Classroom Teacher

The Coldstream area has been undergoing rapid change, partly due to the changing demographic of the area.  Originally built 46 years ago as a school to service a new estate in Coldstream, the original inhabitants are now moving on and a new wave of people with young families is entering the area. Our 4-hectare site is adjacent to Margaret Lewis Reserve and offers another learning and recreational space for our school.

The school currently has a school population of 87 and is set for growth with rising kinder enrolments. Teachers are FTE of 4.6, one of whom is indigenous, one principal class member and 5.0 Education Support.  This school¿s socio-economic band value has been consistently rising over the last years and is currently rated as Medium. Our children benefit from all the advantages of being in a small school but we maintain many programs and opportunities of much larger schools. Every child Is known to every staff member and we work collaboratively with families to ensure every child¿s emotional and social well-being and their academic success.

A very full curriculum is available and specialist areas include the Visual Arts, Performing Arts, School Production, Physical Education, AUSLAN, Reading Intervention, Library, STEAM and Robotics.  We place a high importance on Digital Technologies and ensuring that our students are well positioned to take their places in a technologically advanced global workplace.  Each child in 3-6 has a dedicated laptop and iPads are basic tools in the P -2 area. Our students are very active in a range of sporting communities and we are able to offer students activities such as gymnastics, kayaking, golf, tennis, hockey, archery, cross country skiing and running, athletics, football, cricket, netball, basketball, volley stars, table tennis, badminton, interschool sports amongst other specialist sports.
Student Voice is very strong with children represented on School Council and we consult regularly with local community and the Shire of Yarra Ranges on local events. Our school is one of very few in the state that is a Junior Rotary School and we have community care focus.¿

During 20/21 we entered a period of community consultation in revisiting and reframing our school values and added COMPASSION and RESILIENCE to the student and staff selections of RESPECT and PERSONAL BEST.  These additions reflected community response to the events of the last two years and has set us up positively for the future. Our School Wide Positive Behaviour focus saw these values promoted in graphic installations around the school and in the development of the student co-constructed Expectations Posters accompanied by an acknowledgement system that allows for whole school achievement celebrations.

Over this period, the work we have invested in setting up the Education Precinct has borne fruit with new families entering the area, and has prompted the school to set up an Early Years Room to facilitate working families with no local access to long day care. This strategy supports families staying in the area for education Birth - Age 6 and offers continuity of care that has created unprecedented smooth transitions for children entering in Prep. Our Playgroup, which has been acknowledged as a 'best practice' playgroup in schools, has supported this process and earned us the 2021 VEYA award for Improving Access and Participation in Early Learning.

Together with our outstanding NAPLAN results - especially in Reading and Numeracy, there is no reason why anyone would need to leave the area for education B-6. The tone of the school is caring and gentle as evidenced by student demeanor and there is a real focus on high expectations and excellenception here]

SC1    Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the ability to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. Demonstrated experience in responding to student learning needs.

SC2    Demonstrated experience in planning for and implementing high impact teaching strategies, guided by how students learn, and evaluating the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth. 

SC3    Demonstrated experience in monitoring and assessing student learning. Demonstrated experience in using data to inform teaching practice and providing feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.

SC4    Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5    Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated experience in reflecting upon practice and engaging in professional learning to continually improve the quality of teaching.

The Classroom Teacher classification comprises two salary ranges- range 1 and range 2.  The primary focus of the Classroom Teacher is on the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes.  The Classroom Teacher engages in critical reflection and inquiry in order to improve knowledge and skills to effectively engage students and improve their learning. 

As the Classroom Teacher gains experience his or her contribution to the school program beyond the classroom increases. All Classroom Teachers may be required to undertake other duties in addition to their rostered teaching duties provided the responsibility is appropriate to the salary range, qualifications, training and experience of the teacher.

Classroom teacher Range 2
Range 2 Classroom Teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities.

A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.

Range 2 Classroom Teachers will be expected to:
- Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students
- Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity
- Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
- Supervise and train one or more student teachers
- Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.

Classroom teacher Range 1
The primary focus of the range 1 Classroom Teacher is on further developing skills and competencies to become an effective classroom practitioner with structured support and guidance from teachers at higher levels and the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. These teachers teach a range of students/classes and are accountable for the effective delivery of their programs.  Range 1 Classroom Teachers are skilled teachers who operate under general direction within clear guidelines following established work practices and documented priorities and may have responsibility for the supervision and training of one or more student teachers.

At range 1, teachers participate in the development of school policies and programs and assist in the implementation of school priorities. 
The focus of a range 1 Classroom Teacher is on classroom management, subject content and teaching practice.  New entrants to the teaching profession in their initial teaching years receive structured support, mentoring and guidance from teachers at higher levels.

Under guidance, new entrants to the teaching profession will plan and teach student groups in one or more subjects and are expected to participate in induction programs and other professional learning activities that are designed to ensure the integration of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy across the school.

Teachers at range 1 are responsible for teaching their own classes and may also assist and participate in policy development, project teams and the organisation of co-curricula activities.

The role of Classroom Teacher may include but is not limited to:

• Direct teaching of groups of students and individual students;
• Contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of a curriculum area or other curriculum program within the school;
• Undertaking other classroom teaching related and organisational duties as determined by the School Principal;
• Participating in activities such as parent/teacher meetings; staff meetings; camps and excursions;
• Undertaking other non-teaching supervisory duties.

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

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

This is .2 position

• 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.