Learning Specialist - Inclusive Education Leader

Elisabeth Murdoch College (EMC) is a coeducational secondary college, 7-12, located in the southeastern suburb of Langwarrin with a current student population of 1650. The College is positioned as the first choice for local families. An enrolment zone is in place. We care about developing each of our students as a whole child. We build relationships and offer opportunities that position students for their pathway to success.

Our key priority areas are Literacy, Student Engagement in Learning, and Community Engagement. The College has an instructional model that guides teaching and learning for staff and students. The model provides flexibility to incorporate current department initiatives.

The College adopts evidence-based strategies to support students social and emotional learning. We offer a learning environment where all students can achieve their best and be positioned for a positive pathway. Respect, Empowerment, Aspiration, Courage, and Honesty are the core values that guide our work. We set high expectations for all students in all aspects of school life.

Elisabeth Murdoch College leads and implements initiatives and strategies to support the wellbeing of students, staff and the wider community. EMC is a lead school for the Department of Education Respectful Relationships initiative. We also have a newly established Inclusive Education team supporting students with additional needs including the new Tier 2 disability inclusion approach and Disability Inclusion Profiles (formerly Program for Students with Disabilities). EMC drives reconciliation in education, and celebrates and supports our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through our endorsed Reconciliation Action Plan. We are proud to work in partnership with the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to support students building strength in cultural identity in engagement activities across the College.

Elisabeth Murdoch College, Langwarrin Primary School, Langwarrin Park Primary School, and Woodlands Primary School have partnered to create the THRIVE positive education network. Together we are using best practice teaching and the science of positive psychology to help every member of our school community to THRIVE.

Elisabeth Murdoch College is proud to offer a diverse set of pathways to cater to every aspiration. We strive to meet the learning needs and passions of every student, while also creating a supportive environment with opportunities for students to develop an individual sense of self and belonging to the community.

Our four Middle School Specialist Programs provide an insight into our unique approach to support students to transform their interests and passions into learning and career pathways in preparation for senior school. These programs are:

• Leaders in Sport - Strong leadership within the community
• The Murdoch Program - Providing strong academic pathways
• The Performing Arts Collective - Inspiring success through a passion to perform
• THRIVE Aspirant Leaders - Empowering students to become change makers

These four Specialist Programs extend our regular curriculum, creating an environment where students can challenge each other, take risks and develop the behaviours and leadership skills that will support their continued learning well beyond secondary school.

We also provide a vast curriculum that caters for the interests and abilities of a diverse range of learning styles and pathways including:

• Extensive VCE and VET offerings
• School Based Apprenticeships with an extensive vocational program
• Many additional opportunities to be involved in further educational experiences, ie. sport, academic, performing arts and community partnerships
• Strong community links with the iCAN challenge and the Royal Children's Hospital, The Salvation Army, Monash University, Lifeblood and Cruden Farm

SC1      Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to model exemplary teaching practice, including a focus on students with disabilities and learning difficulties, and implement school priorities.

SC2      Demonstrated expertise in the implementation and modelling of high impact teaching strategies that respond to student learning needs. Demonstrated ability to support teachers to evaluate the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth

SC3      Demonstrated exemplary ability to model the monitoring and assessment of student learning. Demonstrated ability to support others in using data to inform teaching practice and to provide feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.

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

SC5      Demonstrated ability to lead a team of teaching and education support staff and facilitate professional learning and coaching that informs and influences the work of others; including the engagement of PSD students and students allocated to Tier 2 Inclusion funding.

SC6      Knowledge and understanding of the Child Safe Standards

Learning Specialists will be highly skilled classroom practitioners who continue to spend the majority of their time in the classroom delivering high-quality teaching and learning and have a range of responsibilities related to their expertise, including teaching demonstration lessons, observing and providing feedback to other teachers and facilitating school-based professional learning.  Learning Specialists are expected to have deep knowledge and expertise in high quality teaching and learning in delivering improved achievement, engagement and wellbeing for students. The role of the Learning Specialist will be to model excellence in teaching and learning through demonstration lessons and, mentoring and coaching teachers in improving the skill, knowledge and effectiveness of the teaching workforce.

The Learning Specialist role is aimed at building excellence in teaching and learning within the Teaching Service.

