Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Leading Teacher - Range 3
Occupation: Leading teacher
Location: Melbourne - Western suburbs
Reference: 1509611
Purpose
Western Autistic School's vision is to provide a dedicated school for students with autism.
At Western Autistic School, we envision a nurturing environment for autistic students in grades Prep to Year 3. Through personalized support and collaborative teaching, we empower each child to thrive socially and academically. Our community celebrates diversity and fosters a commitment to building a strong educational foundation for our students that encourages lifelong learning and achievement.
Our school demonstrates commitment to the following values:
· Diversity
· Respect
· Learning as an ongoing process
· Sharing and growth of knowledge
· Collaboration
School Profile
The Western Autistic School is a large, vibrant and unique school in the western suburbs of Melbourne. We offer an early years program for 300+ young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Prep to Grades 3.
Our school caters to autistic students, and synthesises an evidence base drawn from student-centred, strengths-based approaches and contemporary research from the fields of autism and inclusive education to develop Individual Learning Programs for each student.
Key features of our program include:
-The individual student is the focus of our teaching
-Each student is provided with an Individual Learning Plan, in collaboration between the student, their family and the teaching team
-An emphasis on building foundational skills in social communication and functional areas, alongside academic skills particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy
-Small classes of approximately eight students with a teaching team of consisting of teachers, education support staff and allied health professionals
-Individualised transition program for children to move on to their local neighbourhood school
-Ongoing outreach supports.
As part of our school's mission, WAS is actively involved in research and training. It has a registered training provider The Autism Teaching Institute (ATI) which provides post graduate qualifications to educators working with autistic students.
Further information about WAS and its branches is available at:
www.westernautisticschool.vic.edu.au
www.autismteachinginstitute.org.au
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.
The Leading Teacher - Transitions will support teachers at WAS and external schools to facilitate successful student transitions.
This will include:
Provide consultation to external educators to build teaching capabilities to support the participation of autistic students in their setting, through a student centered, strength based approach that considers the human rights and legal requirements for teaching students with additional needs, in line with the Disability Standards for Education and Disability Inclusion Reform
Oversee the coordination of transition processes into, through and out of WAS, delegating administrative tasks where appropriate
Provide coaching and professional learning around the transition process and Disability Inclusion Reform to build WAS staff capabilities to facilitate successful transitions for WAS students
*A professional learning and planning day will be facilitated in late January, prior to 27th of January. All members of the leadership team are expected to attend this event.
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:
Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement initiatives related to the school strategic plan and school priorities
Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning and delivery;
Leading and managing the provision of professional development and developing individual and team development plans for teaching staff within the priorities of the school;
Teaching demonstration lessons;
Leading and managing the development of the school's assessment and reporting policies and practices;
Leading and managing the implementation of the school operations and policies related to student welfare and discipline;
Leading the development of curriculum in a major learning area and participating in curriculum development in other areas;
Responsibility for general discipline matters beyond the management of classroom teachers;
Contributing to the overall leadership and management of the school;
Contributing to the development of proposals for school council consideration;
Developing and managing the school code of conduct.
Supervising and training one or more student teachers and mentoring and/or coaching teachers
Modelling exemplary use of student data to inform teaching approaches
Modelling exemplary professional learning practice included through seeking feedback from other teachers and leaders on their own practice as part of critical reflection and inquiry to improve practice
Providing consultation to the teachers at mainstream settings regarding the evaluation, planning, implementation and assessment of individual learning programs for students who have transitioned from Western Autistic School.
Establishing and maintaining good relationships with transition settings including early years settings, specialist settings and mainstream schools
Engaging in professional learning opportunities, fostered through a close relationship with the Autism Teaching Institute.
Other leadership roles as required.
*The Learning Specialist- Inclusive Education reports to the Assistant Principal - Inclusive Education or Principal of Western Autistic School.
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.