Teacher Aide

Heathcote Primary School is located in an attractive rural setting on the Northern Highway approximately 100 km north of Melbourne. The Heathcote area continues to grow as people seek out a `tree change¿ and settle amidst the rolling countryside around Heathcote.   Our current enrolment is at 134 students, the school population has been  steadily growing over the past eight years.  Our rural  setting includes garden areas, shaded playground equipment, a fenced basketball court, oval and passive recreation areas which support a range of playing styles at break times.  We have our own mountain bikes and smaller bikes which can be accessed at break times by our students,  students are  welcome to bring their own bikes to ride around our walking/riding track.

The school has an administration block, Digital Technology room, Art room, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen,  Library and Music classes are taught in a multipurpose room known as `The Gallery¿ along with a visiting Gym program each year. Currently there are six classrooms, each has  the capacity to open up with the room next door to  allow for teaching and learning teams to work together at various times. In 2023 we have   implemented  weekly STEM, Library and Art specialist teaching programs across Foundation to Year 6. Our school has a well resourced    Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program, where  classes engage in the program  for  students in Years 3-6. As our enrolment has continued to grow this program is shared on a semester basis with the Year 4-5 and Year 5-6 classes. The Year 3-4 class attends weekly for the year,  providing  the opportunity to support  developing  skills needed for participation.   The Stephanie program has classes participate in a fortnightly hour long garden/curriculum class and a two hour kitchen class supported by staff and parent/community volunteers.  Our F-2 students participate in the program once  a term. Stephanie is a much loved component of our school curriculum. Auslan is taught across the school via an online teacher and has been received positively  by our school community.

 In 2023 the school has  implemented the DET Respectful Relationships(RR) curriculum to support student wellbeing, this  supports a continued focus on  gratitude, empathy and an awareness of others. The RR  curriculum supports our  young people to develop habits that  increase their capacity to deal with challenges, changes and stressors in the future. A great way of supporting our students to take on their future  roles in the broader community. Our school has   a close connection with the Heathcote Kindergarten, Jenny¿s Early Learning Centre and Heathcote Health,  welcoming  visits to our school to support strengthening our ties with our  local community. We recognise the importance of  continuing  to develop our connections with the  Heathcote community to ensure a sense of belonging  for all. Our Year 5-6 class has    participated in the DASH program this year, the program has a strong focus on local community, encouraging students to be  connected. Our Year 6 students participate in the Bendigo based Passions and Pathways program, this is aimed at students developing an understanding of further education options, OH&S in the workplace and visiting a range of workplaces in the broader community. Our students enjoy the opportunities this program provides.

Our Core Purpose

The core purpose of Heathcote Primary School is to provide a caring and engaging learning environment, developing links with the wider Heathcote community, and preparing  students to become lifelong learners and respectful community members in a constantly changing world.

Our Values

The following values are central to the philosophy of our school:

Respect  -  recognising and accepting individual differences and valuing our environment

Learning  -  developing the skills, values and attitudes to become a lifelong learner

Teamwork  -  learning together to achieve the best possible outcomes for all

Responsibility  -  being accountable for our own actions, what we say and what we do

SC1  Demonstrated capacity to perform duties consistent with established guidelines and frameworks, including coordinating and supporting others in respect to specific work functions relevant to the role.

SC2  Demonstrated capacity to work and collaborate with others in a team environment.

SC3  Demonstrated capacity to communicate effectively in a team environment, including high level oral and written communication skills.

SC4  Possess the technical knowledge and expertise relevant to the position.

SC5  Demonstrated capacity to provide advice and support to management and other school staff in respect to the work area.

SC6  A commitment to professional learning and growth for both self and others.

Attendance requirement 15 hours over 3 days 

An education support class position at this range will perform tasks that are carried out in accordance with guidelines, accepted practice, and school policy under supervision and direction. This may include coordination of other education support class staff within the work area or educational program.

An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students but must not include duties of a teacher as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students can be required individually or in groups up to 4 in controlled circumstances and where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.

Certification and/or qualifications of up to three years can be required at this level (noting that Registered Nurse is not included at this level, the first level for which is Level 1 range 3).

A role at this range may include:

• Specific support tasks to achieve outcomes. Typically, this will involve accountability for a single function, (e.g. ensuring data is properly maintained) or the co-ordination of a work area under the direction of the principal or a manager.
• Assisting teachers, within an educational program, by undertaking specific support tasks or the coordination of the support function.
• Supervised health and wellbeing support tasks, medical intervention support tasks, or other specialised student/teacher support roles (e.g. enrolled nurses performing the role as described in schedule 3). These roles require specific qualifications and/or training, including roles where further training must be undertaken from time to time. The role is for a specific purpose, for which there will be direct accountability as opposed to support roles that are carried out by a range of staff performing routine tasks under direction.
• Technical tasks that require a sound knowledge of basic technical and/or scientific principles that are used to develop and adapt work methods and make judgements where there are clear guidelines and limited options. Routine technical support in libraries, science, and information technology would be typical examples.

An education support class position at this range commencing at the base will initially be limited to undertaking routine tasks that are carried out under close supervision and direction. Work that carries some degree of independence will generally involve a limited number of tasks performed on a regular basis where priorities are clear, procedures are well established, and direction is readily available. Subject to any specific qualification and/or training requirement, an education support class employee employed in this range may be progressively required to undertake coordination, specialised student/teacher support tasks, or technical tasks as experience in the role is gained.

• Provides routine support for teachers including assisting with planning of student routines
• Supports communication between teachers and parents
• Communicates with teachers on routine matters related to students and/or other responsibilities
• Provides basic physical care and wellbeing support for students such as toileting, meals, and lifting
• Communicating with student/s to support comprehension of basic tasks and information
• Addresses immediate behavioural presentations relating to specific students within a classroom setting aligned to school policy and procedure
• Provides basic support and supervision for individuals or groups of up to 4 students within a classroom setting
• Supports teachers in the coordination of educational programs independently or under minimal supervision, including rostering and organising the work of a team of aides, providing routine co-ordination, guidance, and support to other student support staff, liaising with external providers of support services about clearly defined support needs and resources, assisting teachers with the communication of student outcomes and educational programs
• Provides medical intervention support to a student/s, under specific conditions, with appropriate training and guidance
• Provides specialised communication support for students and teachers in areas such as AUSLAN and braille

Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of 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 specifically linked to Student Support Funding and is ongoing. If the funding reduces or ceases during the first seven years of employment, employment may cease subject to the provision of at least 12 weeks’ notice.