Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Learning Specialist - Range 3
Occupation: Learning specialist
Location: Hume - Greater Shepparton
Reference: 1526928
St Georges Road Primary School is situated south of the central business district of Shepparton. We have a rich, vibrant and culturally diverse student population. Our current enrolment is 346 students. Approximately 50% of our students are from non-English speaking backgrounds, representing around 24 countries with higher proportions from Middle-Eastern, African and South Pacific regions. St Georges Road Primary School celebrates our rich diversity through the curriculum, specialist programs and events. We are extremely proud of our diverse community which is a huge asset and strength of the school. We believe that the success of each child relies on a strong partnership between staff, students and parents. Our school community is committed to providing a safe, inclusive and engaging environment where learning experiences challenges and supports each student to achieve their potential. The core values that permeate the culture of our school are:
Respect ¿ Responsibility ¿ Learning
The teaching and learning program at St Georges Road Primary School is divided into three sections (F-2, 3-4, and 5-6) each overseen by a Learning Specialist who provides their team with planning support, coaching and leadership.
Primary School | Science of Learning Philosophy
SC1 Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to model exemplary teaching practice, including the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum, and implement school priorities.
SC2 Demonstrated expertise in the implementation and modelling 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 model the monitoring and assessment of student learning. 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 communication skills. Demonstrated ability to engage in collaborative relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
SC5 Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated ability to support others to reflect on their practice and facilitate school-based professional learning.
Learning Specialist - Grades 3 to 6
Primary School | Science of Learning Approach
Role OverviewLearning Specialists in Grades 3 to 6 are highly skilled classroom practitioners who continue to spend the majority of their time teaching, modelling and refining evidence-informed practice. Within a primary school guided by the Science of Learning, the Learning Specialist plays a key role in strengthening upper primary teaching by supporting teachers to understand how students learn, remember, practise and transfer knowledge over time.
The Learning Specialist will demonstrate exemplary teaching in the middle and upper primary years, particularly in explicit instruction, knowledge-rich curriculum implementation, reading comprehension, vocabulary, writing, fluency, numeracy, mathematical reasoning, assessment-informed teaching, classroom routines and positive learning behaviours. They will model high-impact teaching strategies, support consistent instructional approaches across Grades 3 to 6, and build teacher capability through coaching, mentoring, observation, feedback and professional learning.
The role is focused on improving student achievement, engagement and wellbeing by ensuring classroom practice is aligned with evidence about learning, including cognitive load theory, retrieval practice, spaced review, explicit teaching, guided practice, formative assessment, feedback, and the importance of building deep background knowledge and automaticity in foundational skills.
The Learning Specialist will work closely with the school leadership team, Professional Learning Communities and classroom teachers to build a shared understanding of high-quality teaching practice and to support the implementation of whole-school improvement priorities across Grades 3 to 6.
The key responsibilities of the Grades 3 to 6 Learning Specialist may include, but are not limited to:
Demonstrating high-level expertise in upper primary teaching and learning, particularly in Grades 3 to 6 classrooms.
Providing and promoting a child-safe, inclusive and supportive learning environment in accordance with the Child Safe Standards.
Modelling exemplary classroom practice through demonstration lessons, co-teaching, learning walks and targeted instructional coaching.
Supporting teachers to implement evidence-informed approaches aligned with the Science of Learning, including explicit instruction, daily review, clear explanations, modelling, guided practice, checks for understanding and opportunities for independent application.
Working with the school leadership team to develop a shared and consistent understanding of highly effective teaching practice in Grades 3 to 6.
Leading and modelling the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning, lesson design, assessment, feedback and instructional delivery.
Supporting the development and implementation of a knowledge-rich, sequential curriculum that builds strong foundations in literacy, numeracy, disciplinary knowledge and academic vocabulary.
Modelling effective reading instruction, including fluency, vocabulary, morphology, comprehension strategy instruction, text discussion, and the use of rich texts to build background knowledge.
Modelling effective writing instruction, including sentence-level work, paragraph construction, planning, drafting, revising, editing, handwriting and spelling, grammar, vocabulary and extended written responses across curriculum areas.
Modelling effective numeracy instruction, including explicit teaching of mathematical concepts, number fluency, problem-solving, mathematical language, worked examples, guided practice and cumulative review.
Supporting teachers to use formative assessment and student learning data to identify gaps, adjust instruction and provide timely intervention, consolidation or extension.
Developing teacher capability in the use of routines, behaviour expectations and classroom structures that reduce cognitive load, strengthen attention and maximise learning time.
Playing a key role in professional learning by developing processes and protocols for observation, feedback, peer collaboration and instructional improvement.
Providing evidence-based feedback to teachers to support reflection, improvement and professional growth.
Mentoring and coaching teachers, including graduate teachers, teachers new to Grades 3 to 6, and pre-service teachers where appropriate.
Supporting Professional Learning Communities to use student data, curriculum documents and evidence-informed practice to plan, teach, assess and respond to student learning needs.
Modelling the effective use of student data, including reading fluency and comprehension data, writing samples, spelling and vocabulary assessments, numeracy data, student work samples and formative classroom assessment.
Promoting consistency of practice across Grades 3 to 6 while supporting teachers to respond to the academic, social and developmental needs of upper primary learners.
Supporting teachers to understand and apply key principles from the Science of Learning, including memory, attention, cognitive load, deliberate practice, retrieval, feedback, transfer and the importance of building automaticity.
Supporting transition and continuity of learning between the early years, upper primary and secondary settings by strengthening curriculum sequencing, assessment practices and shared instructional language.
Modelling professional learning practice by seeking feedback from colleagues and leaders on their own teaching, engaging in reflection, and continuously improving classroom practice.
Contributing to a culture of high expectations, collective efficacy and evidence-informed improvement across the Grades 3 to 6 team.
The purpose of the Grades 3 to 6 Learning Specialist is to build excellence in upper primary teaching and learning by supporting consistent, evidence-informed practice across classrooms. The role strengthens teacher knowledge, improves instructional quality and ensures that all students continue to develop the literacy, numeracy, knowledge, learning behaviours and confidence required for success in secondary schooling and lifelong learning.
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.