Assistant Head of Secondary - Student Life

Position Description

Assistant Head of Secondary - Student Life

Position Title Assistant Head of Secondary - Student Life

Reports To Head of Secondary

College Objective At Geelong Lutheran College it is expected that each staff member will support the Christian
ethos of the schools and demonstrate courtesy, cooperation and teamwork with fellow
members of staff. A good example for Christian living is to be given to children and parents by
words and actions.

The Christian Education environment depends largely on the maturity and professionalism of all
staff members co-operating fully with the Executive Principal, Heads of Sub-Schools, other staff
and the College Board. Staff are to adhere to the policies and the Lutheran teachings and to
foster the ethos, culture and traditions of Geelong Lutheran College.

Position The Assistant Head of Secondary (AHoS) - Student Life is a member of the Secondary Leadership

Objective Team. When necessary, the AHoS may assume the role as Head of Secondary. They will be
expected to take a school-wide perspective and contribute to the overall leadership of the
Secondary School while supporting the school mission and vision, as well as the strategic intent
and initiatives set forth by the schoolwide Executive Leadership Team.

Position The Assistant Head of Secondary – Student Life provides strategic and operational leadership

Overview for student wellbeing, restorative practices, pastoral care, and student life initiatives across
Years 7–12. The role enables deep involvement in proactive initiatives, culture building, and
responsive student support.

The role has agency in all aspects of students’ GLC experiences across Years 7-12. The AHoS
applies a systems approach to student care—promoting a safe, inclusive, and connected school
culture. This includes leading efforts to improve student engagement, academics, behaviour
response, leadership and voice, while aligning with the College’s Christian values of Wisdom,
Honour, and Purpose.

The AHoS brings strong knowledge of Secondary school operations, student development, and
staff coaching to support consistent practice across the College. The role actively contributes to
staff development program coordination, and the overall student experience.

Reporting directly to the Head of Secondary (HoS), this individual will assist in developing and
implementing the overall school program and leading staff and student growth and
development.

The Assistant Head of Secondary – Student Life, will develop and maintain positive working
relationships with:

• Executive Principal

• Head of Secondary

• Assistant Head of Secondary for Learning & Teaching

• Director of Secondary Staff

• Head of Wellbeing

• Inclusive Education Leader

• Dean of Students – Nurture (7/8), Evolve (9/10), Nexus (11/12)

• Pathways Coordinator

• Registrar

• Education Operations Coordinator

Position Description

Assistant Head of Secondary - Student Life

• Year Level Coordinators

• Other staff at the College

• Students and parents of the College

Expectations, Christian Leadership

Duties and • Model servant and transformative leadership in Christian education to support the

safety policies.

• Lead and contribute to the Christian life of the College, including devotions, worship,

Pastoral and Operational Leadership

• Set the vision, goals, intended outcomes, and data collection for wellbeing,

• Provide direction and ongoing oversight for pastoral care, student wellbeing,

• Collaborate with the Deans and Head of Wellbeing to implement, strengthen, and

• Design, implement, and evaluate student cocurricular and leadership development

• Lead and develop capacity of Deans, Year Level Coordinators, and staff in responding to

• Develop and lead initiatives to enhance student life, wellbeing, engagement and daily

• Embody College values in day-to-day interactions; maintaining daily visibility and

Care Team and Student Support Oversight

• Coordinate and develop the Secondary Care Team, referrals, and follow-up actions.

• Collaborate with Deans, Head of Wellbeing, and the Inclusive Education Leader to draft

• Support Deans in analysing wellbeing, attendance, and behaviour data (e.g., Pulse EI) to

Restorative Practice and Behavioural Standards

• Lead the ongoing implementation and development of restorative practices and

• Oversee training of staff and student leaders in restorative approaches.

• Support Deans in responding to challenging behavioural matters, facilitating re-entry

• For escalating matters, lead, manage and seek to resolve complex student issues in

Position Description

Assistant Head of Secondary - Student Life

Secondary.

• Maintain compliant documentation and communication with families and other

Student Life and Community Engagement

• Lead initiatives recognising student voice, service, leadership, and achievement.

• Coordinate the end of year student awards process.

• Consult with staff and students, and the Director of Staff, Logistics and Operations to

• Monitor and evaluate House events, camps, excursions, and student events to ensure

• Ensure student programs are inclusive, aligned to College values, and safely conducted

• Strengthen the home-school partnership, and foster collaborative relationships with

Leadership and Collaboration

• Lead and ensure accountability for Deans, Year Level Coordinators, Pastoral Mentors

• Support and mentor student leaders in College initiatives and lead student leadership

• Foster collaborative staff culture with shared responsibility for student wellbeing.

Administration and Operational Oversight

• In collaboration with Deans, oversee consistency in staff entry of notifications and

• Manage budgets and resource allocation related to student life and pastoral care.

• Oversee and update student handbooks and processes and procedures.

Other

• To perform such other duties as may be required by the Executive Principal and/or

All applicants should note that this role description is not intended to be a prescriptive
document and therefore may evolve as the position develops and forms.

Supervisory • Nurture (7/8), Evolve (9/10), Nexus (11/12) Dean of Students
Responsibilities • Secondary Pastoral Mentors

• Year Level Coordinators

• House Coordinators

• Student Leadership Groups

• All staff Yr. 7-12

Key Selection These selection criteria will form the basis to assess applicants for short-listing:

Criteria
1. Christian Leadership and Community Engagement

Proven capacity to model and lead Christ-centred values, foster spiritual formation, and
promote respectful, child-safe community engagement.

Position Description

Assistant Head of Secondary - Student Life

2. Student Pastoral Care
Ability to support students through proactive systems, co-curricular programs, and
responsive care.

3. Restorative and Behavioural Leadership

Demonstrated skill in leading restorative practices, managing behaviour consistently,
and embedding a values-aligned culture.

4. Team Leadership

Experience in enhancing student engagement through collaborative and professional
growth of teachers.

5. Operational and Data-Informed Practice

Strong organisational capability with knowledge of compliance, child safety, and use of
data to inform planning, risk, and reporting.

6. Executive Collaboration

Proven ability to partner at an executive level to align initiatives with strategic goals
and support leadership across student life.

Classification Terms and Conditions: Please refer to the Lutheran Education (Victorian Schools) Multi-
Enterprise Agreement 2023
FTE: 0.8
Tenure: 2 years
Location: Geelong Lutheran College Armstrong Creek

STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO CHILD SAFETY

Geelong Lutheran College is committed to being a Child Safe organisation. Geelong Lutheran College has a zero
tolerance for child abuse and is committed to acting in children’s best interests and in keeping them safe from harm.
Geelong Lutheran College regards its child protection responsibilities with the utmost importance and as such, is
committed to providing the necessary resources to ensure compliance with all relevant child protection laws and
regulations and maintain a child safe culture.

Geelong Lutheran College is an Equal Opportunity Employer