AddressWestern Heights College during the last 5 years has established a new and vibrant culture and strategic direction. It is a government co-educational single campus secondary college located in the heart of the Hamlyn Heights, Herne Hill and the Geelong West region just a short drive from the Geelong city centre, the Geelong Ring Road and nearby rural towns. The college is located within state-of-the-art modern buildings which connect learning, to our community and reflects our leading-edge work in curriculum design and delivery for our community.
The college¿s purpose is to empower students to strive for success and excellence in their educational journey with a focus on learning growth, high expectations, holistic well-being, creativity and innovation reflected strongly in the schools 3 values community, courage and integrity. Planning has commenced for the school to complete its masterplan which will see the college state of art gymnasium constructed on-site to enable a highly specialised sports and physical activity program to grow with a completion date of early 2026. The college offers flexible indoor and outdoor learning spaces as well as an array of educational opportunities to empower students to strive for success and excellence in their educational learning journey.
The college has a strong focus on literacy and numeracy across the college. Global learning and thinking are a priority for the College with the school inclusive of cultural diversity, offering EAL and Chinese mandarin as it¿s language. The college has sister schools based in China.
Leadership, interpersonal development and student voice and agency in learning are a focus for the school with its offerings of exceptional dance, music, theatre studies, technology, STEM and art programs on offer. The college has an exciting camps and excursions program with opportunities to include local, interstate and international experiences to places like Mount Buller, Kokoda, Central Australia, China, Europe, the USA and Fiji. The College is also involved regularly in the School for Student Leadership Opportunities across all its campuses for Year 9 students.
All students belong to learning communities with developmental personal learning goals and pathways plans, supported by a mentoring program and the Resilience Project across 7-12. Years 7 and 8 students are supported in their learning communities by a teacher team focused on building key skills, knowledge and understanding. An innovative personalised program for Year 9 and 10 students includes access to VCE, the Head Start Program, School Based Apprenticeships (SBA¿s) and Vocational Education Training (VET) studies. Years 11 and 12 students choose from a wide range of studies, combining academic VCE, VM and VET, CHES programs offered. Western Heights College has an active and fully engaged College Council, establishing strong links with the local community, including partnerships with the City of Greater Geelong, Vines Road Community Hub, the Geelong Regional Library, Vines Road Senior Citizens and many local and elite sports groups co-located on site.
We continue to implement School-wide Positive Behaviours Support and are committed to continuing to utilise this evidence-based holistic framework for a positive climate and student outcomes. In 2024, the school has completed 4 training days for the Berry Street Education Model (BSIM Model). We have a strong belief that that the very best strategies for student success, live in a strengths-based classroom, based upon meeting the differentiated needs of all students.
The school will reach close to its enrolment capacity of 1200 in 2025.
Tours are welcome and interested applicants are encouraged to contact Principal Fiona Taylor via email or by calling 0488 988 ***.
SC1. Educational Leadership
(i) Outstanding capacity for visionary and exemplary educational leadership of a school.
(ii) Highly developed skills in learning and managing change including leadership of others in the process of change.
SC2. Financial, Managerial and Administrative Ability.
(i) Outstanding financial, organisational and resource management skills.
SC3. Planning, Policy and Program Development and Review
(i) Exemplary values appropriate to the development of student learning with a demonstrated capacity to achieve high quality student outcomes.
(ii) Demonstrated ability to implement departmental policies to a high level.
(iii) An understanding of, and a commitment to, the use of learning technologies to improve teaching and learning.
SC4. Leadership of Staff and Students.
(i) A highly developed capacity to motivate staff, develop their talents and build an effective team.
(ii) A clear capacity to foster a learning environment that takes account of the individual needs of students and helps students to develop their special abilities and talents.
(iii) Highly developed capacity and commitment to lead a professional learning community through use of data to improve learning outcomes for all students.
SC5. Interpersonal and Communication Skills.
(i) Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills in individual, small group and community contexts.
(ii) Exemplary values pertaining to personal qualities of objectivity, sensitivity and integrity.
(iii) An ability to work with parents and the community to develop a strong learning environment.
SC 6: Community Criteria
(i) Demonstrated capacity to lead a positive climate for student learning improvement to support student aspirations and inclusion for all.
The Assistant Principal reports directly to the Principal.
Assistant Principals have a primary responsibility for the management of significant areas or functions within the school to ensure the effective development, provision, and evaluation of the school's education program. In exercising the responsibility, assistant principals will have the authority to make all significant decisions relating to the program, budget and staff relating to their area of designated responsibility within the framework of the school's strategic plan, policies, and budget. Assistant principals will contribute to the overall management of the school through involvement in policy formulation and decision making.
The management of significant school program or functional areas in schools involve assistant principals in the analysis of the needs of students and the translation of state educational policy and frameworks into appropriate education programs to meet the needs of all students.
Typically, Assistant Principals will be responsible for the effective use of the teaching staff and program budget of a defined area of the school's operation and for the oversight and leadership of the educational programs provided utilising these resources.
At Western Heights College, the Assistant Principal will have a whole-school leadership role and responsibilities including leading and managing significant aspects of the School Strategic Plan / Annual Implementation Plan, the oversight of Learning Communities and supportive leadership and mentoring role of a Sub-School Manager, and other school-wide portfolios. The Assistant Principal will be a highly effective leader, who models College Values to a high standard, and is capable of leading change in key areas including Building Practice Excellence and a Positive Climate for Learning.
Typically, Assistant Principals perform one or more of the following functions:
· supervision and coordination of the work of senior curriculum or level coordinators;
· allocation of budgets, positions of responsibility and other resources within the area of responsibility;
· supervision of the delivery of teaching programs;
· management of programs to improve the knowledge and experience of staff;
· responsibility for general discipline matters beyond the management of classroom teachers and year level coordinators;
· contribute to the overall management of the school;
· Other duties as allocated by the Principal
Appropriately qualified individuals currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction. Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.
The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via *******@education.vic.gov.au
Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards. All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy
The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the department values is available at:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview
- All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
- Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
- A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
- Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx
To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching. In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements. This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.
