Learning Specialist

Overview

Work type: Full time

Salary: Salary not specified

Grade: Learning Specialist Range 3

Occupation: Education and Training

Location: Western Metropolitan

Reference: 1480337

Location Profile

Located in Melbourne's Western suburbs, Sunshine Special Developmental School (SDS) offers an inclusive, innovative and tailored learning environment for students aged from 5-18 years with moderate to profound intellectual disabilities. Our school is divided into two sub-schools: Primary and Secondary. The school is home to students from diverse nationalities and cultural backgrounds. We have many Vietnamese families, and we welcome an increasing number of Burmese and African families into our school community. Sunshine SDS has an enrolment of 200 students. Our staff comprises of and a staff compliment of 4 Principal Class Officers, 4 Leading Teachers, 4 Learning Specialists, 26 Teachers and 73 Education Support Staff. All members of our community actively promote our vision of `Excellence in education for every student, every day without exception¿. We uphold our values of `Learning, Collaboration, Respect, Courage and Persistence¿.

At our school, we provide personalized teaching and learning programs tailored to the unique needs of each student, guided by the ABLES (Abilities Based Learning and Education Support) assessment framework. Our programs are grounded in evidence-based approaches, including Little Learners Love Literacy (LLLL), School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and the Berry Street Educational Model. These tools help us establish priority learning goals and track student progress effectively. Aligned with the Victorian Curriculum, our teaching focuses on key areas such as English, Mathematics, and Personal and Social Capabilities. Learning is enriched through a variety of multi-sensory, hands-on, and play-based activities to engage students fully. Additionally, students participate in weekly specialist programs in the following domains: Visual Art, Learn to Play, Performing Arts, and Health and Physical Education.

We also offer extension programs such as Career, Pathways & Transition, Library, Sensory Garden, Cooking, Swimming, Hydrotherapy, Lunch Clubs, Bike Education, and Mini Woolworths. These activities are not only designed to enrich the educational experience and promote holistic development but also build students¿ confidence and practical life skills while reinforcing the importance of communication. We are very fortunate to have a strong multi-disciplinary team that provides consultations during termly Student Support Group meetings and ensures the alignment of reasonable adjustments and strategies across all settings. These professionals include 6 Speech Therapists, 5 Occupational Therapists, a Physiotherapist, 3 Allied Health Assistants, a Nurse, a Student Wellbeing Officer, a Student Welfare Officer, a NDIS & Transitions Coordinator, a Mental Health Practitioner and a Community Liaison Officer.

Sunshine SDS promotes and upholds our vision of `Excellence in education for every student, every day without exception.¿ And values LEARNING | COLLABORATION | RESPECT| COURAGE | PERSISTENCE

Selection Criteria

SC1 Demonstrated expertise in inclusive teaching and learning practices, with the capacity to model high-quality, evidence based instructional strategies.

SC2 Demonstrated experience in planning, implementing and evaluating evidence-based intervention strategies for students with disabilities and providing feedback to teaching staff to inform their effectiveness and development.

SC3 Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies relating to teaching students with disability and diverse learning needs in a range of school settings.

SC4 Demonstrated ability to provide explicit advice to teaching staff to assess and monitor student achievement and learning progress in line with the Victoria curriculum, and support teaching staff with effective strategies to engage with parents and families, including reporting on student progress.

SC5 Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.

SC6 Demonstrated ability to provide leadership, professional learning and coaching that informs and influences the work of others involved in the engagement and wellbeing of children and young people.

Role

Learning Specialists will be highly skilled classroom practitioners who continue to spend the majority of their time in the classroom delivering high-quality teaching and learning and have a range of responsibilities related to their expertise,

including teaching demonstration lessons, observing and providing feedback to other teachers and facilitating school-based professional learning. Learning Specialists are expected to have deep knowledge and expertise in high quality teaching

and learning in delivering improved achievement, engagement and wellbeing for students. The role of the Learning Specialist will be to model excellence in teaching and learning through demonstration lessons and, mentoring and coaching

teachers in improving the skill, knowledge and effectiveness of the teaching workforce.

The Learning Specialist role is aimed at building excellence in teaching and learning within the Teaching Service, including building the capacity of Education Support and Allied Health staff to support our students with diverse learning needs

Responsibilities

• Demonstrating high-level expertise in teaching and learning practice
• Modelling exemplary classroom practice including through teaching demonstration lessons
• Working with the school leadership team to develop a shared view of highly effective teacher practice
• Leading and modelling the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to inclusion and curriculum planning and delivery
• Playing a key role in the provision of professional learning, including through developing processes and protocols for observation and feedback of teacher practice and peer collaboration
• Modelling effective learning practice and supporting teachers and education support staff to seek, analyse and act on feedback and on their practice
• Providing evidence-based feedback to teaching staff and education support staff to inform their effectiveness and development
• Providing expert advice about the context, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
• Modelling exemplary use of student data to inform teaching approaches
• Developing and promoting school-wide professional learning structures, processes and protocols through Professional Learning Communities
• Modelling exemplary professional learning practice included through seeking feedback from other teachers and leaders on their own classroom practice as part of critical reflection and inquiry to improve practice

Who May Apply

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

EEO AND OHS Commitment

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]

Child Safe Standards

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

DE Values

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

Conditions of Employment

• All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
• Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
• A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
• Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx

VIT LANTITE

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.