Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Leading Teacher - Range 3
Occupation: Leading teacher
Location: Melbourne - Northern suburbs
Reference: 1481545
MULTI-CAMPUS SCHOOL - VACANCY IS NON SPECIFIC TO A CAMPUS
NSA School Vision
"Learning for Life"
Northern School for Autism strives to be a centre of excellence. Students are supported towards developing their personal and educational potential, so as to be valued contributors to family and community life.
School Values: Trust, Understanding, Safety
School Overview
Northern School for Autism is a Victorian State Government specialist school that exclusively addresses the educational needs of students with autism ranging in age from 5 to 18 years. The school was established in 2006 and currently operates across two campuses located in Reservoir and Lalor. Reservoir is an Early and Middle Years campus; Lalor is a Later Years campus. The school also coordinates a satellite program at Norris Bank Primary School. Class-groups generally comprise of six to ten students of similar chronological age. Teachers, teacher aides and therapists (speech pathologists and occupational therapists) work in teams of two or three in each classroom, supported by specialist teachers (PE, Art and Music) as well as a team of leading teachers.
School Structure
The school is divided into sub-schools according to the stages of schooling (ages approximate):
Pedagogical Philosophy
The community of Northern School for Autism believes that to succeed in the world, students need to develop the capacity to:
Teaching and Learning
Northern School for Autism implements a teaching approach that builds on individual student's strengths and skills. The educational programs accommodate the particular impairments associated with autism; teaching and learning programs centre upon developing student's interpersonal/personal skills, communication skills and executive functioning. Emphasis is placed on promoting social skills, assisting students develop their imagination and play skills, as well as supporting students learn to manage and self-regulate their emotions and behaviour. Programs are designed to accommodate individual student's needs and interests. Teachers are trained in autism specific pedagogy (structured teaching) and work in accordance with the autism specific Northern School for Autism, Teaching and Learning Protocols. Staff members deliver programs in a consistent, autism friendly manner across the whole school. All students are encouraged and supported to become independent, life-long learners. NSA is proud to implement a School-wide Positive Behaviour Support approach.
Individual Learning Plans and Student Support Group Meetings
NSA has developed an autism specific curriculum which incorporates AusVELS and (in the Later Years) an Applied Learning Program. Each student's current level of performance is identified and programs are implemented to address their individual learning needs. Termly Individual Learning Plans are developed for each student through discussion with parents/carers, teachers, education support staff and other professionals at Student Support Group (SSG) meetings. Individual progress is formally recorded and reported upon at termly SSG meetings and in written reports to parents/carers. Teachers use a variety of formal and informal measures to ensure students are meeting their individual educational goals. Individual student progress, as well as student progress across the whole school is assessed formally via the on-line Abilities Based Learning Education Support (ABLES) program.
Applicants without experience must be willing to take a high level of direction in order to develop the skills and knowledge required, as well as participate in comprehensive induction and PD programs.
SC1 Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. 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 lead the planning and implementation of high impact teaching strategies that respond to student learning needs. Demonstrated ability to support teachers to evaluate the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.
SC3 Demonstrated exemplary ability to monitor and assess student learning at a class, cohort or whole-school level and use this data to lead improvement initiatives. Demonstrated ability to support others in using data to inform teaching practice and to provide feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
SC4 Demonstrated exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills. Demonstrated ability to lead 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 values and support colleagues to adopt these behaviours and attitudes. Demonstrated ability to reflect upon their own, others and whole-school practice and contribute to the provision of whole-school professional learning.
Leading teachers will be highly skilled classroom practitioners and undertake leadership and management roles commensurate with their salary range. The role of leading teachers is to improve the skill, knowledge and performance of the teaching workforce in a school or group of schools and to improve the curriculum program of a school.
Typically, leading teachers are responsible for coordinating a number of staff to achieve improvements in teaching and learning which may involve the coordination and professional support of colleagues through modelling, collaborating and coaching and using processes that develop knowledge, practice and professional engagement in others.
Leading teachers are expected to lead and manage a significant area or function within the school with a high degree of independence to ensure the effective development, provision and evaluation of the school's education program.
Leading teachers will be expected to make a significant contribution to policy development relating to teaching and learning in the school. A leading teacher has a direct impact and influence on the achievement of the school goals.
Leading teachers are usually responsible for the implementation of one or more priorities contained in the school strategic plan.
In recognition of the importance of leadership and management combined with exemplary teaching practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the leading teachers may include but are not limited to:
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 [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.