Learning Specialist - Vce/Vocational Major Domain Leader

Koo Wee Rup Secondary College (KWRSC) is a large co-education public school situated in the high-growth corridor of the Southeastern suburbs with easy access to Phillip Island, Mornington Peninsula and the Melbourne CBD.

Koo Wee Rup Secondary College is going through an exciting change with a newly appointed Principal in Term 4 of 2023, and a new Principal Team formed for the beginning of 2024.

Our past and current enrolment sits around 1050 students. Many students travel by bus to attend the college.  Our current staffing profile consists of the Principal, 4.4 Assistant Principals, ten Leading Teachers, six Learning Specialists, seventy-one Classroom Teachers and thirty-one Education Support Staff.  Koo Wee Rup is a progressive community with a focus on community engagement and support.  The school is active in the Cardinia Network developing partnerships with other network primary and secondary schools.

The College is situated around attractive spacious grounds.  Previous rebuilds have enabled the update of three learning community centres with plans to upgrade the other centres when the opportunity arises through the Department.

Our vision is ¿to inspire a passion for lifelong learning and excellence in a community which provides all students with the opportunity to achieve their personal best¿.  We emphasise the importance of students being independent and responsible, and we instil the values of personal best, honesty and integrity, and respect for others.

At KWRSC our Strategic Plan 2020-2024 goals are to

-          Improve student outcomes in literacy and numeracy across all domains,

-          Develop improved engagement of students in their learning, and

-          Improve student health and wellbeing across the school.

Curriculum offerings in Years 7, 8 and 9 consist of core components covering the key Domains.  In Years 9 and 10, elective offerings complement the core subjects.  Students are also able to study VCE subjects as part of their Year 10 studies.  In Years 11 and 12, we offer a comprehensive program that allows students to engage in the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), VCE Vocational Major (VCE VM) and Vocational Education and Training (VET).

Koo Wee Rup Secondary College has recently introduced an Engage Program where students in years 7-9 at risk of disengaging from school have an opportunity to complete an inquiry-based, hands-on learning project one day per week. 

The College has strong connections to the Head Start initiative and we currently have and will continue to have students undertake an array of SBAT options.  We also offer Certificate II VETDSS on campus to support the priority VET pathways as surfaced by the Firth review and the exciting new VCE VM senior certificate option.

KWRSC has a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including Instrumental Music, Musical Productions and Festivals and a wide range of excursions, competitions, sports programs, and camps as approved by the School Council.

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 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.

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

Specific responsibilities as LS ¿ VCE Vocational Major Domain Leader

·         Oversee assessment and reporting within the Domain

·         Preparing and managing Domain program budget

·         Assisting administration with information about timetable, staffing and facilities requirements

·         Engage with and support the Pathways team in evaluating and enhancing counselling programs

·         Providing material for school displays and publicity purposes such as information nights and transition evenings

·         Supporting the school review process in 2024

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

• 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.