Teaching Support

Lightning Reef Primary School boasts outstanding open planned facilities and large grounds beside Bendigo Showgrounds. The grounds are expansive and provides for active and passive play as well as a chicken enclosure and vegetable gardens. The full size gymnasium and indoor canteen ensure a range of indoor activities are encompassed in daily learning opportunities. The school's mission is to provide a welcoming and challenging environment that fosters respectful and responsible global citizens capable of thriving in the future. We hope our students graduate as knowledgeable, skilled, confident, and critical thinkers through the school being a centre of excellence committed to sharing best practice. Our key values demonstrate our shared and relentless commitment to implementing our mission so that our vision becomes a living reality. We value Respect: We show we care about ourselves, others and the environment through our actions and words. Responsibility:  We do the things we are supposed to do, own, and accept the results of our actions and words. Persistence: We keep trying, even when things seem hard, and know when to seek help. Kindness: We use actions and words to make others feel happy, or when we notice they need help. The enrolment currently sitting around 165 students. Student Family Occupation (SFO) index in 2024 is 0.71 and the Student Family Occupation and Education Index was also high. This characterises the school as a low socio-economic school community. We have one student funded by the Program for Students with Disabilities (PSD) and another three who qualify for DI Funding. 18 ATSI students, 5 in Out of Home Care and 63 with a Karen background. The school went through a School Review mid 2022, which was a wonderful celebration of the gains it had made in all areas of school improvement. The leadership team consists of a Principal, Acting Assistant Principal, and 2 Leading Teachers; with Ls & AP holding teaching roles at the school. Homegroups are taught by 10 teachers, 2 part-time Intervention teachers/tutors and 4 specialist teachers. Nine Education Support Officers (ES) supported students across the school. The school's specialist programs are Visual Arts, Music and Physical Education and a Languages program in Karen with the assistance of our Multi Cultural Aides. The school enjoyed strong ties with the Greater City of Bendigo Council who sponsor local businesses to participate in an aspirational work program called Passions and Pathways (P&P) targeting Year Six students. The school also had strong ties with both the Eaglehawk and Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary Clubs, with Bendigo Sandhurst Rotary Club leading a weekly volunteer gardening program. The club also donated fresh fruit weekly that complemented our daily breakfast club. The school maintained positive community partnerships that supported our students and their families. The school accesses DET Speech Pathologists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists and Koorie Education Support Officers, supplementing our own speech aide and a qualified Social Worker, employed as our PWO (0.6) to complement these services using Equity funds. A major success in 2022 was the introduction of a designated Student Attendance and Wellbeing LT. This substantial commitment via Equity funding saw a total review of processes to track student absences, work closely with the Regional Team and families to support students to attend school on a regular basis. Although our Attendance Data remained a challenge, the newly developed Staged Response to Non-Attendance will provide us with a clear implementation strategy for future years.  Equity funding has been allocated to allow the Wellbeing Leading Teacher to promote and oversee SWPBS and teach RR&RR across the school, support additional ESS, release a second Leading Teacher to manage Disability and Inclusion at a whole-school level and release a Literacy leader to provide additional lessons to our EAL students.

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 for this position: Monday to Friday 9 - 12.45 

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

• 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