Learning Specialist Range 3

Location: Melbourne | Cranbourne

Job type: Full time / From 28/01/2025 - 28/01/2030

Organisation: Schools (Government)

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Education and Training

Reference: 1460063

**Location Profile**:
**OFFICER SPECIALIST SCHOOL PROFILE**

Officer Specialist School is a purpose-built facility servicing the needs of students aged between 5-18, with mild to severe intellectual and associated disabilities in the shires of Cardinia and Casey; two of the fastest growing municipalities in Melbourne. The school opened in 2014 and the student population has increased rapidly each year, requiring the recruitment of new staff and additions to our buildings and facilities. There are two departments at the school, Primary and Secondary, and these include classrooms, visual and performance arts spaces, food technology kitchens for both departments (including the student run Shivering Chicken Café), multipurpose spaces and extensive therapy spaces. Areas for social gathering are also featured. With continued growth we now have a number of modular buildings including a Performing Arts Hub, Sensory Motor Room, Sustainability Hub and an Out of School Hours Pilot Program. The school has just opened two newly established sensory playgrounds.

School staff work in transdisciplinary teams that include teaching staff, allied health practitioners and education support staff to cater for the diverse range of student abilities and needs. Our teaming approach also provides opportunities for staff to learn from one another and share expertise.

Officer Specialist School aims to create reflective and independent learners for life through a learning community that provides a challenging and secure environment responsive to individual learning needs. We believe that effective learning occurs when outstanding and innovative teaching staff provide a variety of tasks that actively engage students who are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. The expectation is that students will be successful and enthusiastic learners capable of building positive relationships.

Officer Specialist School believes that every child can and will learn in an environment of dignity and respect. It is the role of the school and its community to build on a child's strengths and talents to ensure that each child reaches their full potential.

The school community has a commitment to ensuring that our students are offered a high quality education enhanced by a caring and supportive environment. Parents and members of the community at large are welcomed to the school and encouraged to participate in a range of activities and programs, including a very active Parents and Friends Association. Much emphasis is placed on educational opportunities, inviting the community to be involved to a greater extent in the school, and establishing the school as a focal point of the community. We value our family friendly culture.

School values: Safe, Respectful, Friendly, Responsible

**Selection Criteria**:

- SC1 A demonstrated capacity to effectively lead teams, proactively contribute to the leadership and management of the school and promote collegiality and collective efficacy.
- SC2 Demonstrated commitment and capacity to actively contribute to and lead whole school improvement initiatives, major curriculum programs and student activities.
- SC3 Demonstrated ability to build the capacity of colleagues, both individually and in teams, to use data to inform teaching for improved student learning across all curriculum areas.
- SC4 Demonstrated high level written and verbal communication skills and high level interpersonal skills including a capacity to develop constructive and respectful relationships with students, parents and other staff.
- SC5 Demonstrated commitment to ongoing professional learning for self and others to enable further development of skills, expertise and teaching capacity, taking into account the intellectual, physical, emotional and social development of all students.
- SC6 Demonstrated knowledge of and an ability to develop and implement effective behaviour management programs and plans for students with an intellectual disability who might exhibit challenging behaviours.

**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