Work Type: Ongoing - Part-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs
Reference: 1486027
Birranga College sits in a rapidly growing residential area in the suburb of Clyde North. The school will work in partnership with the community to provide authentic learning opportunities and the best academic and personal outcomes for all students. Birranga College is a new secondary school opening in January 2026 with Year 7 enrolments only. Subsequent year levels will be added each year. Neighbouring schools are relatively large and the school is expected to grow quickly to meet residents demand for excellence in education, consistent with the vision for the Education State.
Birranga College will provide students with state of the art facilities in STEM, Visual Arts, Physical Education and Performing Arts spaces to cater for the learning needs of all students.
Teaching and Learning
Our community creates rich and rigorous learning experiences that empower us all to participate with curiosity, purpose and insight.
This will be achieved through the implementation of an innovative curriculum and an Instructional Model, to guide us in implementing more consistent, high quality, assessment, teaching and learning practices with clear expectations for staff, students and parents.
Commitment to Excellence
The school will deliver the highest quality of education for all learners.
Our school will demonstrate a strong commitment to outstanding post school outcomes for all students, be that University or other further study, apprenticeships, traineeships or full-time work.
School Vision and Values
Birranga College fosters a love of learning. We respect inclusion, diversity and indigenous heritage. We strive for continuous improvement in all our students as they grow into adulthood. We will live by our motto, 'Belong, Believe, Become'.
We look forward to our students emerging as resilient and productive members of the community.
Our educational philosophy extends beyond textbooks and embraces our vision of 'Belong - Believe - Become'
BELONG
- Inclusive Community: Fostering a sense of belonging through house systems, peer mentoring, and community-building activities
- Cultural Respect: Celebrating diversity and promoting understanding of different perspectives
- Positive Relationships: Creating meaningful connections among students, staff, and families
BE compassionate
BE grateful
BE empathetic
BELIEVE
- Character Education: Developing integrity, empathy, resilience, and responsibility
- Growth Mindset: encouraging persistence, effort, and embrace of challenges
- Student Voice: Empowering students to contribute to the school community and their own learning journey
BE curious
BE responsible
BE confident
BECOME
- Leadership Development: Creating pathways for every student to discover and develop their leadership potential
- Social-Emotional Learning: Building self-awareness, relationship skills, and decision-making abilities
- Community Service: Age-appropriate opportunities to make a positive impact locally and globally
- Environmental Stewardship: Fostering care and responsibility for our planet
BE a leader
BE self-aware
BE an upstander
Position Specific Information
As a staff member of the college this position provides a unique opportunity to help develop a wellbeing program for the college from the ground up. This is an incredible opportunity for a motivated and committed individual, dedicated to supporting students to be the best they can be.
Applicants are welcome to contact Nick Hamer-Smtih, Principal, to discuss the advertised role. Please text 0488395633 and indicate the role you are interested in for a call back.
The Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred to treatment, care and support.
The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative is being expanded to every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria. Scaling up across the state from 2023, by 2026 every primary school will be able to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader to implement a whole-school approach to wellbeing.
The Department of Education has been piloting the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative in Victorian schools since 2020 in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. Evaluation of this pilot initiative has shown that 95 per cent of Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders consider the Mental Health in Primary Schools model has improved their school's capacity to support students' mental health and wellbeing needs.
Participating schools receive funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, a qualified teacher, to work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community.
The role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader is to:
The role provides a proactive focus for the promotion and prevention of mental health and wellbeing through assessment and implementation of context-relevant programs, approaches and initiatives based on a broad and extensive knowledge of the needs of the school.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader role is not a clinical role and is not designed for direct intervention. The role is seen as a key conduit in creating referral pathways once a teacher or other staff member identifies a concern in the classroom.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are provided training in mental health literacy, supporting emerging needs, and building school capacity and receive ongoing support and professional development through structured and regular Learning Communities Training is developed and facilitated by the Faculty of Education at University of Melbourne, supported by Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
Operating in collaboration with their school, leadership and wellbeing team where relevant, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader will:
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 [email protected]
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