AddressHampden Specialist School provides Special Education for Primary and Secondary school age students with mild to severe intellectual and other disabilities. It is a two campus school featuring our new P - 4 campus in Terang and year our year 5 - 12 students at our Cobden campus. The School Administration is located at its Cobden campus.
The catchment area encompasses Derrinallum and Mortlake in the north, Garvoc and Nullawarre to the west, Timboon and Port Campbell to the south and Stoneyford to the east and all areas in between. Neighbouring Specialist Schools are located at Warrnambool, Colac and Hamilton.
The schools most distinguishing feature is its Baseroom style of education delivery. In keeping with this style of operation, each campus is located alongside same age regular schools. The P - 5 campus with 19 students, is located next to Terang College P-5. Our Middle Years, 5 - 9 and Later Years 10 - 12 campus with a total of 46 students, is located on the grounds of Cobden Technical School. The towns of Cobden and Terang, in which these campuses are situated, are 24 kilometres apart. The combined enrolment in 2024 is 64.
The Baseroom operation, combined with staff dedication to achieving optimum student outcomes, continues to be the driving force of the school. The school motto the best of Both Worlds in Special education derived from this practice that underpins all aspects of the school. Through the Baseroom style of Curriculum delivery, the objective is to extend the range of educational and social options available to the students who attend Hampden Specialist School. It is also to enable Hampden Specialist School students and those with disabilities enrolled in host schools, to experience success within regular school environments which otherwise would not have been attainable.
These objectives are pursued within a context of respecting and valuing the aims of neighbouring and host schools, and maintaining optimum levels of dignity for students with disabilities in those schools. Hampden Specialist School students have access to teaching staff with Special Education qualifications, teacher assistants and paramedical aides. Physiotherapists, speech pathologists and occupational therapists are employed on a contract needs basis. At Hampden Specialist School each student is offered an individually planned education program (I.L.P.) that is based on the student¿s ability, strengths and interests and the Victorian Curriculum. These I.L.P.s are devised and implemented in consultation with specialists and parents. Parents and guardians are encouraged to work in partnership with teachers in developing positive educational outcomes for their children.
Curriculum is offered in all Victorian Curriculum Strands. Developmental Curriculum and Inquiry Learning is in operation through all levels in the school, as is Hands on Learning. The increased educational and social benefits are already well established at this school.
Specialised programs include Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech Pathology, Swimming, Camps and Rideability. A particular feature of the school is access to a wide range of programs and curriculum areas offered by the host primary and secondary school.
A continuing objective of all Hampden Specialist School operations is to further the aims of education, and in particular, special education across all schools. This is put into practice through sharing of expertise and resources that are unique to our school. It also includes the provision of support to host school students with special needs as part of the regular program at Hampden Specialist School.
The school takes pride in the success of its Literacy and Numeracy programs offered across all levels of the school. These programs are enhanced by the use of increasingly sophisticated Information Technology.
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 vacancy is to replace an employee on parental absence and is for a period of seven years or until the employee absent on leave returns to duty at the school.
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.
