Speech Therapist

Dandenong South Primary School (DSPS) is located in the South-Eastern Victoria Region, thirty-nine kilometres from Melbourne. The school is bordered by residential, commercial and industrial zones. The school has a kindergarten onsite coordinated in partnership with the City of Greater Dandenong and Best Chance Child Family Care. Facilities include a state of the art gymnasium, Music room, a performing arts space, award winning Learning and Discovery Centres, modernised classrooms, enviable school grounds, a double storey building and a Community Hub. 

The school is divided into five sub-schools; Foundation, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grades 3 and 4 and Grades 5 and 6. We pride ourselves on maintaining small class sizes along with a highly experienced teaching staff so that we can provide the best possible teaching and learning environment for our students. Dandenong South Primary School also invests in an array of student support programs in Mathematics, Reading, Writing, oral language and wellbeing. This helps in creating personalised pathways to success for all our students. The programs offer intervention as well as enrichment opportunities to students at each grade level. An Allied Health team consisting of two psychologists and a Speech Pathologist also work with identified students across the school.  Specialist areas include Indonesian as LOTE, visual arts, performing arts and physical education. Intensive swimming programs and visiting sports organisations provide coaching sessions that complement our Physical Education and Health curriculum.

The spacious playgrounds are well established with plenty of shade areas provided by established trees and shade sails over the junior and senior playground equipment as well as three large sandpits. We also have extensive soccer pitches, a footy and cricket oval, netball court, basketball court, several decked outdoor spaces, a school garden, a covered bike shed, a sensory garden and a reclusive courtyard area where students have opportunities to engage in physical exercise and leisurely activities.

We are proud to have a diverse student cohort where majority of our students have a language background other than English. To meet the needs of the students who predominantly speak English as an additional language (EAL), the school offers a range of literacy intervention programs. These include first phase and second phase EAL programs, LEAP (Literacy Enhancement Assessment Program) oral language, Speech Therapy Assistants (STA), phonological awareness, and reading and writing programs. The school has a Play Based Learning approach through its Investigations program in Foundation to Year 2 classrooms. Inquiry Learning consolidates this approach in Years 3-6. We ensure each and every student is learning at a standard and in a manner that will maximise their chances of successful, sustained and enjoyable learning. Our NAPLAN results over the past five years have shown that students at our school usually perform better than their peers in similar schools, acknowledging the effective teaching and learning practices at the school. Through our continued focus on literacy and numeracy, we anticipate that this positive trend will continue.

Dandenong South Primary School offers a well-resourced Breakfast Club program to all students before school to ensure they have a healthy and nutritious start to the day. Additionally, DSPS offers a variety of after school programs including tutoring, Sports programs, Science, Drama and LEGO clubs to students once school finishes at 3:30pm. 

The school continues its relationship with a number of partnering organisations to provide a Community Hub, which offers playgroup and other programs tailored to the needs of the local community. The Hub offers support to families by familiarising them with the school setting and builds relationships with school staff to provide a safe, supportive and accessible venue for a range of community services.

At Dandenong South Primary School, our vision is to provide students with a positive and engaging learning environment which will equip them with the knowledge, skills and social competencies they need for the future. We want our students to become respectful and responsible citizens who positively contribute to society.

SC1 Knowledge, ability and experience as a speech pathologist to deliver a comprehensive Speech Pathology service to children in a primary school setting.

SC2 Participate in and contribute to a collaborative team environment, developing supportive professional working relationships with staff, students, parents and carers and providing advice and guidance to all involved.

SC3 Demonstrate excellent communications and interpersonal skills including the ability to consult with and advise other professionals in providings services to students with additional needs.

SC4 Demonstrate ability to design and deliver a comprehensive Speech Therapy support and intervention program in a school with implementation supported by teachers, ES staff, parents and carers and relevant professionals. To provide specialist advice on appropriate intervention strategies in order to meet student needs.

SC5 Commitment to professional learning and growth. This will include the delivery of Professional Development to others.

Range 4 is distinguished by broader management responsibility, particularly in the areas of finance, human resource and other support functions.  Range 4 is responsible for managing a range of functions under a wide range of conditions, subject to the size and complexity of school operations. 

Objectives will, generally, be clearly defined; guidelines will be broad and day-to-day direction minimal.  Management responsibility extends to ensuring appropriate support levels are maintained across the school.  Range 4 generally provides key support and timely advice to the leadership team and school council and liaises with the general school community, the Department and other government agencies and service providers.

Specialised professional roles will carry a high level of independence and accountability where suitable scope is provided to achieve objectives.

An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students, but must not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor.  Supervision of students cannot be required except where it is an integral part of the employees position or involves supervision of students individually or in small groups, in controlled circumstances, where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.

• Manage the delivery of support services to students, teachers, parents and other school clients.
• Ensure all external providers deliver the required service.
• Provide strategic advice on specific support services and their impact on students, school curriculum and services.
• Provide support to staff and therapy to students to address specific areas of need.
• Work as a member of a multidisciplinary team to address student access to the curriculum and individual student goals.
• Collaborate with teachers to support the delivery of intervention.
• Collaborate with teachers on student goals and report writing.
• Provide specialised Speech Therapy intervention for individual students, or small groups of students where appropriate

Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.

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).

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants can contact Brett West, Yamatji man, in the Koorie Outcomes Division to talk about the recruitment process, the Department and supports for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people in the Department. Mobile: 0477 726 *** or email on: **********@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:

 Child Safe Standards: Policy | education.vic.gov.au

The Department’s employees commit to upholding DE’s Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. DE’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 DE 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

This position is initially fixed term with the possibility of ongoing in 2026

• 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