Learning Specialist

Location: Western Region | Ballarat

Job type: Full time / From 15/01/2025 - 15/01/2029

Organisation: Schools (Government)

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Education and Training

Reference: 1441974

**Location Profile**:
Ballarat Specialist School caters for students aged from 3 to 18 years who have a diagnosed intellectual disability ranging from mild to profound. Ballarat Specialist School is a dual-campus K-12 school organised around four stages of learning - Early Learning (Ages 3-5), Primary School (Ages 5-12), Middle School (Ages 12-15) and Senior School (Ages 15-18). Our Early Learning to Middle School students are accommodated at our main Gillies Street Campus. Our Senior School students are located at our 8.09 hectare FARM Campus in Norman Street. Our current enrollment is approximately 430 students.

Our school's mission is "Achieving Personal Success Together". We strive to enable our students and staff to reach their full potential in a safe, stimulating and flexible learning environment. Our educational programs provide a balanced and personalised curriculum where student achievement is acknowledged and celebrated.

Our specialist programs include: Science, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Physical Education (PE) and Hospitality. The school also operates the Vintage Soul Op Shop and a café at our Norman Street FARM campus. Through these enterprises, we can offer students pathways to future employment as these school-based work areas and programs are connected to the specific delivery of Certificate I in Life Skills and Certificate II Courses through local TAFE institutes. The courses conducted onsite are Kitchen Operations, Retail, Horticulture, Visual Arts, Sport & Recreation, Music Industry and Work skills.

Our supermarket, "Mini 'Woolies" provides an onsite and real-life supermarket experience for our primary and middle school students at Gillies Street.

Individual Educational Plans (IEP"s) are developed by the Student Support Group, which comprises parents and carers, outside agencies, and school staff. The IEPs are then implemented by school staff, including Classroom Staff and Education Assistants and supported by the Integrated Service Team.

**Selection Criteria**:
**SC1** Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to model exemplary teaching practice, including the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum, and implement school priorities.

**SC2** Demonstrated expertise in the implementation and modelling of Victorian teaching and learning model that responds to student learning needs. Demonstrated ability to support teachers to evaluate the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth

**SC3** Demonstrated exemplary ability to model the monitoring and assessment of student learning. Demonstrated ability to support others in using data to inform teaching practice and to provide feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.

**SC4** Demonstrated exemplary interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated ability to engage in collaborative relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.

**SC5** Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated ability to support others to reflect on their practice and facilitate school-based professional learning.

**SC6** **Demonstrated ability to support applied learning throughout Senior School classrooms utilising the Victorian Pathways Certificate or VET (Vocational Education and Training).

**Role**:
Learning Specialists are highly skilled classroom practitioners who spend 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.

**Responsibilities**:
In recognition of the importance of exemplary practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the Learning Specialists may include but are not limited to:

- Demonstrate high-level expertise in teaching and learning practice.
- Model exemplary classroom practice including through teaching demonstration lessons.
- Lead and model the implementation of whole-school i