Teacher: Young Parents' Program

Yuille Park Community College - Yuille Campus offers a Flexible Learning Option for students from years 7 to 12, along with young parents up to 21 years of age. The campus caters for those disengaged or unable to attend a mainstream school. The model seeks to meet the learning needs of secondary aged students, while addressing and minimising barriers that have impacted on their ability to access schooling. These may include but are not restricted to; school refusers, youth justice issues, pregnancy and situations where students are sole carers. Yuille Campus is therefore concerned with social justice for students currently unable to access school for reasons that range from bullying, attendance issues and/or a history of trauma. This form of exclusion further alienates marginalised students and limits their capacity to make informed choices about their lives from a position of strength. This campus and it's philosophy is not based on a deficit model, it is a model specifically designed to promote social awareness, self-esteem and is a genuine learning experience enabling young people to make real choices about their future within an outreach model or in a school that welcomes those who are traditionally the least welcome. 

Our Young Parents Program offers a Flexible Learning Option where parenting students (up to the age of 21) can attend with their child. The campus is part of Yuille Park Community College and located at the Yuille Campus. The campus offers VPC (Victorian Pathway Certificate), VM (Vocational Major) and VET (Vocational Education and Training). The college supports the wellbeing of parenting students as they experience barriers to their learning and assists students to develop employability skills and explore further education and transition into work. 

Context: 

Yuille Campus is located on the northern edge of Ballarat in the suburb of Wendouree West. Formally Yuille Primary School, it merged with Grevillea Park Primary school to be incorporated in the Yuille Park Community College Hub. In 2023 the Young Parents program relocated to the Yuille Campus. The shift for Young Parents students allowed for an increased level of curriculum diversity and improved access for senior secondary students. Their children will be supported by occasional care provision based at the Grevillea Campus at the Early Learning Centre. The distance between campuses is approximately 1.5km. 

The Yuille Campus is directly managed by the Assistant Principal in consultation with the Principal of Yuille Park Community College and the College's Leadership team. Yuille Campus has a unique approach to education that focuses on the students' strengths which is grounded in trusting and supporting relationships with staff. The campus is led by the Assistant Principal and has a distributed leadership structure that is independent of the college but supported by the college's leadership team. Staff have shared teaching loads to provide each other with the capacity to focus on key priorities and continuous improvement through innovation and best contemporary/research based practice. Staff are encouraged to shape and move with DET initiatives such as FISO 2.0 to improve student outcomes. 

The purpose of the Yuille Campus is to provide a place for our young people to be nurtured and empowered, to grow, flourish and connect. 

The Yuille Campus Young Parents Program aims to develop the individual through equitable access to the school and its programs. The curriculum is developed where possible alongside the young parents and their children, aiming to engage them in purposeful, life long learning, whilst supporting them to be their best self, and parents. 

The YPP mission is to support the young parent to engage in education whilst supporting their child, and to build purposeful pathways to further education or employment. We assist students to develop lifelong skills with a strength based philosophy. We work to ensure student have the support to work to the best of their ability and beyond. 

The enrolment policy of the campus specifically focuses on pregnant or parenting mothers, aged under 21 who have not as yet successfully completed their senior secondary studies. Enrolments can be referred to the college by the local community, local agencies and other educational settings (schools) following consultation between their current school, the family and prospective student. 

SC1 Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum including the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) and the Vocational Major (VM). Demonstrated ability to lead and manage the implementation of school priorities, and the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum.

SC2 Demonstrated ability to plan for and implement highly effective teaching strategies that respond to student learning and wellbeing needs of students. Demonstrated ability to evaluate the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.

SC3 Demonstrated ability to monitor and assess student learning and use this data to implement improvement initiatives. Demonstrated ability to use evidence to inform teaching practice and to provide feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.

SC4 Demonstrated exemplary interpersonal skills. Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community focused on student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5 Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department and College values. Demonstrated ability to reflect upon their own practice and engage in relevant professional learning.

SC6 Demonstrated ability to engage 'at risk' students and modify teaching and learning to meet individual and cohort needs.

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

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.