Literacy and Numeracy Early Intervention Program (Reference 157)
The Literacy and Numeracy Early Intervention Program (LNEIP) provides funding to government schools to provide intensive intervention through small groups for students in grades 1 to 6 who need additional support and who are not supported through the Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program.
Eligibility
LNEIP funding is provided to all Victorian government primary schools and primary/secondary schools with Year 1 to 6 students except for:
- camp/outdoor schools irrespective of their listed school type (that is, 'Camp' school types, Somers School Camp, Outdoor School, Rubicon Outdoor School)
- hospital-based schools (Monash Children’s Hospital School and Yalingbu Yirramboi)
- language schools
- specialist schools.
Funding
Eligible students are students assessed as Needs Additional Support (NAS) in NAPLAN (reading and/or numeracy), extrapolated for non-NAPLAN years.
Students in Years 1 to 3 are funded based on an applied percentage of NAS students at their school to the total Year 1 to 3 student cohort.
Students in Years 4 to 6 are funded based on the number of NAS students based on 2024 and 2025 NAPLAN.
Funding is not provided for:
- students Exempt from NAPLAN
- students supported through the Koorie Literacy and Numeracy Program.
Funding is provided to schools through the Student Resource Package (SRP) as a 90% credit, 10% cash allocation.
With the exception of new schools opening in 2026, funding will not be recalculated at the 2026 Confirmed SRP. LNEIP funding for schools opening in 2026 will be revised based on the number of eligible students enrolled at the school in the February 2026 census. Funding for these new schools will be recalculated and advised through the 2026 Confirmed SRP.
Funding is not re-allocated between schools if students transfer in or out during the school year.
Use of funding
Schools receiving LNEIP funding will deliver 32 hours of small group learning (2 hours per week, across up to 16 weeks) to students, in line with the evidence-base for effective models of small group learning.
Students in Year 4, 5 and 6 will be identified for small group learning in CASES21 based on their outcomes in NAPLAN.
Schools will need to use diagnostic assessments and teacher judgement to inform the selection of students in Year 1, 2 and 3 for inclusion in small group learning, and identify these students in CASES21.
Calculation and formula
Per student rate = $735
School-based NAS percentage = unique students Years 4, 5 and 6 in 2026 identified as NAS (in either of the reading or numeracy domains in 2024 and 2025 NAPLAN) ÷ number of students enrolled in Years 4, 5 and 6.
Estimated students in Year 1, 2 and 3 = number of students enrolled in Year 1, 2 and 3 × school-based NAS percentage
School allocation = (number of unique students identified in 2024-2025 NAS in Years 4, 5 and 6 + estimated students in Year 1, 2 and 3) × per student rate.
If school allocation $2000, the school receives a minimum funding allocation of $2,000.
Formula example
At a school of 220 students, the following students are funded.
Years 4 to 6 students using NAPLAN data
- Year 4 (2025 Year 3 NAPLAN): 3 NAS students
- Year 5 (2024 Year 3 NAPLAN): 5 NAS students
- Year 6 (2025 Year 5 NAPLAN): 5 NAS
NAS students = 13.
Calculation school-level NAS percentage
2025 Year 3 to Year 5 total enrolment = 102 students
Actual NAS students (13) ÷ Estimated Total Years 3 to 5 enrolments (102) = 13%
Estimated students in Year 1, 2 and 3
2025 Foundation to Year 2 enrolment = 90 students
13% × Total Foundation to Year 2 enrolment (90) = 12 students
Total LNEIP funding
13 NAS students + 12 estimated funded students × $735 = $18,375
Accountability
As per the LNEIP Policy and Advisory Library page, schools receiving LNEIP funding are required to:
- provide small group learning support to all students across Year 1 to 6 who are assessed as needing additional support in literacy and numeracy, as follows:
- students in Years 4 to 6 – all students assessed as ‘Needs Additional Support’ in one or both NAPLAN Reading and Numeracy domains. The department will pre-tag these students within CASES21
- students in Years 1 to 3 – students the school identifies through assessment informed professional judgment, who are achieving one or more years behind their age-expected standard in literacy or numeracy. As a broad guide to informing your judgements, the LNEIP funding model uses the percentage of ‘needs additional support’ students in Years 4 to 6 and assumes the same proportion of students in Years 1 to 3 ‘need additional support’
- provide a small group learning program in literacy and numeracy. The programs must be taught using a documented sequence of lessons designed to support the specific learning gaps of participating students
- provide each identified student with a minimum of 32 hours of timetabled small group learning support per year (in groups of up to 5 students)
- measure attainment for each participating student using a standardised assessment tool at the commencement and the conclusion of the year. Students must be assessed for each of the programs in which they are participating (that is, literacy and/or numeracy)
- record information about which students are identified for small group learning support.
More information
For additional information, refer to the Targeted Literacy and Numeracy Intervention - Small Group Learning policy or contact Small.Group.Learning@education.vic.gov.au
Reviewed 31 December 2025