Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 5
Occupation: Health and allied health
Location: Gippsland - Baw Baw
Reference: 1501174
Baringa School is committed to excellence in Special Education. We aim to provide an innovative, caring and stimulating environment where learning is relevant and purposeful and where students develop a sense of belonging through mutual respect and cooperation. Our school motto is Be Respectful, Be Safe, Be a Learner.
Baringa School is located in Moe, which is in Latrobe Valley. The school provides a comprehensive educational program for students who have an intellectual disability aged from 5 to 18 years of age. Current enrolment is 175.
The student population is drawn from a wide geographical area incorporating Trafalgar through to Traralgon.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Baringa School community sees the provision of a safe, caring and positive learning environment as its most important goal. The environment aims to support students as they strive to develop social, emotional, communication and educational skills that will lead to independence. School community commitment to providing a curriculum that challenges student learning through achievement and success is strong.
CURRICULUM
The curriculum at Baringa is based on the Victorian curriculum and covers English, Mathematics, Personal & Social Development, Health & Physical Education, Independent Living Skills, Art, Technology and Communication. A number of enrichment programs are also offered including Outdoor Education, Camps, Advance (a community volunteer program) vocational training including Work Experience and Pre work skills, and travel training.
The school operates in Units of Lower Primary (ages 5 - 9), Upper Primary (ages 9 - 12), Secondary (ages 12 -16) and a Senior Learning Centre (SLC) for students over 16 which provides a range of options including preparation for post school pathways and independent living skills.
Our Assistant Principal in Student Wellbeing leads a student support services team, which includes a Psychologist, a Mental Health in Primary Schools practitioner and two Speech Pathologists. This team provides welfare support to all students across the school.
Baringa School is committed to the implementation of a whole school approach to Positive Behaviour Intervention and Support (PBIS) for student engagement and learning. Staff understand that behaviour is a learned skill, and that prosocial behaviour can be taught through explicit teaching and positive recognition. Teaching expected behaviours is a shared responsibility and requires a combined effort by all staff to ensure our students are Safe, Respectful Learners.
Individual student needs determine the curriculum focus for each student. Parents and professionals identify these collaboratively during Support Group meetings. When collated, these needs drive the curriculum provided for students. Through this process, Individual Education Plans and personal goals for students are established. Many students present with challenging behaviour and require individual behaviour plans and modified or negotiated programming to ensure successful participation at school.
To help all our students to continue to build and develop their literacy skills, a research-based literacy program called InitiaLit has been introduced across our school curriculum. InitiaLit addresses reading, spelling and writing by explicitly teaching the relationship between sounds and letters which builds knowledge and understanding of word structure, providing students with a reliable set of skills and strategies to use when reading and writing words.
FUTURE PLANS
Baringa School has a continuing commitment to work together to improve all school environments. The concept of promoting positive student behaviour through positive programming continues to be an important underpinning program to support students in all areas of learning.
Curriculum priorities focus on student achievement and engagement through the extension of literacy and numeracy across the school, extension of information technology to support learning, and further training in improving teaching and learning across the school, with a particular emphasis on explicit teaching and differentiated learning.
Ensuring that staff have strong capabilities in relation to working in a special education setting will continue to be an important focus for professional learning, particularly as experienced and Special Education qualified staff retire, and new staff come into the school. Knowledge and understanding of the principles underpinning School Wide Positive Behaviour Support and Understanding Poverty are important aspects of our culture and beliefs in relation to student wellbeing and engagement.
SC1 A capacity as an Occupational Therapist to deliver a comprehensive occupational therapy service to students with intellectual disabilities in a school environment.
SC2 Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including demonstrated ability to consult, negotiate and liaise effectively with students, colleagues, families and members of the school.
SC3 An ability to assess student skills and maintain appropriate documentation including treatment plans/goals and written reports in accordance with DET guidelines.
SC4 An ability to develop and implement purposeful and relevant occupational therapy programs across the school.
SC5 Willingness to be a positive and productive member of a multiple disciplinary team to support school wide initiatives and a capacity to adjust to change
Will usually be a member of the leadership team who is accountable for the development and delivery of key services that are integral to the effective operation of a school/s. Provides a range of services and/or undertakes the analysis of complex problems that form part of the policy framework.
A school or group of schools would need to have the necessary diversity and complexity to create a role at range 5. Management of a major school or district initiative, project or Department targeted strategy would be an indicator depending on the breadth of management responsibilities.
An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students, but must not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students cannot be required except where it is an integral part of the employee's position or involves supervision of students individually or in small groups, in controlled circumstances, where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.
The Occupational Therapist will be responsible to the leadership team for the provision of occupational therapy services within the transdisciplinary model and will comply with professional standards developed by Baringa School and the mission and vision of our school.
The Occupational Therapist will work within a multidisciplinary team model, supporting students with intellectual disabilities and complex social and health needs
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