Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Learning Specialist - Range 3
Occupation: Learning specialist
Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs
Reference: 1502838
Yarrabah School is located in the beautiful bayside suburb of Aspendale only 500 meters from the sandy beaches of Aspendale and Mordialloc. Yarrabah School caters for students aged between 2.8 and 18 years who have a diagnosed intellectual disability ranging from moderate to profound.
Yarrabah School is a single campus Pre K - 12 school organised around four distinct stages of learning including Early Years (2.8 - 6), Primary Years (Ages 7 - 12), Lower Secondary Years (Ages 13 - 15) and Upper Secondary (16 - 18).
Stages of Learning:
Our Early Years students are accommodated in two distinct areas. The Early Education Program (2.8 - 4.8) provides outstanding early education provision in new learning facilities that are individually resourced and staffed by experienced educators and services catering for the needs of 60 young children and their families.
The Early Years and Primary students (K-6) are provided new learning areas with designated playgrounds, courtyards, well-equipped classrooms and common learning areas. There are three distinct sections, Lower Junior (K-6), Upper Junior (7-8) and Primary (9-12) for up to 100 students.
Our Secondary School students learn in their very own zone, located in three designated learning facilities for up to 90 students. These include a purpose-built Lower Secondary building for students that includes its own playgrounds, common rooms and therapy areas, a new purpose-designed and built `life house' for secondary students and well-resourced and staffed portable facilities.
The students and staff enjoy first-class facilities which include: 10 meter warm water pool, perceptual motor room, cafe, canteen, art room, music room, science room, school hall with modified basketball court, manual activities room, fitness centre, out of school care building, staff room and staff collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, library, staff resource room, therapy rooms, sensory spaces, nurture room, community hub space, administration area, purpose-built early education building, well resourced outdoor areas, fitness oval, horticulture zones, and well-maintained grounds and outdoor areas next to the Mordialloc bike track, cricket oval and soon to be built Kingston aquatic facility.
Purpose:
Yarrabah's purpose is to provide an individualised and safe student-centred learning environment that promotes active learning and encourages adventure, independence and self-esteem maximising student potential. The school provides all students access to the curriculum and therapeutic support in preparation for life after school as valued members of the community.
Values and Philosophy:
Yarrabah School is built on the values of Tolerance, Respect, Integrity, Care and Support. Our philosophical approach to education at Yarrabah is REAL (strong Relationships, Teaching Elements, Understanding Ability, Learning Elements). The innovative and individualised nature of program delivery ensures each child is at the centre of the learning process. With an explicit and personalised approach to curriculum delivery, students at Yarrabah enjoy coming to school.
Exciting and Relevant Curriculum:
The school supports students in aged-based learning groups within key learning areas from primary years to secondary years. In the secondary sections of the school, exciting electives are available for students to choose from. VPC and VET are available for students in Upper Secondary. Yarrabah has a strategy for effective classroom curriculum delivery. 'REAL' learning emphasises step-by-step teaching of skills in each subject area but especially in the core areas of English, Mathematics, Communication, Social and Personal Capabilities (life and relationship skills).
Yarrabah School provides an inclusive, carefully designed, prescribed curriculum. Teachers plan and prepare based on the school's curriculum map cycle. The school ensures homeroom teachers remain focused on preparing for curriculum delivery by allocating curriculum design to committees. Committees work collaboratively once a fortnight to develop a sequence of learning according to level. Subject specialists deliver engaging and exciting curricula across the primary and secondary years within science, critical and creative thinking, the visual arts, the performing arts, horticulture, health and physical education.
Support Services:
Yarrabah is renowned for its services. The school's strategic plan (2022-2026) identifies the importance of providing a systematic and integrated service team (IST) approach that supports students throughout their entire school experience. The IST approach has refined our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) providing each student and their family the support they need, when they need it and the services to enable all students to access the curriculum in a safe and supported way. Our IST approach provides universal and tiered support in a structured and data-informed manner that ensures we maintain a focus on mental health and wellbeing.
The Integrated Support Service Model connects Yarrabah School services. Each service includes expert staff with dedicated release time who are trained to provide planning, student support or modelling, assessment and professional learning using a referral model and following the four stages of the improvement cycle. Services include:
The connection and integration of services are facilitated by an Integrated Services Team (IST) of which each service has a member including the Principal and Assistant Principal.
Yarrabah remains a lead school in Respectful Relationships (RR). Visitors regularly comment on Yarrabah being a calm and orderly learning environment. RRRR is embedded during learning times for maintaining respectful relationships. We also provide at least one stand alone learning session during the week. The school has also developed a consistent set of whole school lessons and visual supports in 'Social Safety' and the introduction of Social Skills and Social Thinking through the application of 'Talking Mats' and the Tutor learning initiative.
Communication Focus:
Yarrabah has worked to develop a `communication accessible school' which values each child's right to communicate. We are well on the way to achieving this goal with every student having access to communication in each environment and all students regularly assessed to determine communication needs. Staff members also wear a lanyard to support student communication in or out of the school and in 2026 we expect every teacher to have their own iPad to support communication in the classroom.
Professional Development:
Ongoing professional learning is offered throughout the year to ensure all staff remain up to date with best practices and Department of Education initiatives, such as the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0, Professional Learning Communities, and Instructional Practices. We regularly invite leaders in education, wellbeing and services to speak with our staff about current research and its application within the strategic plan. We also encourage our staff to explore personal development that links with their teaching and learning practice focus.
KSC 1: 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.
KSC2: 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
KSC3: 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.
KSC4: 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.
KSC5: 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.
KSC6: Demonstrate exemplary teaching practice in the area of Numeracy and Literacy with an ability to coach, mentor and build staff capacity in best practices for teaching students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities.
Curriculum Development Leader
The curriculum development leader oversees the implementation of the whole school curriculum model to support explicit teaching at Yarrabah School.
The role includes but is not limited to:
Professional Development and Resource Development
Support the provision of training and ongoing professional development to teachers on effective implementation of Explicit Direct Instruction and guide the development of supporting resources for teachers to deliver high-quality instruction, such as:
Collaboration with Educators
Data-Driven Decision Making
Stay Current with Educational Trends
This role will include one day of teaching in your own class and four days of leadership.
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:
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.