Learning Specialist Range 3 - Wellbeing/Bcba

Moomba Park Primary School is situated in the suburb of Fawkner and has a proud history of serving the local community since 1961. Our vision is to empower resilient, creative, and successful young people who strive for personal excellence and positively contribute to the world. We provide an inclusive, supportive, and engaging learning environment for our school community in which students are inspired to become resilient lifelong learners. Our school values are Respect, Resilience, Caring and Support, Learning and Positive Attitude and our School Motto is 'Our Best Always'. At Moomba Park we are fortunate to have an extremely positive parent community who work in partnership with the school to support student learning. The school community is truly diverse. Families come from many cultures and varying socio-economic backgrounds. This blend is one of our greatest assets. In 2022, there were 234 students enrolled.

As a community, we continuously work together to improve the learning of all students by targeting the diverse academic and social needs. The school improvement strategy continues to emphasize improving learning standards of all students through explicit instruction, activity-based learning, investigation, and inquiry. As a school with a growing student population, Moomba Park offers a range of specialist subjects that support the core classroom curriculum. The school offers an extended transition program called Steps to Prep to support the smooth transition of Kinder students into Prep. To support the language development and learning behaviours of our P-2 students, the school offers an evidenced based curriculum called Investigations. Our weekly specialist lessons include Physical Education, Music, and Art/Italian (Content Language Integrated Learning) and STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. We also offer a comprehensive, onsite swimming program and camp program. Digital Technologies are used in all classrooms and integrated across all subjects through the use of Notebook computers and IPads. 

The school has an equivalent of 15.8 full time Teachers, 2 Principal Class staff, 2 Learning Specialists (P-2 & 3-6) 1 Leading teacher (STEAM/Digital Technologies), 5 Education Support Staff and 2 Office Administration Staff. Teachers work collaboratively in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to plan targeted instruction within the Victorian Curriculum context. The PLCs are Prep- Year 2, Grade 3-6, and Specialists. This facilitates developmental teaching and learning growth. Professional Learning Communities use the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes' inquiry cycle and data for continuous school improvement. 

The school buildings grounds include newly furnished and spacious classrooms, various teaching and learning spaces, library, music room, art room, large hall, heated indoor pool, large oval, garden spaces, basketball/netball courts, extensive playground-covered by shade sails and a school canteen. We are fortunate to have an active Parents Group that meet regularly to organise and support school events.

SC1      Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to model exemplary teaching practice, including the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum, and implement school priorities.

SC2      Demonstrated expertise in the implementation and modelling of high impact teaching and wellbeing 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 model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated ability to support others to reflect on their practice and facilitate school-based professional learning.

SC6      Demonstrated experience of Applied Behaviour Anaylsis in schools.

The Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred to treatment, care and support.

The Victorian Government is providing $200 million over four years and $93.7 million ongoing to expand the Mental Health in Primary Schools program to every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria. Scaling up across the state from 2023, by 2026 every primary school will be able to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader to implement a whole-school approach to wellbeing.

Participating schools receive funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, a qualified teacher, to work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community. This includes:

• building the capacity of school staff, in particular classroom teachers, to identify and support students with mental health concerns in the classroom
• supporting the school to create clear referral pathways internally (within school) and externally (to community services) for students identified as requiring further assessment and intervention
• coordinating targeted mental health support for students by working with regional staff, school wellbeing and leadership teams, teachers, parents/carers and external agencies

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are not required to have mental health or other relevant qualifications, as the role is not expected to provide one-on-one counselling to students. Instead, the role is designed to ensure mental health prevention and early intervention are embedded in the classroom. Using their intimate knowledge of the in-classroom experiences of teachers, Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders complement the school's existing wellbeing team by bringing it together with regional staff, community services and other health professionals to engage and build relationships with appropriate mental health and wellbeing support.

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are provided training in mental health literacy, supporting emerging needs, and building school capacity and receive ongoing support and professional development through a structured and regular Communities of Practice. Training is developed and facilitated by the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at University of Melbourne, supported by Murdoch Children's Research Institute.

The Department of Education and Training has been piloting the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative in Victorian schools since 2020 in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Melbourne Graduate School of Education at the University of Melbourne. Evaluation of this pilot program has shown that 95 per cent of Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders consider the Mental Health in Primary Schools model has improved their school's capacity to support students' mental health and wellbeing needs.

In recognition of the importance of leadership and management combined with exemplary teaching practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the leading teachers may include but are not limited to:

• Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement initiatives related to the school strategic plan and school priorities
• Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning and delivery;
• Leading and managing the provision of professional development and developing individual and team development plans for teaching staff within the priorities of the school;
• Leading and managing staff performance and development (review of staff);
• Teaching demonstration lessons;
• Leading and managing the development of the school's assessment and reporting policies and practices;
• Leading and managing the implementation of the school operations and policies related to student welfare and discipline;
• Leading the development of curriculum in a major learning area and participating in curriculum development in other areas;
• Responsibility for general discipline matters beyond the management of classroom teachers;
• Contributing to the overall leadership and management of the school;
• Contributing to the development of proposals for school council consideration;
• Developing and managing the school code of conduct.

BCBA preferred

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

Role includes being a Learning Specialists who 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.

• 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.