Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Learning Specialist - Range 3
Occupation: Learning specialist
Location: Melbourne - Western suburbs
Reference: 1536844
School Profile
Homestead Senior Secondary College opened in 2020 and is located in a developing area of Point Cook, approximately 28 kilometres from Melbourne CBD. Our feeder schools are the local P-9 colleges - Alamanda and Saltwater P-9 Colleges. A significant percentage of our enrolments are new arrivals to the greater Point Cook community. Homestead also attracts a growing number of enrolments from the independent school's sector. Rapid growth is predicted for both the suburb and school over the next 5 to 10 years.
In 2026 we expect approximately 710 students at HSSC, and it is projected that the college's peak enrolment will be in excess of 1500 students. In addition to this, we expect to be supporting approximately 600 students from Saltwater P-9 at years 7-9 on the Homestead site while Saltwater undergoes major capital works to increase capacity on their site.
The foundation years of the college focused upon building social capital, creating structures and practices, purchasing resources and establishing staff professional learning teams. This is an amazing career opportunity for educationalists as they are part of a staff cohort playing an integral role in the development of the college's culture, teaching & learning style and place in our community. Our new phase includes solidifying our culture of the young adult learning environment and our consistent teaching and learning model, while managing significant growth in student and staff population.
HSSC is a state of the art 21st Century learning environment for young adults. With a build cost of $53 million, facilities are second to none. Students learn in a three-storey main building, a standalone Performing Arts/Physical Education building, multi-purpose courts and a playing field. Our landscaped grounds feature amazing spaces for our students and staff.
The college curriculum focuses on providing the right pathway for all students to achieve their academic goals. The college offers a broad range of studies at Year 10, VCE, VM, VET & other programs.
HSSC is defined by:
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.
The role has a specific focus on strengthening instructional excellence within a senior secondary context and improving student learning growth, engagement and achievement. The Learning Specialist will work collaboratively with teachers, Domain Leaders and the College Leadership Team to build consistent, evidence-informed approaches to curriculum delivery, instruction and feedback
Learning Specialists will be highly skilled classroom practitioners who continue to spend the majority of their time in the classroom delivering high-quality teaching and learning and have a range of responsibilities related to their expertise, including teaching demonstration lessons, observing and providing feedback to other teachers and facilitating school-based professional learning. Learning Specialists are expected to have deep knowledge and expertise in high quality teaching and learning in delivering improved achievement, engagement and wellbeing for students. The role of the learning specialist will be to model excellence in teaching and learning through demonstration lessons, and mentoring and coaching teachers in improving the skill, knowledge and effectiveness of the teaching workforce. The Learning Specialist role is aimed at building excellence in teaching and learning within the Teaching Service. This role reports to Assistant Principal - Teaching, Learning and Student Outcomes.
Time Allowance: 3 Sessions (+ 2 for Head of English)
Position Responsibilities
In recognition of the importance of exemplary teaching practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the Learning Specialist may include but are not limited to:
Instructional Practice
¿ Lead the development and implementation of a College-wide approach to instructional practice that reflects the College's instructional model, strategic priorities and Annual Implementation Plan.
¿ Promote consistent, high-quality teaching practices across VCE, VCE Vocational Major and other senior secondary programs.
¿ Model exemplary instructional practice through demonstration lessons, team teaching, classroom observation and professional dialogue.
¿ Support teachers to effectively plan and deliver structured, purposeful and challenging learning experiences that is differentiated for different learner profiles.
¿ Co-Lead with the Director - Teaching and Learning, Collaborative Classrooms Visits (CCVs), including peer observations, learning walks.
¿ Lead a shared understanding of effective senior secondary pedagogy, including VTLM 2.0 (explicit teaching, cognitive load, checking for understanding, guided practice and independent application).
¿ Lead the implementation of HSSC Adaptive and Responsive Toolbox strategies, including the development and delivery of staff professional learning.
¿ Support teachers to make deliberate instructional decisions based on student readiness, curriculum expectations and evidence of learning.
¿ Research and evaluate contemporary evidence-informed teaching practices and support their appropriate implementation within the College context.
¿ Design and facilitate high-quality professional learning focused on improving classroom instruction and student learning.
¿ Work directly with individual teachers and teaching teams through coaching, mentoring and professional learning cycles.
¿ Build teacher capacity to engage in reflective practice and evaluate the impact of their teaching on student learning.
Role Description - Learning Specialist (Director of Instructional Practice)
¿ Support the Director - Teaching and Learning to work alongside early career teachers and their mentors to ensure they are planning for quality instructional practice that is responsive to their students and develops their use of high-impact teaching practices.
¿ Co-lead the Year 10 Homesteader induction program and other student learning programs, including revision and study skills programs.
¿ Support the Director - Teaching and Learning, with the implementation of the Alumni Tutoring Program and Homework Club.
¿ Work with Domain Leaders to develop accessible HSSC Professional Learning Site resource hubs for staff, e.g. videos of high quality instruction at HSSC aligned with school priorities.
Head of English
¿ Lead the English Domain in the capacity of Head of Domain, including administrative and coaching duties within the Domain.
¿ Lead English PLC to analyse student learning data, identify problems of practice to develop and evaluate interventions to teaching practice.
¿ Demonstrate high-level expertise in teaching and learning practice
¿ Provide a child safe environment in accordance with the child safe standards.
¿ Model exemplary classroom practice including through demonstration lessons.
¿ Work with the school leadership team to develop a shared view of highly effective teacher practice.
¿ Lead and model the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning and delivery with a focus on literacy in a senior school context.
¿ Play a key role in the provision of professional learning, including developing processes and protocols for observation and feedback of teacher practice and peer collaboration.
¿ Model effective learning best practice and support teachers to seek, analyse and act on feedback on their practice, relating to Literacy practices.
¿ Provide evidence-based feedback to teaching staff to inform effectiveness and develop best practice strategies.
¿ Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning.
¿ Supervise and mentor one or more pre service teachers, and mentoring and, or coaching teachers.
¿ Implement student learning intervention programs such as a supported Year 10 English program.
¿ Model exemplary analysis and use of student data to inform teaching approaches.
¿ Develop and promote school-wide professional learning structures, processes and protocols through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs).
¿ Model exemplary professional learning practice including through feedback from other teachers and leaders on their own classroom practice as part of critical reflection and inquiry to improve practice.
¿ Raise the profile of Literacy and the English Domain through the leading of Book Week, writing and reading competitions and other literacy related activities.
¿ Lead the development of new English subjects as appropriate, including collaborating with the Pathways and Transitions Team in relation to assessment and selection of students for VCE Access and English support.
¿ Represent the English domain during Pathways conversations and presentations.
¿ Lead the development of new English subjects as appropriate.
¿ Support extracurricular literacy adjacent activities such as debating, Wynspeak and PESA.
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
Enquiries regarding the position can be directed to the Principal Danijel Banovic 0436 922 997 - we encourage you to contact the Principal with regard to this role & arrange a school tour.
Applications must include:
Applications should be submitted via Recruitment Online
https://schooljobs.education.vic.gov.au/psp/ROLPPRD1_EA/APPLICANT/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM.HRS_APP_SCHJOB.GBL?
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.
In recognition of the importance of exemplary practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the Learning Specialists may include but are not limited to: