Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Leading Teacher - Range 3
Occupation: Leading teacher
Location: Melbourne - Northern suburbs
Reference: 1518708
SC1 Demonstrated high level understanding of current initiatives in student learning and the capacity to provide leadership in the alignment of teaching and learning in accordance with the Victorian curriculum.
SC2 Demonstrated outstanding classroom teaching and leadership skills and capacity to implement high impact classroom teaching strategies, to lead colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning and to enable all students to achieve their full potential.
SC3 Demonstrated outstanding ability to monitor and assess student learning data at the individual, cohort and whole school level and to use this data to inform teaching for improved student learning.
SC4 Demonstrated outstanding written and verbal communication skills and high level interpersonal skills including the ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with students, parents, other employees and the broader school community focused on student learning, wellbeing and engagement.
SC5 Demonstrated commitment and capacity to actively contribute to and lead whole school improvement initiatives, manage major curriculum or student activities and a commitment to ongoing professional development and learning for self and others to enable further development of skills, expertise and teacher capacity.
SC6 Demonstrated high level ability to provide leadership of staff and students in all aspacts of the Years 7-10 teaching and learning program, including a proven ability to operate in an online learning environment with a diverse student cohort.
The Middle School Leader will develop and promote rich and enhanced synchronous and asynchronous programs for students with a focus on continuous improvement. The Middle School Leader will play a significant role in the development of a safe social and emotional learning environment for students. The Middle School Leader will engage with teachers, students and families/carers around learning and behavioural challenges and in the promotion of high expectations for all. They will ensure administrative and technical functions of school programs operate and are led effectively in the Middle School. The Middle School Leader will communicate with families, teachers and the community and actively engage with and connect these groups as a team around the learner. The Middle School Leader will work closely with the Primary School Leader and the Head of Senior School. Duties may be adjusted in negotiation with the Principal in alignment with the next School Review and associated School Strategic Plan.
There is a 0.2 EFT teaching load tied to this position.
This position is tenured through to 26/01/2028.
The School Leaders report to the Assistant Principals and will be members of the Education Committee, Student Coordination Team and Allotments Team.
The Middle School Leader will:
Build School capacity and culture:
1. Lead, manage, monitor and improve all aspects related to the school processes, management, culture and student performance
2. Provide transformational leadership in developing strategies, approaches and policies that will improve learning and wellbeing
3. Partner with Instructional Leaders and Learning Specialists to develop whole school strategies and approaches for improved learning and achievement
4. Lead the continuous development of the culture of the Middle School in alignment with the school values of Growth, Empathy, Respect and Collaboration.
Build staff capacity:
5. Lead the daily operation of the Middle School including oversight of the timetable for online classes with the Assistant Principal Operations
6. Support the Assistant Principals in leading school teams
7. Support Instructional Leaders and Learning Specialists to lead the school in analysing individual, class and cohort, subject, whole school and data and responding to this to maximise student outcomes
8. Support the Assistant Principal: Student Engagement and Wellbeing to lead staff in analysing the Student Attitudes to School Survey and investigate ways in which the teachers and the school can improve outcomes in the related areas
9. Support the Assistant Principal: Human Resources with the identification of staffing needs and recruitment of suitable personnel.
Build student capacity:
10. Collaborate with appropriate school leaders and other relevant personnel including parents/carers in managing, supporting and counselling students in their transition from school to employment or training
11. In conjunction with the year level Student Coordinators promote student achievements through scholarship applications and state and regional award nominations
12. Ensure students who are not yet achieving at the expected level for their chronological age and high achieving students are identified, monitored, and supported in collaboration with the Learner Support Leader and Inclusion Team Leader.
Build parent and community capacity:
13. Brief students, parents/carers, staff and the community on developments in Victorian Curriculum 2.0
14. When appropriate actively involve parents/carers in case management meetings to identify how they can support their child¿s progress
15. When appropriate, organise and run meetings with parents/carers and where necessary teachers of students who are not achieving at the expected level for their chronological age in collaboration with the Learner Support Leader and Inclusion Team Leader.
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
VSV employs a hybrid rostering system of remote and onsite work for all teaching staff. The successful applicant will be required to work onsite at Virtual School Victoria, 315 Clarendon Street, Thornbury on their rostered onsite days.
Virtual School Victoria utilises a Moodle based learning management system for the development and delivery of the teaching and learning program Foundation - Year 12. Experience in the use of a Moodle based platform would be advantageous.
Virtual School Victoria utilises its own Student Database, inconjuction with CASES21 Administration. Training will be provided. You learn more about what it's like to work at VSV here - Virtual School Victoria (vsv.vic.edu.au))
Prospective applicants a advised to visit the VSV website www.vsv.vic.edu.au
Applications should be prepared in a standard font, preferably Arial or Calibri, at size 11 or 12.
