Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Principal - Range 2
Occupation: Principal and assistant principal
Location: Grampians
Reference: 1491093
(a) Vision and values
Demonstrated capacity to create a shared vision, define and gain acceptance of school goals and set and communicate expectations for effective performance.
(b) Teaching and Learning
Demonstrated ability to manage the quality of teaching and create a positive culture of challenge, support and collaboration.
(c) Improvement, Innovation and Change
Demonstrated capacity to produce and implement clear, evidence-based improvement plans and policies and lead innovation and change.
(d) Management
Demonstrated capacity to ensure that the school's human, physical and financial resources are efficiently allocated and managed.
(e) Development
Demonstrated capacity to create a professional learning community that is focused on the continuous improvement of teaching and learning, supporting all staff to achieve high standards and commitment to their own learning and wellbeing.
(f) Engagement
Demonstrated capacity to develop positive relationships with students, parents/families and the local community and participate in and contribute to system-level activities.
(g) Community Criterion
A demonstrated ability to develop a safe, nurturing and stimulating learning environment that celebrates the diverse abilities of all students, and which continues to build strong partnerships with staff, parents and the broader community.
The role of the principal is to lead and manage the planning, delivery, evaluation and improvement of the education of all students in a community through the deployment of resources provided by the Department and the school community.
At the same time, the principal, as executive officer of the school council, must ensure that adequate and appropriate advice is provided to the council on educational and other matters, that the decisions of the council are implemented and that adequate support and resources are provided for the conduct of council meetings.
The principal is accountable for the overall management and development of the school within statewide guidelines and Government policies. A clear set of accountabilities, which distinguish their work from other members of the Teaching Service and the education community are set out in detail in the contract of employment.
The core accountabilities of all principals are to:
Appropriately qualified individuals currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
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.
The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, 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 family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via [email protected]
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 a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching. In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements. This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.
To be eligible for appointment as a principal a person must either:
Location and History:
Warracknabeal Special Developmental School (SDS) is a dual-model special education setting located in the North Wimmera, approximately 340 kilometres from Melbourne's CBD. Warracknabeal is an agriculturally based community of around 2,500 and is the major centre for the Yarriambiack Shire which encompasses 13 separate communities within the Wimmera and Southern Mallee. The school caters for students with intellectual and physical disabilities within the Yarriambiack and adjoining Buloke Shires. The school was founded in 1961.
School Facilities:
At the start of Term 2, 2024, the Warracknabeal SDS commenced a new era in education when the Primary School and Secondary College moved to the new Warracknabeal Education Precinct where the three schools now share the same site.
We have modern and well-designed buildings, including access to a national standard gymnasium, comprehensive library, all abilities/inclusive playground equipment, outdoor sports areas such as the basket-ball court and the technology building which has both woodwork and metal work facilities. We are located on a very large site and still have work to do to develop our physical environment.
Enrolments:
Enrolment at the start of our review year as indicated in our SRP was 32.8 students, with 17.0 students in Years F - 6. and 15.8 in years 7 -12. Over the past four years enrolments ranged from 38.2 students to 29.2.
Staff Profile:
The staffing profile of the Warracknabeal Special Developmental School includes: a full-time principal, 3.4 full time equivalent teachers together with the equivalent of 9 full time Education Support staff and 1.0 full time business manager. The ES staff includes classroom support, bus drivers and bus chaperones.
Curriculum:
The Warracknabeal SDS provides education programs for students aged 5 - 18 years, with mild, moderate and profound intellectual disabilities associated with
physical, social, emotional, behavioural and sensory impairments. The school offers a specialised and challenging curriculum in a supportive environment that promotes personal independence and a valued lifestyle. All students have an Individual Education Plan with learning goals linked to the Victorian Curriculum. Senior student's learning outcomes also connect to the Victorian Careers Curriculum Framework.
Additional Information:
The school services a wide geographical area, and most students travel to school via one of the school's three daily bus services that operate twice daily - Watchem/Donald (309.6kms), Beulah/Hopetoun (248.8 kms) and Minyip/Murtoa (220.8 kms). Each bus has a driver and a chaperone to support student needs.
The school has used Mental Health funding to engage a psychologist. It also provides a "therapy" room for sessions with psychologists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, audiologists and physiotherapists who have been accessed privately by parents through the NDIS.
The school also facilitates access to the mobile dental services during school hours, on the school site each year and provides free vision screening and, if needed, further testing and free glasses for Foundation to Year 3 student through the Glasses for Kids program, which targets school communities, such as Warracknabeal as it is classified as an area of disadvantage.
School Purpose:
The Warracknabeal Special Developmental School Community is focused on providing the best educational opportunities to a cohort of students who are experiencing challenges across a range of essential learning areas.
The school has a relatively consistent enrolment base of approximately 30 students, drawn from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds with diverse family structures.
To optimise student learning we use a variety of curriculum documents and evidenced based individual education programs to enhance student learning. Whole School Community consultation continues to be an integral part of our planning with parent, staff and student ideas driving the informed decisions related physical, educational and social needs of our student base.
Parents are embracing the inclusiveness offered for their child with school aged peers and the access to shared specialised teaching areas on our precinct, such as the gymnasium. Families have also indicated how the co-location model is prompting not only greater understanding of their child's abilities but also foster a sense of family connectedness to the whole community.
Our focus on a Developmental Play /Hands-on Learning approach, blended with explicit teaching pedagogies across all levels of the school offers the most effective learning model for our cohort of students.
To maintain the gains made and to continue to expand learning opportunities based on our successes it is imperative that we facilitate the practices of competency-based learning and ensure teaching practices and facilities promote the philosophies of such ideals.