Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Principal - Range 3
Occupation: Principal and assistant principal
Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs
Reference: 1521945
(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:
Ballam Park Primary School (PS) is located in the southeast suburbs of Melbourne, approximately 30 kilometres from the Central Business District. It is in parkland behind Ballam Park Reserve, bordered by McClelland Secondary College and close to Naranga School and Ballam Park Kindergarten. The school faces the Karingal Football, Netball and Cricket Clubs, plus the surrounding parkland and access to car parking for parents and visitors is off Naranga Crescent. We work with McClelland Secondary College, Ballam Park Kindergarten and Naranga Special School as part of our Community of Practice.
The school grounds include five main buildings, three separate adventure playgrounds, two basketball/netball courts and an oval. There are two undercover outdoor areas for student recreation and a hall where we hold assemblies and use for indoor Physical Education sessions. As the school has extensive and beautiful grounds, we are developing a workable vegetable gardens and sensory areas.
The 2026 enrolment number is 166 students, with a SFOE of 0.5154 and some families with English as an Additional Language. We celebrate diversity amongst the school community and strive to provide a positive and nurturing environment for students to develop confidence, social skills and healthy life habits. By building high resilience, we are dedicated to equipping students with the skills and strategies they need to tackle current and future challenges to their wellbeing and mental health.
The school provides an approved curriculum framework differentiated to meet student needs. Throughout the school, classes are grouped according to Victorian Curriculum levels with teachers working together for curriculum planning and professional development. We have embraced research and evidence-based practice, focusing on Explicit Teaching, Cognitive Load Theory, Engagement Norms and the DE Reading and Mathematics positions. Staff regularly participate in professional learning, including classroom and school observations, to ensure continuous improvement.
In 2024, we conducted a comprehensive review and developed a new Strategic Plan centred on enhancing student outcomes and prioritising wellbeing. Our Junior School has established a sound focus on literacy through the implementation of the Little Learners Love Literacy program.
In 2022, we began the Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) professional learning and this work underpins all that we do at Ballam Park PS. Our school works closely with the Area Officer for School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), that brings together the school community to create a positive, safe, supportive learning culture. This initiative has helped the school develop its values: respectful, responsible, kind and safe. Our purpose is to provide our students with the opportunity, motivation, environment and programs to each reach their full potential as healthy individuals and contributing members of the community; emotionally, socially, creatively and academically.
Coinciding with SWPBS and BSEM is the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships initiative (RRRR). Ballam Park PS has a strong commitment to supporting this setting and to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours.
The school's mission is to create reflective, self-regulating and independent learners for life through a learning community that provides a challenging and secure environment, responsive to individual learning needs. Our staff believe that effective learning occurs when outstanding and innovative teachers provide a variety of tasks that actively engage students and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning.
The Ballam Park PS staff have high expectations, a skill set for developing positive relationships and a strong moral purpose for the school. Our staff are dedicated and provide our student population with engaging classes and programs that are both successful and enriching. Building the capacity of every staff member is paramount to establishing quality teaching. Our leadership structure consists of the Principal and Assistant Principal, as well as Wellbeing, Junior, Senior and Specialist leaders, 14 Teachers and 12 Education Support staff.
The Department of Education's Values underpin how we interact with colleagues, learners and families, members of the community, suppliers and government. We are all required to uphold and demonstrate the values in our work. This is reflected at Ballam Park PS, where we have a shared responsibility to uphold these values.