Pages should be single sided and have well delineated sections using clear headings. Applicants are advised to include:
1. A cover sheet providing the name of the applicant, record number (where applicable), VIT number, ho and email address, telephone number and a telephone number where the applicant can be contacted during business hours.
2. A specific response to each of the five selection criteria of no more than one page per criterion.
3. A separate curriculum vitae that is a summary of experience and qualifications.
4. The names of three referees including contact details, work and mobile phone numbers, email address current position and relationship to the applicant, and a short explanation as to which selection criteria each referee can best comment on
Late applications will not be considered.
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.
Virtual School Victoria (VSV) is the state's leading virtual school, offering 280 semester-based courses online, including VCE subjects. With an annual enrolment in excess of 7000 students from Foundation to Year 12, VSV is the largest state government school in Victoria. Around 2700 students are enrolled full time, while around 4300 students, most in Year 11 and 12, complete subjects with VSV while based in other schools.
The VSV student cohort is both diverse and unique. We provide education to:
¿ school-based students who do not have access to the courses they need in their own school
¿ children and young people with chronic physical and mental health circumstances that make it difficult for them to attend mainstream schooling
¿ young people involved in elite level sports and performing arts
¿ children and young people who are travelling within Victoria, around Australia or overseas
¿ young adults wanting to complete their education in a way that they find engaging
¿ remote, rural and regional children and young people who, due to distance, cannot attend a local school.
In addition to offering a host of teaching and learning courses approved by the VCAA, our specialist teachers provide students with individualised learning and support. VSV teachers are dedicated to building the confidence and resilience of each and every student. Like any school, our teachers regularly support and interact with students, but they do so in a different way to most schools: they do so virtually.
A Learning Advisor role is undertaken by all teachers as a core element of their teaching position at VSV. The overall aim of the role is to connect with and encourage students to belong to the VSV school community in order to optimise their student engagement, learning and wellbeing outcomes. Building positive relationships with students, their family support network and, where appropriate, their health practitioner, in an encouraging, friendly and supportive manner is crucial when teaching in a virtual school. The Learning Advisor role also involves team teaching the Social & Emotional Learning (SEL) program to students in Year 7 to Year 10.
VSV¿s four core school values of Growth, Empathy, Respect and Collaboration guide our vision and underpin our interactions with students, parents/carers and staff. VSV is committed to providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment using a trauma informed approach based on the Making SPACE for Learning model. SPACE is an acronym for the 5 basic principles of trauma informed practice at VSV. These elements help teachers respond to the needs of all students but especially for those who have experienced trauma.
Learning and Teaching at Virtual School Victoria is informed by the Pedagogical Model for Online Learning and Quality Assurance Frameworks for Course Development and Teaching Online. A recent School Review confirmed our pedagogical model and quality assurance frameworks strengthened the school¿s role as a system leader and built on our goal of consistently providing high-quality and targeted teacher practice. Authentic, real-time, interactive learning is a key to teaching at VSV. Teachers develop engaging learning materials and utilise VSVOnline, our Moodle based Learning Management System, to create synchronous and asynchronous collaborative teaching and learning opportunities for students.
VSV students learn by taking part in online collaborative and interactive activities, communicating and interacting with other students and by receiving personalised support and feedback from their teachers. Students participate in active learning targeted to their needs. Teachers use purposeful ongoing assessment strategies to ensure continuous student progress. Data forms an important component in this process and guides personalisation and changes to student learning programs.
Our vision is to see VSV as a system leader in online, virtual and blended learning: sharing our knowledge and expertise, and leading system conversations around digital learning. VSV aims to lead a community of practice that will evolve and strengthen digital learning in Victoria, and positively influence and support other schools to develop in this space.
Currently VSV is implementing the Government¿s Expanding the VCE into Rural and Regional Victoria Initiative. As a result, VSV now delivers all of the VCAA VCE Studies Units 1 - 4. VSV delivers the Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP) which is an intensive 10 week online course to high performing students in Years 5 ¿ 8 as part of the Department of Education¿s Student Excellence Program. VSV also operates Bellum Bellum, a regional hub offering blended learning opportunities to VCE students in the Gippsland Region.
VSV has a large Education Support staff which includes teams in Administration, Enrolment, Online Team, Wellbeing and Inclusion.
The VSV staff work mostly in teams. As such it is important that all staff demonstrate effective teamwork. In particular, staff must be collaborative, cooperative and recognise the value of others¿ contributions with a view to delivering the best outcomes for students and VSV as a whole.