Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Leading Teacher - Range 3
Occupation: Leading teacher
Location: Melbourne - Northern suburbs
Reference: 1503187
An attractive and spacious entrance to the school boasts a well-resourced library, gymnasium/multipurpose room, canteen, after school/vacation care room and staff administration area and with a designated STEAM and Art room. There are also two soft fall rubber netball/basketball courts, extensive grassed areas including an oval, two adventure playgrounds, a sand pit, shaded areas and additional asphalt areas.
The enrolment is currently around 485 and, with families moving into new areas such as the Ashfield and Rosenthal Estates, further growth is expected. Of the total student population, a significant percentage identify as of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, live in out of home care, are EAL, are on the PSD program or are students with ASD. The school has embedded practices for the diversity of parents/carers and family members to be engaged to understand the learning progress of their children and how to effectively support them to learn.
Sunbury Heights PS staff comprises of, 2 Principal Class Officers, 29 classroom teachers and 19 Education Support Staff. The school runs 21 classrooms and Specialist classes in Art, STEAM, PE, Music, LOTE Auslan and Learning Specialists which support the implementation of Professional Learning Communities. Sunbury Heights Primary School is becoming known as one that has the personnel, programs and processes in place that support students with more complex learning needs. An Engagement and Wellbeing Coordinator, ES staff, Speech Pathologist, Chaplain and Community Hub Coordinator are wellbeing interventions in place for the support of our students and families.
The school community strives to provide a positive, stimulating and secure learning environment to cater for the needs of each student as an individual. The school does this by creating a caring atmosphere that reinforces mutual respect, promotes self-esteem and develops a sense of belonging to our school. The school values teamwork, effective communication, informed decision making and community involvement. Professional learning is valued to ensure delivery of excellent and consistent educational programs through exemplary professional practices.
Purpose and Values:
Sunbury Heights Primary School remains focused on implementing the Education State themes of Learning for Life, Happy Healthy and Resilient Kids, Breaking the Link and Pride and Confidence in our schools. Our school wide belief is that no child, regardless of social status or postcode, will miss out on a first-class state school education.
Sunbury Heights Primary School is a Lead School in the implementation of Respectful Relationships and is in the third year of School Wide Positive Behaviour implementation. Our school wide values are Respect, Responsibility and Kindness. The school is committed to the safety, participation, and empowerment of all children. We support and respect all children, as well as our staff, volunteers, and school families. We are committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability. As a school we have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently with our child safety standards and robust policies and procedures.
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:
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.
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.