Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Assistant Principal - Range 1
Occupation: Principal and assistant principal
Location: Hume - Wangaratta
Reference: 1487053
Wangaratta District Specialist School is a multi-mode specialist school catering for students with mild to severe intellectual and associated disabilities from five to eighteen years of age. We strive to provide a purposeful, comprehensive learning environment meeting the social, emotional and educational requirements of every student.
More than 60 Teaching, Educational Support and Allied Health staff are passionately committed to working with families, carers, specialists, relevant outside agencies and the local community to ensure students achieve their maximum potential and targeted educational outcomes. Enrolment continues to increase with fervour. The 2025school year began with 160 students enrolled.
WDSS is located in the Rural City of Wangaratta and services the Benalla, Myrtleford, Ovens and King Valleys, Rutherglen, Wahgunyah, and Wangaratta districts. Five buses transport students from within Wangaratta and the many towns in surrounding districts.
The school¿s philosophy is reflected in its motto, `Together We Will¿. This is based on the belief that children learn best in a co-operative environment that is happy, challenging, supportive and non-threatening. Strong and respectful relationships between all members of the school community are encouraged as is the active involvement and participation of students, staff, parents, caregivers, volunteers and the wider school community. This is reflected in the strong relationship the school has with all its stakeholders and the high regard with which the school is held in the wider community.
Currently the school is organised as a junior, middle and senior school, with 18 classrooms grouping students based on a variety of criteria, with a view towards helping students achieve short term goals as stepping stones towards a long term post school outcome. Class sizes vary from 5 students to 12 students and are staffed according to the student need in each classroom.
All students have an individual learning plan established in consultation with parents and relevant professionals. In the last three years of school the focus is on transition to adult programs and this includes work experience, participation in TAFE programs and increased responsibility around the school and community.
SC1. Educational Leadership
i) Outstanding capacity for visionary and exemplary educational leadership of a school.
ii) Highly developed skills in learning and managing change including leadership of others in the process of change.
SC2. Financial, Managerial and Administrative ability
i) Oustanding financial, organisational and resource management skills.
SC3. Planning, Policy and Program Development and Review
i) Exemplary values appropriate to the development of student learning with a demonstrated capacity to achieve high quality student outcomes.
ii) Demonstrated ability to implement departmental policies to a high level.
iii) An understanding of, and a commitment to, the use of learning technologies to improve teaching and learning.
SC4. Leadership of Staff and Students
i) A highly developed capacity to motivate staff, develop their talents and build an effective team.
ii) A clear capacity to foster a learning environment that takes account of the individual needs of students and helps students to develop their special abilities and talents.
SC5. Interpersonal and Communication Skills
i) Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills in individual, small group and community contexts.
ii) Exemplary values pertaining to personal qualities of objectivity, sensitivity and integrity.
iii) An ability to work with parents and the community to develop a strong learning environment.
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.
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
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.