Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Assistant Principal - Range 1
Occupation: Principal and assistant principal
Location: Melbourne - CBD and Inner Metro suburbs
Reference: 1536705
At Collingwood College, we inspire young people to be well-balanced, strong and creative individuals who make a positive difference to our community. We provide a rich and diverse curriculum. The College is committed to continuous improvement to maximise outcomes for all students. Collingwood College believes in providing diversity within the Victorian government schools system and our range of programs promote a sense of choice and inclusion for students.
Our point of difference is our strength, and we are proud of our history of innovation and inclusiveness. Collingwood College is a government P-12 school established in 1882 and is located in the inner-city suburb of Collingwood, close to Melbourne¿s CBD. In 2025 the school had an enrolment of around 634 students with this number reduced in part due to the COVID pandemic and a decline in the international student population. The school has moved from high socioeconomic disadvantage to the mid-range of the School Family Occupation Education (SFOE) Index and was 0.4405 in 2025. The school draws students from many different suburbs in and around Melbourne. Collingwood College remains a culturally diverse school with 25% of the student cohort having a language background other than English and 2% of our student cohort being Indigenous or Torres Strait Islander. The projected numbers of international students enrolled has increased and in 2025 Collingwood College held 91 international students coming from a range of countries, including Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Korea.
Collingwood College offers innovative and progressive teaching approaches at all levels. The main campus is arranged into two sub schools, Primary and Secondary. Each sub-school is organised to create the most appropriate setting and approach for children at the different stages of their development. The college has a defined philosophy of education and has three main streams of learning, including a P-6 inquiry based mainstream learning approach, a secondary MYP IB mainstream program based on the Victorian Curriculum and a specialist P-9 Steiner Program. The College structures the Year 10-12 program to more intentionally prepare students for the VCE/VM/VPC pathways from Year 10. The second campus to Collingwood College, The Collingwood Alternative School (CAS) enrols students from 14 years old and operates through a re-engagement approach.
The curriculum is designed to provide students with appropriate challenges and educational opportunities and build their self-esteem. The program specifically focuses on numeracy and literacy development, the learning of social and behavioural skills, work/training readiness and the provision of the VM and VET options for senior students.
In 2026, the College (excluding CAS) had a full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching staff of 4 Principal Class, 3 Leading Teachers, 3 Learning Specialist, 119 teaching staff, and an Education Support Staff (ES) FTE of 36 Collingwood College offers a range of cocurricular programs, including the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden, Instrumental Music, Visual and performing arts and outdoor education.
There are integrated programs to support all students, including: extension, intervention, integration and English as an Additional Language (EAL) program. The College¿s English Language Centre (ELC) re-opened again in 2022. The College¿s Main Campus features exemplary learning, athletic, and arts facilities. It is home to a well-equipped theatre, a dance studio, modernised science and technology sections, and a premier sports centre with three gymnasiums. The college's grounds are thoughtfully designed with various play and relaxation areas, complete with shaded seating, manicured gardens, and designated outdoor learning spaces. Collingwood College is committed to the philosophy that all students are capable of learning and achieving excellence. Collingwood College takes great pride in its strong ties and collaborative relationships with the surrounding local community
KSC1 Educational Leadership
Demonstrated capacity to lead whole-school improvement initiatives in curriculum design, pedagogical coherence and instructional practice, working with teams to align lesson preparation, content and pedagogy, and using data to inform and escalate priorities.
KSC2 Staff Leadership
Demonstrated capacity to build leadership and teaching capacity across the school, including the development of Team Leaders and Program Leaders and their capability to lead teams in delivering content and pedagogy effectively, and to lead curriculum-focused professional learning and change.
KSC3 Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting
Demonstrated capacity to design, write and refine whole-school curriculum, and to implement and manage assessment and reporting processes to ensure coherence and consistency across the school.
KSC4 Organisational Management
Demonstrated capacity to manage the systems, platforms and resources that support curriculum delivery, including oversight of learning programs, assessment platforms and related staffing and scheduling.
KSC5 Community Engagement
Demonstrated capacity to build effective partnerships with students, parents, staff and the community, to design and refine platforms and practices that give families visibility of student work and progress, and to represent the school's curriculum and learning priorities externally.
KSC 6 Local Criterion
Demonstrated experience leading change and influencing staff to embed inclusive practices within a whole school improvement agenda.
The assistant principal reports directly to the principal.
Assistant principals have a primary responsibility for the management of significant areas or functions within the school to ensure the effective development, provision and evaluation of the school's education program. In exercising the responsibility, assistant principals will have the authority to make all significant decisions relating to the program, budget and staff relating to their area of designated responsibility within the framework of the school's strategic plan, policies and budget. Assistant principals will contribute to the overall management of the school through involvement in policy formulation and decision making.
The management of significant school program or functional areas in schools involve assistant principals in the analysis of the needs of students and the translation of state educational policy and frameworks into appropriate education programs to meet the needs of all students.
Typically assistant principals will be responsible for the effective use of the teaching staff and program budget of a defined area of the school's operation and for the oversight and leadership of the educational programs provided utilising these resources.
Typically, assistant principals perform one or more of the following functions:
Appropriately qualified individuals currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, 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 safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via [email protected]
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.
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:
Details of qualification requirements as updated from time to time can be found at Recruitment in Schools.