Learning Specialist Range 3

Location: Melbourne | Northern Metropolitan

Job type: Full time / From 28/01/2025 - 26/01/2026

Organisation: Schools (Government)

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Education and Training

Reference: 1453770

**Location Profile**:
Niddrie Autistic School is a government school in South West Victoria Region and has at its foundation a reputation for providing an exemplary education for students with autism from Prep to Year 3. There is a commitment to excellence, which is communicated, to staff, students and families. Members of staff have high expectations and a belief that every child can learn and achieve. The school has profound expertise in developing and implementing Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) and in assessing and monitoring the learning of students to ensure the goals in IEPs are achieved.

Niddrie Autistic School is situated 16 kms north of the Central Business District (CBD) in the suburb of Niddrie. The school enroll students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The philosophy of the school is to provide an intensive program for students with autism to build their social communication and sense of self and others which will guide their inclusion and participation through their early years of schooling and beyond.

To support the needs of autistic children and their families, the school provides initial support for each student as he/she moves to their designated neighbourhood mainstream or special school setting.

In 2023 the enrolment was 110 students. 80% of these enrolments were boys and 21% of students come from a Language other than English background. The majority of students travel from a wide geographical area and travel to Niddrie by a contract bus service.

In 2021 a DET funded capital works project was completed, the school now has a new state-of
- the art building comprising 12 new classrooms and collaborative learning areas. These works were part of the Stage 1 development of a bigger Master Plan for the redevelopment of the whole site.

As Niddrie Autistic School provides an educational program for autistic students from Prep to year 3, ensuring these students make a successful transition to further educational contexts from Year 4 is a vital focus not only of their program while at Niddrie Autistic School but also in the following years.

**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 high impact teaching strategies that respond 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** Experience in supporting and developing staff to understand the individual learning priorities of autistic students. Demonstrated experience in developing staff capacity in the NAS teaching and learning cycle.

**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**:
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:

- Demonstrating high-level expert