Learning Specialist 3

Location: North West Region | Toolern Vale

Job type: Full time / From 28/01/2025 - 26/01/2028

Organisation: Schools (Government)

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Education and Training

Reference: 1442615

**Location Profile**:
Toolern Vale & District is a small school with a current enrolment of 175 students. Given the school¿s size, there is a strong sense of camaraderie and belonging amongst students, families and staff. A significant proportion of enrolments are requested by families out of our school zone, 10% of students are funded under the PSD program and a high proportion of enrolled students have an additional needs diagnosis. The school's SFOE index is 0.4773.

At our school, the instructional model was collaboratively developed with input from staff members and informed by the HITS. We implement the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model through the TVDPS Instructional Model which ensures all learners are active participants in their learning and consistent high-quality teaching is enacted through explicit use of the High Impact Teaching Strategies, with a focus on goal setting, structuring lessons, and explicit teaching.

In 2024, the school embraced planning and participation for Disability Inclusion processes and practices. This has enabled the school to consider and extend existing accommodations including targeted and individualised supports for students with additional needs. The continued rollout of the Disability Inclusion initiative will be an ongoing priority for the school.

**Selection Criteria**:

- Demonstrated understanding and capacity to lead and manage the implementation of the Disability Inclusion Profile, including the ability to coach and mentor staff to achieve a culture of inclusivity where all students can access the curriculum and achieve learning growth.
- Demonstrated ability to provide explicit advice to teaching staff to assess and monitor student achievement and learning progress in line with the Victorian curriculum, and support teaching staff with effective strategies to engage with parents and families, including to report on student progress.
- Demonstrated ability to work with students who present with complex needs and/or challenging behaviours alongside families and services to ensure all students achieve their full potential within a school setting.
- 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.

**Responsibilities**:

- Oversee IEP development and provide/arrange professional learning for staff
- Work with leadership to develop a tiered approach for supporting students
- Organise and coordinate Student Support Group meetings for Tier 3 students each term and for those undergoing the Disability Inclusion Profile process or others that would benefit from one
- Work with leadership to develop and implement a Tier 2 funding expenditure plan
- Regularly meet with Education Support Staff and oversee their timetabling and roles
- Support teachers to identify and implement adjustments to support learners in their grade
- Oversee the NCCD process
- Member of School Improvement Team (SIT) and have input and responsibility for SSP and AIP goals.
- Meet with the Wellbeing Team on a fortnightly basis for information sharing purposes
- Assist Leadership to identify staff professional learning needs and deliver/arrange professional learning
- Observe students in class and provide advice and support to class team regarding adjustments required for students with a disability and additional needs
- Model effective inclusive education across the school including classroom practices and supporting teachers to seek, analyse and act on feedback on their practice
- Demonstrated ability to lead the implementation and promotion of inclusion and wellbeing through the Disability Inclusion Initiative and build staff capacity to support the learning and wellbeing of diverse learners
- Work with staff to develop indi