Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Principal - Range 3
Occupation: Principal and assistant principal
Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs
Reference: 1514452
(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.
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.
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.
To be eligible for appointment as a principal a person must either:
Small in size. Big in impact.
Mentone Park Primary School is a vibrant, inclusive government school located in Mentone, 22 kilometres from Melbourne CBD. Proudly serving the Mentone community since 1968, our school has a proud legacy of delivering high-quality education in a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment.
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation, and celebrate our commitment to reconciliation through our Indigenous Garden and the development of our Reconciliation Action Plan.
With a current enrolment of 173 students from Foundation to Year 6 (SFOE: 0.1631), Mentone Park Primary School is a culturally diverse school where every child is known, nurtured, and challenged to achieve their full potential. Our multi-age classroom structure (1/2, 3/4, 5/6) supports peer learning, mentoring and personalised teaching.
The staffing profile is 12.6 FTE teachers and 5.1 FTE ES staff. The leadership structure comprises of an Assistant Principal, Literacy Leader, Numeracy Leader, Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader, and an Inclusion & Education Support Leader (ES).
At the heart of our school is a clear vision: to ignite a passion for learning and prepare our students for the future. We are committed to fostering curiosity, developing confidence, and nurturing the whole child in a supportive, inclusive environment where every student can thrive. Our school community is guided by our TIER values - Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence, and Respect. These principles underpin everything we do, from learning in the classroom to outside playground interactions, helping students to develop a strong character alongside academic skills.
We are proud of our strong culture of learning, safety, collaboration and trust. Students are at the centre of all decisions, and staff are empowered to work together in an environment built on respect, shared responsibility, and mutual support. These elements are foundational to the way we lead, teach, and care for every learner. We believe that high-impact learning cannot occur without psychological safety and a deep sense of belonging. Our community embraces open communication,
restorative practices, and collective efficacy, ensuring both students and staff thrive.
We have a strong academic focus on English and Mathematics, delivering a carefully sequenced and rigorous curriculum aligned to the Victorian Curriculum. We are entering an important phase of our improvement journey. Following the 2024 School Review, the school has a clear Strategic Plan and a recently implemented instructional model aligned to the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model
(VTLM 2.0). Instruction is consistent, clear, intentional and evidence-based, supported by formative assessment and feedback to maximise student growth.
Our English program from Foundation to Year 6 is informed by the science of learning and guided by evidence-based practices. We deliver systematic and direct explicit instruction that ensures all students build strong foundational skills and develop into confident, capable and literate learners.
Our approach is designed to improve student learning outcomes across all year levels, with a consistent and professional commitment to high-quality teaching.
Our reading curriculum is carefully designed to encompass all essential components of reading, as specified in Victoria's approach to teaching reading F-2. This ensures that every student develops the reading skills necessary to become successful, lifelong learners. Across all year levels, our comprehensive reading curriculum is supported by the use of InitiaLit and SpellEx, from the MultiLit suite of programs, and PhOrMes, developed by Shane Pearson.
Our writing curriculum is delivered through a consistent, school-wide approach that ensures students sequentially develop the foundational skills to write with clarity, purpose and confidence, across all genres. Through this structured and supportive approach, we equip all students with the tools they need to become effective and expressive writers.
Our mathematics curriculum is designed to provide every student with the foundational skills and confidence necessary to become capable, flexible, and independent mathematical thinkers. We are committed to delivering a high-quality, evidence-based mathematics education that aligns with the
Victorian Curriculum 2.0 and Victoria¿s approach to teaching mathematics.
At Mentone Park Primary School, we acknowledge that student wellbeing is essential to academic success. Our wellbeing curriculum includes:
We actively promote inclusion, with tailored support for students with a disability, neurodiversity and those requiring additional intervention or extension. Students are given authentic opportunities to lead, influence, and shape their learning and environment. This is evidenced by our recent introduction of the Student Representative Council (SRC). We believe it is essential that students have a voice in their learning journey. Equally, staff wellbeing is recognised as vital. We invest in collaboration, professional learning, and a culture of care to sustain a motivated and effective team.
Students participate in a rich specialist program including Visual Arts, Physical Education, Auslan, and STEM. A wide range of extracurricular activities include choir, dance club, lunchtime clubs, a sustainability team, excursions, incursions, camps, swimming and inter-school sports. Families are active partners in learning through School Council, Parent and Friends Association, community events, fundraising, sustainability projects and volunteering.
Mentone Park Primary School is committed to nurturing the whole child, academically, socially, and emotionally, within a connected, inclusive and forward-thinking learning community.