Work Type: Fixed-term - Part-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 4
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Hume - Wangaratta
Reference: 1522346
Wangaratta District Specialist School is a multi-mode specialist school catering for students with mild to severe intellectual and associated disabilities from five to eighteen years of age. We strive to provide a purposeful, comprehensive learning environment meeting the social, emotional and educational requirements of every student.
More than 80 Teaching, Educational Support, wellbeing and Allied Health staff are passionately committed to working with families, carers, specialists, relevant outside agencies and the local community to ensure students achieve their maximum potential and targeted educational outcomes. Enrolment continues to increase with fervour. The 2026 school year began with 165 students enrolled.
WDSS is located in the Rural City of Wangaratta and as of the beginning of 2025, a second campus will also be located in the Rural city of Benalla. The school services the Benalla, Myrtleford, Ovens and King Valleys, Rutherglen, Wahgunyah, and Wangaratta districts. six buses transport students from within Wangaratta and the many towns in surrounding districts.
The school¿s philosophy is reflected in its motto, `Together We Will¿. This is based on the belief that children learn best in a co-operative environment that is happy, challenging, supportive and non-threatening. Strong and respectful relationships between all members of the school community are encouraged as is the active involvement and participation of students, staff, parents, caregivers, volunteers and the wider school community. This is reflected in the strong relationship the school has with all its stakeholders and the high regard with which the school is held in the wider community.
Currently the Wangaratta campus is organised as a junior, middle and senior school, with 20 classrooms grouping students based on a variety of criteria, with a view towards helping students achieve short term goals as stepping stones towards a long-term post school outcome. Class sizes vary from 5 students to 12 students and are staffed according to the student need in each classroom.
From Term 1, 2025, the Benalla campus will run with students aged 5 -15 years with the senior students accessing the VPC from the Wangaratta Campus.
All students have an individual learning plan established in consultation with parents and relevant professionals. In the last three years of school the focus is on transition to adult programs, and this includes work experience, participation in TAFE programs and increased responsibility around the school and community.
¿ Demonstrated highly developed interpersonal and communication skills
¿ Demonstrated capability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships between people with disability and their parents and carers, other organisations or agencies and the wider community
¿ Demonstrated understanding of issues facing students with disability and their parents/carers
¿ Experience in building the capacity of others to navigate complex systems
¿ Demonstrated knowledge of the operations of the NDIS and/or operations of specialist schools.
Relevant experience in the NDIS, disability, youth or education sectors is essential
The successful applicant will carry out the following with a high level of autonomy and minimal day-today direction:
*support and advise parents and carers to build their capacity to understand, advocate for and access appropriate NDIS funded support services available to their children
¿ develop and maintain relationships with parents, carers, school staff and local services to enable productive working relationships between schools, parents, carers and the NDIS
¿ support collaborative practices between NDIS funded services and the school by providing appropriate information, documentation and/or logistical support for approved NDIS funded therapist onsite visits
¿ work collaboratively across the school to support parents and carers to resolve issues experienced with the NDIS through appropriate channels.
The role is not a teaching or clinical role and is not designed for direct intervention, individual student case management or crisis management. The role will not implement or perform supports and adjustments in schools.
Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of 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
· Applicants should keep a copy of the position description as it cannot be accessed once the job has closed.
· Candidates are advised that the key selection criteria must be addressed. Visit https://www.careers.vic.gov.au/how-to-apply for guidelines and tips for applying for government positions and addressing key selection criteria.
· All staff employed by the department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
· Successful applicants are subject to a satisfactory criminal record check prior to employment. New department employees are required to meet the cost of the criminal record check.
· If appointed from outside the department, successful applicants will be required to complete a pre-employment health declaration.
· Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
· A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided. Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the department¿s Human Resources website at https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal
· To support the department¿s commitment to its Environmental Management System, department employees are expected to act in an environmentally responsible manner at all times.
This vacancy is to replace an employee on parental absence and is for a period of seven years or until the employee absent on leave returns to duty at the school.