In recognition of the importance of exemplary practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the Learning Specialists may include but are not limited to:

• Demonstrating high-level expertise in teaching and learning practice
• Modelling exemplary classroom practice including through teaching demonstration lessons
• Working with the school leadership team to develop a shared view of highly effective teacher practice
• Leading and modelling the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning and delivery
• Playing a key role in the provision of professional learning, including through developing processes and protocols for observation and feedback of teacher practice and peer collaboration
• Modelling effective learning practice and supporting teachers to seek, analyse and act on feedback and on their practice
• Providing evidence-based feedback to teaching staff to inform their effectiveness and development
• Providing expert advice about the context, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
• Supervising and training one or more student teachers and mentoring and/or coaching teachers
• Modelling exemplary use of student data to inform teaching approaches
• Developing and promoting school-wide professional learning structures, processes and protocols through Professional Learning Communities
• Modelling exemplary professional learning practice included through seeking feedback from other teachers and leaders on their own classroom practice as part of critical reflection and inquiry to improve practice

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.

The Department values diversity and is committed to workforce diversity and equal opportunity in schools and all education workplaces. 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.

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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/protect/Pages/childsafestandards.aspx

The Department’s employees commit to upholding DET’s Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. DET’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 DET values is available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/workm/Pages/Public-Sector-Values.aspx

Lead Disability Inclusion Profile Funding Applications

·         Lead the Disability Inclusion Profile (DIP) process, including the rollover of students currently funded under the Program for Students with Disability (PSD)

·         Lead Disability Inclusion Profile meetings, including the collation of relevant documentation to support funding applications

·         Lead the management of the Disability Inclusion Facilitation Service (DIFS) portal

·         Liaise with Business Manager to manage the distribution of funding allocations for Tier 3 students

·         Support classroom teachers to implement and document appropriate adjustments for Tier 3 students.

·         Lead engagement with Visiting Teacher Service and Student Support Services (SSS)

Lead Learning Support (Integration Aide) Team

·         Lead the distribution of funding allocations for Tier 3 students, including the timetabling of Learning Support staff

·         Lead weekly staff meetings for Learning Support staff, including targeted professional learning that focuses on improving student learning outcomes

·         Lead PDP process for Learning Support staff

·         Support teaching staff to collaborate with Learning Support staff to improve student learning outcomes

Development of a Culture of Disability Inclusion

·         Lead the development of a culture of inclusion, where students are seen as individuals, and appropriate adjustments are implemented to support students to meaningfully engage in their learning

·         Lead the design and facilitation of Professional Learning that builds the capacity of teachers to embed differentiated planning, pedagogy and assessment

·         Lead the management of the DIP and PSD funding allocation for Tier 3 students

·         Lead the management of the Disability Inclusion funding allocation for Tier 2 interventions

·         Lead the facilitation of inclusion consultations with subschool teams across the College

·         Lead the facilitation of relevant Inclusive Education professional learning (e.g DET Inclusive Classrooms learning suite)

·         Support with enrolment enquiries for students with disability/learning difficulties

·         Support with Grade 6 transition program, including the collation of teacher feedback and student learning data

·         Support classroom teachers to interpret recommendations from specialist assessment reports for individual students and embed these recommendations into planning, pedagogy and assessment.

·         Support the Careers team and subschool teams to identify students who require targeted pathways support (e.g. subject selection, work experience, VCE pathway planning)

·         Model exemplary evidence-based classroom practice that demonstrates differentiated planning, pedagogy and assessment to ensure that all students can meaningfully engage in learning.

·         Provide evidence-based consultation and coaching to classroom teachers on:

·         How to best cater for the diverse learning needs in their classrooms

·         How to effectively work in partnership with families to maximise learning opportunities at school and at home

·         Uphold Elisabeth Murdoch College Statement of Commitment to Child Safety

·         Adhere to the Elisabeth Murdoch College Child Safe Code of Conduct

·         Support the establishment and maintenance of a Child Safe environment

Applicants should be familiar with the Disability Inclusion Initiative as per the link below.

https://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/learningneeds/Pages/disability-inclusion.aspx#link90

*** Time fraction negotiable ***

• 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.