Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time
Salary: Salary not specified
Grade: Assistant Principal - Range 3
Occupation: Principal and assistant principal
Location: Melbourne - Western suburbs
Reference: 1523619
Karwan Primary School is the perfect place to lead innovation, shape strategic direction and take the next step in your leadership career. With an ongoing AP-3 position available, this is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on a rapidly growing, diverse and dynamic school community.
Conveniently located at 455 Bethany Road, Tarneit, Karwan Primary School is easily accessible. It's a 25-30 minute drive from Melbourne's inner west, 40 minutes via freeway from Geelong, 35 minutes from the northern suburbs and just a maximum 20-minute drive from Altona, Point Cook, Truganina, Tarneit, Eynesbury or Lara. Well-connected and stress-free to reach, getting here is simple for staff and families alike.
Established in Term 1, 2023, this purpose-built government school provides high-quality education to a diverse and expanding community in Melbourne's rapidly growing outer west. The school currently has an enrolment of 988 students, with continued growth projected over the coming terms and years.
At Karwan Primary School, you'll join a community where exceptional staff, engaged students and supportive families come together to create an outstanding and inclusive learning environment. Our teachers, leaders, allied health professionals and support staff are highly skilled, passionate and dedicated, going above and beyond every day to ensure the best outcomes for every student. We are truly fortunate to have such wonderful staff.
Our students come from a wide range of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. They are well-behaved, respectful and eager to learn, creating a positive and productive classroom atmosphere that makes teaching highly rewarding. Equally, our families work closely with staff, strengthening collaboration and community connections. Together, the commitment and capability of our staff, the engagement of our students and the support of our families make Karwan Primary School a truly inspiring place to teach and lead.
Karwan Primary School operates with a distributed leadership model designed to maximise impact across all areas of the school. The revised structure includes a Principal, an Assistant Principal-3 (Research, Innovation and Strategic Direction), three Assistant Principal-1 roles (P-2, Years 3-6, Inclusion), seven Leading Teachers with clearly defined portfolios across curriculum, wellbeing and inclusion and Professional Learning Team (PLT) Leaders providing targeted team support. All leadership roles include coaching and mentoring, ensuring staff development and continuous improvement. The AP-3 role is the first leadership position to be advertised in this new structure. Principal roles are set to commence at the start of Term 3, Leading Teacher positions at the start of Term 4 and PLT Leaders will be appointed in preparation for the 2027 school year.
The Assistant Principal-3 (Research, Innovation, and Strategic Direction) is a senior leadership position focused on shaping the strategic vision and future direction of Karwan Primary School. Working closely with the Principal and leadership team, this role provides high-level leadership and strategic influence across the school. Key responsibilities include:
The Assistant Principal-3 takes a hands-on approach, actively engaging with the school community, visible in classrooms, on yard duty and interacting with students. With an open-door policy, they warmly welcome staff seeking support or conversation and students eager to share their work, fostering a collaborative environment where every teacher's voice is valued.
Karwan Primary School boasts state-of-the-art facilities, including individual classrooms, common spaces, a gymnasium, science labs, visual and performing arts spaces, well-designed outdoor learning environments and expansive, manicured grounds. These facilities support a modern, evidence-informed approach to teaching and learning.
We are committed to fostering a healthy work-life balance for all staff. With school hours from 8:40am to 2:50pm, staff typically finish by 3:10pm or 4:10pm on scheduled meeting days, allowing time for personal and family commitments. As with all Principal Class roles, flexibility and extended hours are expected to meet the responsibilities of school leadership.
Potential applicants are highly encouraged to view our School Strategic Plan (SSP) and Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) found on our website and also to attend a school tour at either 3:30pm on Tuesday 21 April or 5:00pm on Thursday 23 April. Please contact our Principal, Ashley Craig, at [email protected] to reserve your place. If these dates do not work, reach out to arrange a suitable alternative.
Please submit applications as a single PDF document, saved with the applicant's name. Responses to each selection criterion should be no more than one page in length, with a clear focus on relevant experience, evidence of impact and alignment to the role.
KSC 1 - Educational Leadership
(i) Demonstrated capacity for visionary and exemplary educational leadership in the delivery of educational services working in partnership with government agencies and other organisations
(i)Highly developed skills in leading and managing change including the leadership of others in the process of change.
KSC 2 - Financial, managerial and administrative ability
Outstanding financial, organisational and recourse management skills.
KSC 3 - Planning, policy and program development and review
(i)Exemplary values appropriate to the development of student learning, particularly for vulnerable and culturally diverse cohorts with a demonstrated capacity to achieve high-quality student outcomes and engagement in education
(ii)Demonstrated ability to implement department policies to a high level, including those related to the Department of Justice and Community Safety operating environment
(iii)An understanding of, and a commitment to, the use of learning technologies to support teaching and learning and maintain connection to education pathways
KSC 4 - Leadership of staff and students
(i)A highly developed capacity to motivate staff, develop their talents and build an effective team.
(ii) A clear capacity to foster a learning environment in a custodial facility that takes account of the individual and diverse needs and length of stay of young people and helps them develop their special abilities and talents and remain connected to education.
KSC 5 - Interpersonal and communication skills
(i)Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills in individual, small group and community contexts.
(ii)Exemplary values pertaining to personal qualities of objectivity, sensitivity and integrity.
(iii) An ability to work with others organisations, families, and the community to develop a strong learning environment.
The assistant principal reports directly to the principal.
Assistant principals have a primary responsibility for the management of significant areas or functions within the school to ensure the effective development, provision and evaluation of the school's education program. In exercising the responsibility, assistant principals will have the authority to make all significant decisions relating to the program, budget and staff relating to their area of designated responsibility within the framework of the school's strategic plan, policies and budget. Assistant principals will contribute to the overall management of the school through involvement in policy formulation and decision making.
The management of significant school program or functional areas in schools involve assistant principals in the analysis of the needs of students and the translation of state educational policy and frameworks into appropriate education programs to meet the needs of all students.
Typically assistant principals will be responsible for the effective use of the teaching staff and program budget of a defined area of the school's operation and for the oversight and leadership of the educational programs provided utilising these resources.
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.