First Awards application period is open between 9.00am (AEST) on Monday, 28 June to 5.00pm (AEST) on Friday, 30 July 2010.

You can view the application forms from Tuesday, 1 June but can't submit them until Monday, 28 June.

To be notified, join our mailing list.

1. Decide which type of award you’re applying for: an Impact or a Seed Funding Award?
2. Read about the awards and their criteria on the Awards Categories page.
3. Start preparing your application by downloading the relevant application form.
   These will be available to download from Tuesday, 1 June 2010. To be notified, join our mailing list.
4. From 28 June, register online to create your login - all registrations will be accepted online only.
5. Complete the form and provide supporting evidence.
6. We recommend that you:
   
   • take a look at Tips for Applying
   • attend a Partnership Forum (in April, May and early June 2010)
   • watch the Online Partnership Forum
   • refer to the Application Guidelines and Checklist
   • read the Application Terms and Conditions
7. Submit your application online before 5.00pm (AEST) on Friday, 30 July 2010.
   
   Please note: In 2010, you can only apply online. Unlike year one, your application must be submitted online only.

In 2009 we received an impressive volume of applications and we anticipate a similar or greater number in 2010. Due to the anticipated volumes, it's more effective to filter appplications through one channel - which will be online.

Applications will consist of a separate online cover sheet, an uploaded application form and all supporting documentation.

By having all applications submitted online, it provides both consistency across all applications and assists the Schools First Judges when assessing the applications.

For more about the application process, please refer to the Application Guidelines.

It depends on how developed your school-community partnership is.

If your partnership can demonstrate improved student outcomes as a result of the program implemented by the partners, you should look at Impact Awards.

But, if your school wants to start, or is in the early stages of, a school-community partnership and you’re looking for funding to help develop it further, Seed Funding is the more appropriate category for you to consider.

Learn more about the Award Categories.

Yes, but with some parameters!

Your school can submit more than one application in the same year and in the same category.
However, all applications must be for different community partnerships. In any one year, you’ll only be eligible to win an award in either the Impact or Seed Funding category in any one year.

If deemed by Schools First to be eligible for both categories in the same year, your school will be awarded the Impact Award and deemed ineligible for the Seed Funding Award.

Yes, a school can have more than one community partner.

The cover page of the application form will ask for details of your primary partner. While you’ll be asked to identify all community partners, you’re encouraged to focus on one primary partnership in your application and to identify this partnership clearly.

Discover more Tips for Applying.

Yes you can.

Your school can submit more than one application in the same year and in the same category.
However, you must submit a separate application for each different community partnership.

But remember, in any one year, you’ll only be eligible to win an award in either the Impact or Seed Funding category in any one year. If deemed by Schools First to be eligible for both categories in the same year, your school will be awarded the Impact Award and deemed ineligible for the Seed Funding Award.

We anticipate that you and your partner(s) will collaborate to submit your application for an award.
You may provide supporting documentation to reinforce specific elements of your application.

More information about what supporting documentation can be submitted is available in the Application Guidelines.

For the purposes of the Schools First Awards, we generally define a community in terms of geographical boundaries. However, it can also refer to a virtual community.

A community partner can be any organisation, agency or entity that isn’t a school. This may include businesses, service clubs, sporting groups, and other education institutions such as TAFEs, adult community centres, neighbourhood houses or universities.

In the context of the Schools First Awards, 'outcomes' refers to the positive impact of the partnership and program on students.

This positive impact will have come about because of a program or project implemented by a school in partnership with at least one other non-school partner.

There are many different outcomes that a highly effective school-community partnership can help bring about through its combined expertise and actions. These include improved physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, social, vocational and civic outcomes for students.

Yes - a cluster of schools can be involved in an awards application.

However, there must be a lead school who will be the recipient of the funds. All schools in the partnership will need to be included on the application form with one nominated as the 'lead school'. How the money is 'divided up' will be a matter for the cluster to manage.

No. Winning an Impact Award in 2009 makes the winning school ineligible for any award in 2010. A 2009 winner can re-apply in 2011 with a different partnership on their own or with other schools.

As long as the winning school does not expect to benefit financially from the school they are helping.

No. These are not for publication or distribution. Winning schools may wish to share their own experiences with other schools. The Schools First website provides the case studies of the winning schools for everyone to read.

Award winning schools will be required to nominate a representative to receive the funding and will be provided with a local NAB branch contact to manage the transfer of funds.

Any monetary award received through the 2010 Schools First Awards program is to be used to

• strengthen the existing partnership(s)
• develop a new partnership that is designed to meet an identified need relating to
  student outcomes; and/or 
• promote good practice around school-community partnerships to benefit students.

Yes.

The 2010 Schools First Awards applications will be reviewed by a judging panel of experienced assessors representing key stakeholder groups in education.

Collectively, the panel brings together an excellent knowledge of school-community partnerships, substantial experience in schools (Government, Catholic and Independent) and expertise in judging national and other awards.

Read the Judging Process document.