Student Wellbeing and Support

Location: North East Region | Shepparton

Job type: Full time / From 28/01/2025 - 27/01/2026

Organisation: Schools (Government)

**Salary**: Salary not specified

Occupation: Teacher

Reference: 1439295

**Location Profile**:
Lancaster Primary School is a small rural school situated 8 kilometres east of Kyabram in North Western Victoria. It is within close proximity to Echuca and Shepparton (half hour drive each way) and an hours drive from Bendigo. The school is well regarded for its focus on an evidence-based approach to teaching and learning. It is known for its explicit, systematic approach to teaching fundamental concepts and skills to allow students to have the best foundation to extend complex thought and learning in the later years. The school provides professional development in evidence-based instruction and leadership to all staff.

The school has an enrolment of 34, with the students working in multi-aged classes (1 x P/1/2; 1x 3/4 and 1x 4/5/6) and a strong emphasis on team planning and teaching. Our committed team will consist of a teaching Principal, 3x full time teachers, 1 part time specialist teacher, 0.9 Education support staff member and a 0.3 Business Manager. Library is provided by the MARC program and Art is provided by the MACC program once a fortnight. The school also provides weekly LOTE (Indonesian), Music, PE and Science specialist programs.

Our school offers a safe, happy and inclusive environment. Our spacious learning environment has the latest technology, with individual laptops, a bank of iPads and a bank of robotic spheros and Spikes to supplement the classroom learning program. We cater for all students¿ needs. We provide social skills instruction, hands-on authentic learning and have a chook shed and vegetable garden that supplements the classroom learning program.

Our student Leadership Council provides a strong voice for the student body. School Council has a strong sense of pride in our great rural setting and takes an active role in the governance of the school. Our Parents and Friends committee are a highly motivated group that focusses on raising funds for the needs of the school and the classrooms.

Lancaster is part of the broader education group in the Loddon Campaspe Network. Lancaster Primary School promotes a strong relationship with neighbouring small schools (Merrigum, Stanhope and Girgarre) for extra curricula activities such as camps, excursions and visiting performances for students, as well as providing professional opportunities and sharing best practice between teachers.

The school¿s vision is to provide innovative, lifelong learning in a supportive global community. This underpins the School Wide Positive Behaviour values of Responsibility, Respect and Resilience.

PLEASE NOTE- The advertised position will involve a full time teacher to work across all classrooms and support students and staff as part of the Mental Health in Schools program. It will also include a tutoring component for those students identified as requiring extra tuition.

**Role**:
The Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred to treatment, care and support.

The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative is being expanded to every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria. Scaling up across the state from 2023, by 2026 every primary school will be able to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader to implement a whole-school approach to wellbeing.

The Department of Education has been piloting the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative in Victorian schools since 2020 in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. Evaluation of this pilot initiative has shown that 95 per cent of Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders consider the Mental Health in Primary Schools model has improved their school's capacity to support students' mental health and wellbeing needs.

Participating schools receive funding to employ a **Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader**, a qualified teacher, to work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community.

The role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader is to:

- build capability of the whole school with regard to mental health and wellbeing (identification, promotion and prevention),
- provide support to staff to better identify and support students with mental health needs,
- establish clear pathways for referral for students requiring assessment and intervention, and monitor and evaluate student progress.

The role provides a proactive focus for the promotion and prevention of mental health and wellbeing through assessment and implementation of context-relevant p