Primary Learning Assistant

Position: Primary Learning Assistant (casual)

Accountable to: Deputy Principal - Head of Primary

Major Relationships: Learning Support Team Leader

Primary Learning Support Coordinators

Other Relationships: Primary Learning Support Team

PA to the Deputy Principal - Head of Primary

Application Information:
Applicants are invited to provide a concise curriculum vitae including personal details, church involvement, career experience, academic attainments and addressing the criteria listed in the Position Description. Three referees are required to be listed - included in the three is to be one church reference demonstrating an active faith.

Donvale Christian College:
Donvale Christian College is located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne having opened in 1975. The current enrolment is over 1500 students from Prep to Year 12 and the total number of employees is approximately 300.

Donvale Christian College is governed, as provided for in its Constitution, by the College Board. The Board are elected by the members of the College. The full range of Christian denominations is represented in the parent body of the College. There is no position on the Board elected or appointed by any single church community. The Board is totally elected by the membership of Donvale Christian College Ltd. The Executive Principal is appointed by the Board and together they appoint staff.

Staff members are expected to actively support the Christian aims of the College. Membership of a Bible based worship community is one of the criteria that has to be satisfied to successfully gain employment.

Role Description

The Learning Support Assistant provides invaluable support to both students with additional needs and to the teachers of these students.

The core business of Donvale Christian College is to be a biblically directed learning community. Everyone and everything in this community serves this purpose. Each person in the College community has been gifted by God to make his or her contribution to the learning and teaching for which God has brought the College into being.

College Requirements

All staff are expected to:

- Perform their responsibilities in a manner which reflects the College’s mission, objectives and philosophy. In particular, staff are expected to role model an active Christian faith that will be demonstrated in part by an active involvement in the wider Christian Church.
- Be Christian role models and examples to all people associated with the College.
- Participate in College devotions as required that involve staff and students and attend the staff retreat.

**Responsibilities**:
To ensure that identified students have every opportunity to be independent and autonomous learners. The Learning Assistant will:

- Encourage and support students to do as much as they can for themselves.
- Ensure that students do not become over reliant on support.
- Establish a positive relationship with the student, being sensitive and supportive of their relationships with teachers and other students.
- Pass on relevant information to the teachers that may be of assistance in caring for the student.
- Work in ways to ensure that students are not in isolation from peers.
- Attend classes as per timetable. Some extracurricular activities may be expected by arrangement with the Head of Primary e.g. camps, excursions etc.
- Supervise Yard duties as per the primary roster.
- Provide specific support to identified students in the playground where necessary and observe for physical safety and social interaction.
- Under teacher instruction, assist students with options such as:
Ø Re-enforcing new concepts
- Ø Using alternative methods more suitable to the students learning strengths
- Ø Reading instructions
- Ø Note-taking/scribing
- Ø Assisting during tests
- Ø Adapting work to make it suitable
- Ø Withdraw students to work privately on tasks, at teacher discretion
- Assist students with organisation skills where applicable, record keeping, homework etc.
- Offer to prepare work, photocopy, set up activities etc.
- Assist students with physical and mobility issues around toileting, meals etc.
- Attend specialist classes with the student.
- Provide written summaries of sessions attended with the student on a weekly basis.
- Attend compulsory College Professional Development.
- Attend additional Professional Development related to student needs.
- Learning Support Assistants are encouraged to see the Primary Learning Support Coordinators or Team Leader for support and ideas.
- Attend meetings with Learning Support team as required.
- Develop social stories with classroom teacher as needed.
- Generate individual student prompts as required by the classroom teacher (eg: daily planners/timetables).
- Any other duties as directed.

Qualifications and Experience
- Certificate III in Education Support/ Higher qualification as per consultation with HOP
- Experience in Learning Support is preferred
- Working with Children’s Check