English/Humanities - commencing 2026 (15h Left)

Pakenham Secondary College is a Year 7-12 College located within the Cardinia Shire on Melbourne's South East fringe. The school now serves a large and diverse community within a designated urban growth corridor.

The College is committed to providing all students with learning opportunities designed to develop socially responsible citizens and build pathways to their futures. We are committed to continuous improvement. We value growth through connection.

The key values that underpin all our work at the College are based around the acronym SOAR.

Social and personal responsibility

This means everyone is accountable for their own actions and shares responsibility for the development of a positive learning environment.

Opportunities for all

This means that all members of the school community are provided with a variety of learning opportunities to further develop themselves and participate in the decision-making process of the school.

Achieving personal best

This means there is an expectation that all members of the school community commit to a culture of excellence.

Respect and relationships

This means that the school recognizes the importance of productive relationships, with all members of the school community showing respect for themselves, others and the environment.

The school community has become increasingly diverse with students from a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds creating a diverse school population. It is anticipated that student enrolment numbers will be approximately 910 in 2024. We are a great school offering outstanding opportunities to our students in the areas important to our College Community.

- Learning growth and pathways
- Sport
- Performing Arts
- Student Leadership and our Community.

The curriculum across Years 7 and 8 is based around a core plus elective model. Students in Years 9 and 10 combine their core subjects with more elective choices in areas of interest to them. Year 10 students also have the opportunity to access a VET or VCE subject. Senior students are able to access the VCE (including the Vocational Major) and a variety of VET courses and School Based Apprenticeships. The school is committed to supporting students in achieving at least one qualification upon the completion of their Secondary Education.

The school’s Strategic Plan is focussed on improving student achievement, growth, engagement and well‑being with the key focus areas and Key Improvement Strategies outlined below:

- Maximise student learning in literacy and numeracy:

- Develop, implement and embed a whole‑school approach to formative and summative assessment.

- Build capability of staff to capture, analyse and utilise assessment and data to evaluate the impact of instructional strategies and determine the next stage of instruction for differentiated student learning.

- Build teacher capability to differentiate learning tasks to meet students at point of need.

- Strengthen students’ agency, engagement and connectedness to school and peers:

- Strengthen opportunities for student voice, agency, and leadership

- Develop teacher capability to support students to set goals and monitor own learning progress

- Engage students to support the development of learning opportunities that are engaging and promote curiosity.

- Improve social and emotional wellbeing of all students:

- Develop and implement a tiered and responsive approach to support student wellbeing and inclusion (SWPB).

- Strengthen the partnership between staff, students, carers, and families to create a shared responsibility for student wellbeing.

The College has recently received $11.3 million in funding as part of a Capital Works Program with works schedule to commence in 2024.

Our College has also further developed its International Student Program. We view our International Students Program as a further means of adding to our already rich Cultural diversity at the College.

Pakenham Secondary College strives to implement the Child Safe Standards as outlined in Ministerial Order No.870 to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students at the College and promote an organisational culture that manages the risk of child abuse and neglect. The school has developed policies and procedures specifically aimed at keeping children safe.

Selection Criteria

SC1 Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the ability to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. Demonstrated experience in responding to student learning needs.

SC2 Demonstrated experience in planning for and implementing high‑impact teaching strategies, guided by how students learn, and evaluating the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.

SC3 Demonstrated experience in monitoring and assessing student learning. Demonstrated experience in using data to inform teaching practice and providing feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.

SC4 Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5 Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated experience in reflecting upon practice and engaging in professional learning to continually improve the quality of teaching.

Role

The classroom teacher classification comprises two salary ranges—range 1 and range 2. The primary focus of the classroom teacher is on the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. The classroom teacher engages in critical reflection and inquiry in order to improve knowledge and skills to effectively engage students and improve their learning.

As the classroom teacher gains experience his or her contribution to the school program beyond the classroom increases. All classroom teachers may be required to undertake other duties in addition to their rostered teaching duties provided the responsibility is appropriate to the salary range, qualifications, training and experience of the teacher.

Classroom teacher Range 2
Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state‑wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities.

A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high‑quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.

Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:
- Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students
- Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity
- Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
- Supervise and train one or more student teachers
- Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.

Classroom teacher Range 1
The primary focus of the range 1 classroom teacher is on further developing skills and competencies to become an effective classroom practitioner with structured support and guidance from teachers at higher levels and the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. These teachers teach a range of students/classes and are accountable for the effective delivery of their programs. Range 1 classroom teachers are skilled teachers who operate under general direction within clear guidelines following established work practices and documented priorities and may have responsibility for the supervision and training of one or more student teachers.

At range 1, teachers participate in the development of school policies and programs and assist in the implementation of school priorities.
The focus of a range 1 classroom teacher is on classroom management, subject content and teaching practice. New entrants to the teaching profession in their initial teaching years receive structured support, mentoring and guidance from teachers at higher levels.

Under guidance, new entrants to the teaching profession will plan and teach student groups in one or more subjects and are expected to participate in induction programs and other professional learning activities that are designed to ensure the integration of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy across the school.

Teachers at range 1 are responsible for teaching their own classes and may also assist and participate in policy development, project teams and the organisation of co‑curricula activities.

Responsibilities

The role of classroom teacher may include but is not limited to:

- Direct teaching of groups of students and individual students;
- Contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of a curriculum area or other curriculum program within the school;
- Undertaking other classroom teaching related and organisational duties as determined by the School Principal;
- Participating in activities such as parent/teacher meetings; staff meetings; camps and excursions;
- Undertaking other non‑teaching supervisory duties.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we serve. 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 recognizes 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 marrung@education.vic.gov.au.

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.

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:

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:

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class:

- The person must have provisional or full registration approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching; and
- If the person completed an Australian postgraduate level initial teaching program or course of study on or after 1 January 2024, they must demonstrate that they have satisfactorily completed a postgraduate level accredited initial teacher education program that has been accredited by an Australian State or Territory Teacher Regulatory Authority as satisfying the requirements of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 'Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures'; and
- A person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education (ITE) program after 1 July 2016 must also 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 ITE program completed by the person).

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