AddressBrookside College is located in Caroline Springs on the lands of the Wurundjeri People and the Kulin Nation. Although the College and the community it serves is relatively young, learning communities have taken place on this land for more than 30,000 years.
Founded as part of the multi-campus Caroline Springs College in 2000, Brookside College became a separate legal entity in 2012. Since its formation, the College has gained a strong reputation as a caring and community minded learning school built on a commitment to student-centred learning and inclusive education.
Today the College has an enrolment of 1150 students from Prep to Year 9 and a staff of 135. Ours is a culturally and ethnically diverse community with 55% our children coming from a language background other than English and 1% of our children coming from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background. As a College, we celebrate the richness that diversity brings to a community and ensure our educational programs give voice to the different experiences of our families.
Our Vision – the why
“Brookside College empowers every learner to fulfil their potential and positively shape the future.”
Mission – the what
“At Brookside College we design high quality learning experiences that build on learner strengths and needs to help them develop their talents, passion and purpose.”
Values
Rights, Respect, Resilience and Relationships
Our curriculum programs place Literacy, Numeracy and Empowerment at the core of our practice. Our curriculum structure is aligned with our Vision and Mission and has an unswerving focus on 21st Century Learning Skills underpinned by the Victorian Curriculum Capabilities and student agency.
Literacy is delivered through explicit direct instruction including a phonics program in the early years. Reading is a feature of every classroom, supported by classroom libraries. Numeracy is delivered through a balanced pedagogy that combines explicit direct instruction and problem-based learning. Learning in all other disciplines features explicit direct instruction, problem-based learning and project-based work. Student achievement is celebrated through Parent, Teacher and Student Conferences, Reporting, Awards and public exhibitions.
Our Digital Technology learning program brings real world learning to students and provides opportunities for students to demonstrate their creativity and problem solving skills. Students are further able to develop their talents and passions through our Performing Arts (Prep-2) and Music (Years 3-9) programs, whilst student health and resilience is developed through the Stephanie Alexander Garden Program (Years 3-4), the Food Technology Program (Years 5-9) and the Health Program (Prep-9). Our Year 9 ‘Futures’ and Electives Programs further aim to equip our students with many of the skills and competencies they need to shape the future.
Student leadership, voice and agency is central to our work. Students have multiple opportunities to make decisions about their own learning and the direction of the College more generally. Student Action Teams drive improvement in the areas of Community, Teaching and Learning, Environment and Student Engagement and Wellbeing.
The College is committed to developing happy, healthy and resilient children and we have invested significantly in a range of specialist programs underpinned by the Berry Street Education Model, Resilience and Respectful Relationships and School Wide Positive Behaviour Support practices. Our work with students is framed by the Response to Intervention model, where student needs are identified and specifically targeted. Additional supports provided by the college include a Hands on Learning Program that has been nationally recognised as a model of excellence, a dedicated Student Wellbeing space called “The Zone” and our Inclusive Education Centre, “The Hub”.
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.
SC6 Demonstrated ability to lead a Professional Learning Community, focused on data driven and evidence based collaborative conversations, coaching and mentoring, to enable learning growth and achievement for students in Years 7-9 Mathematics.
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 of Education and Training 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.
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
- 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.
