AddressNossal High School is committed to being an innovative, inclusive, and dynamic educational environment. We challenge ourselves to be creative and critical thinkers with good communication skills and the resilience necessary to succeed in an ever-changing world. We build skills, self-confidence, leadership abilities and community spirit through a rigorous, rich, and varied curricular and co-curricular program. We want our graduates to be ambitious, ethical, and responsible citizens who conduct themselves with humility and compassion.
Nossal High School Values
Nossal is a school that:
¿ Leads and develops leadership
¿ Creates and cultivates creativity
¿ Is respectful and fosters respectful citizenship
¿ Inspires and seeks inspiration
¿ Is ethical and develops ethical behaviours
¿ Pursues excellence and celebrates individual progress
¿ Develops resilience and independence and nurtures wellbeing
¿ Encourages a strong work ethic with an emphasis on personal growth
The Nossal High School logo consists of two books (representing academic study), forming a butterfly (emerging from a chrysalis), taking flight (signifying the future), and showing a link to the past (the school is built on the old Casey Airfield).
The Nossal High School Motto - ¿Embrace the Challenge¿
This was the original statement presented to the foundation cohort on their introduction to their new school. It is a phrase that instils the hope and high expectations we have for Nossal students to grow in intellectual, social, physical and leadership pursuits. They have been thrown the challenge to succeed in a global world and we want them to embrace it.
¿ To embrace: to hold closely, to accept with eagerness.
¿ To challenge: a call to demonstrate one¿s strength or ability. (Oxford, 2010)
Nossal High School was established in 2010 as the first co-educational fully academically selective Government school in Victoria. Along with the only other three academically selective schools, Melbourne High School, The Mac. Robertson Girls High School and Suzanne Cory High School, it forms the Victorian Select Entry Network of schools. Located in the urban growth corridor on the grounds of Federation University Berwick campus, the school draws enrolments from right across the Melbourne metropolitan area and into regional areas and offers programs for students in Years 9 - 12 only. Entry is competitive and via a common entry exam administered through VCAA and an independent testing company. Students in Year 8 or equivalent can apply to sit the exam for entry into Year 9 for the following year and can preference up to three of the schools. Enrolments are capped at 208 per year level for a school total of 832. Retention rates are very high with very few students leaving the school prior to year 12 completion and nearly all students exit to university. The 208 students offered places for Year 9 annually come from between 60 and 98 different schools; generally, around 50% from the non-government sector and a roughly 50:50 gender mix. Some students travel long distances to attend (ie. Craigieburn, Deer Park, Mernda, Traralgon etc.) and some families will move to the area once their child has secured a place at Nossal. A 4% cap on enrolments from anyone "feeder" school is applied across the 4 selective schools to limit the impact on individual schools. The cap is raised to 10% in the case of P-9 schools. 10% equity quota is applied, and testing fees are waived to encourage students from low SES families and ATSI to apply. 5% (10 students) annually are selected under the "Principal's Discretionary" category from the applicants who have sat the exam, and they are invited to submit an additional written application and attend an interview prior to selection.
On most comparative performance measures Nossal achieves very good results, and "traditional" improvement measures are more nuanced and incremental, requiring contextual understanding. Challenging and longer-term approaches to achieve cultural rather than transformative change is often required to enable such improvement.
The school leadership team has always sought to challenge the school community and has set broad, big picture goals relating to curriculum and pedagogy; assessment; student voice; ICT; school culture and ethos. The school undertook a self-Evaluation in late 2022 and developed a new Strategic Plan early in 2023 following an "Influencing" review process.
Nossal students (and their parents) are highly motivated, highly aspirational, and very committed to their academic education and VCE results and nearly all aspire to university entry.
1. Demonstrated affinity and enthusiasm for working with young people including evidence of experience in counselling or outreach support for students in youth orientated environments, particularly secondary schools, training organisations or youth support services.
2. Evidence of exceptional interpersonal and communication skills to effectively liaise with teaching staff, school administration and also a range of community agencies.
3. Demonstrated ability to identify issues and barriers that could prevent students achieve future success and assist school leavers to develop strategies that will empower them.
4. Evidence of excellent organisational and management skills, demonstrating comprehensive ICT skills, an ability to work independently and as a proactive member of a small dynamic team.
5. Evidence of the ability to produce clear, comprehensive notes and reports for individual case work enabling cross team access for consultation, decision making and action plans.
This role encompasses aspects of welfare, mental health and current teenage issues in a multicultural, highly academic select entry school environment. The provision of support and counselling, including crisis management, at both an individual and group level is the key component of this role. Development and encouragement of supportive relationships with students, the school community and outside agencies including initiation and presentation of wellbeing programs are included in the role. A clear understanding of the issues of privacy, confidentiality, and the school¿s position in terms of mandated responsibilities is expected to always form the basis of counselling and support. The role requires a minimum of individual supervision on a day-to-day basis but is dependent on team consultation and decision making. The role forms an integral part of a dynamic student wellbeing team enabling a group support approach for highly aspirational, focused students from Year 9 -12.
Other duties may be assigned by the Assistant Principal and / or Business Manager.
This role has student but no staff supervisory responsibilities.
Act in accordance with guidelines, processes and policies whilst always maintaining confidentiality and privacy.
Provide counselling services for highly aspirational students on an individual basis, including liaison with parents, regarding welfare and academic progress concerns.
Respond to crisis situations as they arise, implementing timely and appropriate support for students, families and staff. This may include assisting with risk assessments and safety plans.
Facilitate and support restorative practices, group conflict resolution and/or mediation sessions, mental health and all general youth counselling including referral to outside agencies as required.
Provide staff with ongoing feedback and personal support to strengthen relationships between student support services and teaching practices.
Develop effective referral and communication processes including maintaining accurate case notes and records of all counselling and interview sessions.
Work in a multi-disciplinary wellbeing and inclusion team, to build the capacity of the team to support student achievement, engagement, and wellbeing. Provide advice and professional development for staff.
Act as a resource person for students, families and staff. Establish and maintain effective networks with external providers, and assist staff, students and families to access those services.
Liaise with other Department areas (including secondary school nurses and Student Support Services staff) and external service providers where necessary to provide support to students.
Provide a supportive environment to facilitate both classroom and individual activities, counselling and personal development for individual and student groups.
Other duties as directed by the Principal and Principal nominee
Required Qualification
For Social Workers, applicants must be eligible for membership with the Australian Association of Social Workers
Have demonstrated direct counselling experience.
Have a current Working with Children Check
Applicants must be qualified as a psychologist, Social Worker, mental health nurse or occupational therapist. Specifically:
Please note:
¿ Continued professional learning is a registration requirement under the National Law, which governs the operations of the National Boards and Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA)
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
Preparation of application:
Applicants should adhere to the following procedures for the submission of their application.
- Applications must be no longer than 10 pages using a font no smaller than size 12.
- Applications should include a CV containing their address, contact numbers (business and private), classification (where applicable), current position, evidence of qualifications, VIT registration or WWCC number.
- Applications must address each of the key selection criteria.
- Applicants must provide the names and contact numbers (mobile preferred) of three professional referees who can confirm their responses to the key selection criteria (NOTE: the panel may contact referees outside the list and would normally contact current or past principals).
Please submit applications through Recruitment Online.
- 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
