School Community Liaison Officer

Overview

Work Type: Fixed-term - Part-time

Salary: Salary not specified

Grade: Education Support - Level 1, Range 3

Occupation: Other

Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs

Reference:

Location Profile

Lyndale Secondary College is a vibrant Years 7-12, single-campus educational institution with a diverse student population of over 850. Established in 1961, Lyndale is a cornerstone of its community, known for progressive educational practices, comprehensive pathway management, and a strong commitment to cultural diversity. With more than 40% of students born in 47 different countries and 64 languages spoken at home, Lyndale provides a rich, multicultural learning environment that enhances the experiences of both students and staff.

Central to Lyndale's success is a consistent focus on high expectations across all areas of school life. Guided by our core values of respect, resilience, and responsibility, we foster an environment where students are supported to achieve personal and academic excellence. Respect ensures every student feels valued, resilience inspires them to overcome challenges, and responsibility encourages ownership of their learning and actions.

Our curriculum is broad and inclusive, offering programs such as ACE Program (Advanced Challenge and Enrichment Program), VCE, VCE VM, VPC, and VET, as well as an English Language Centre catering to the unique needs of international and refugee students. Beyond academics, Lyndale boasts a nationally recognised Performing Arts program, vibrant student leadership opportunities, and a culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive.

Lyndale's commitment to excellence is evident in our strong academic results. NAPLAN data reflects consistent improvements, while the Attitudes to School Survey (AToSS) highlights student engagement and satisfaction. Staff and parent opinion data further underscore the school's strong sense of community and effective programs.

Our commitment to continuous improvement is reflected in key measures such as Staff Opinion Data, NAPLAN, AToSS, and Parent Opinion Data. These indicate significant growth in areas like school climate, which has shown substantial improvement since 2020 and now exceeds the state average. This progress is also evident in strengthened collective efficacy and collaborative practices among staff, contributing to enhanced outcomes for students.

Lyndale is committed to fostering a positive, inclusive culture for both students and staff. We support professional growth through collaboration, peer observation, and evidence-based teaching practices. Whether you are a student seeking a dynamic and supportive learning environment or a staff member looking to advance your career, Lyndale Secondary College is a place where potential is realised and excellence is celebrated.

Recent investments in state-of-the-art facilities have transformed our campus, creating an ideal environment for innovative learning. These facilities include a STEM Centre, Technology/Arts Hub, Aviation and VR Centre, a well-resourced library, and a world-class Performing Arts Theatre. These spaces enable modern teaching approaches such as team-teaching, cross-curricular projects, and community engagement, fostering creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.

Vision & Values

At the core of our work is a shared vision: to celebrate diversity, inspire excellence, and equip our students for the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. Our community is grounded in the values of respect, responsibility, and resilience, which inform our approach to both teaching and learning.

Through our strategic focus on enhancing teacher capacity and implementing a Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Support Framework (SWPBS), we are committed to ensuring that every student experiences measurable growth, regardless of their starting point. We believe in the power of student voice and leadership, empowering our young people to make meaningful contributions within and beyond our school community.

Join Lyndale Secondary College and be part of a future-focused team, where we are driven by our passion for education and our belief in the potential of every student.

Selection Criteria

• Experience working with school communities, families and community organisations involving individuals of culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent stakeholder management and relationship building skills including the ability to partner with and broker support from local community organisations
• Ability to build strong working relationships with parents and local community organisations to identify best practice and areas for improvement to support student and parent engagement.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills
• Ability to work as part of a statewide team and embrace a community of practice approach
• Ability to write high quality documentation in support of improved student outcomes and school processes.
• Ability to work within school structures and frameworks as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Role

The School Community Liaison Officer (SCLO) will be required to support school communities to focus on increasing school engagement, strengthening partnerships with families and community and facilitating activities to increase retention and school completion.

The School Community Liaison Officer will be expected to work in collaboration with School Community Liaison Officers appointed to other schools across the North West, South West and South East Victorian regions through membership of an established community of practice. The School Community Liaison Officers will be supported by a centrally based program officer and provide regular reports to support the implementation, evaluation and ongoing monitoring of the project.There is an expectation that this role will require travel to other sites of delivery and to the DET Central Office in Melbourne CBD.

Responsibilities

This position is for two days, working across two Primary Schools. Lyndale Greens and Dandenong North. The successful applicant will work closely with the Cluster of schools, including Lyndale Secondary College, and the Lyndale Secondary College SCLO, to ensure continuity of support and strengthening of community across the cluster. The successful applicant will have experience, or expertise in working with primary school aged students, or have demonstrated capacity to support young people in this crucial developmental period. The role includes, but is not limited to:

1.Provide support to the communities of two primary schools, of Lyndale Greens Primary School and Dandenong North Primary School to establish and maintain communication between young people, families and the local community

1. Work directly with groups of young people or individuals, planning interventions to ensure young people are connected to an education

2. Work directly with young people to provide platforms for student voice, facilitate leadership opportunities and facilitate activities that aligns with their needs

3. Facilitate information sessions for parents to support an increased understanding of the education system and platforms and increase engagement with parent teacher nights, information days and school 5. celebrations

4. Facilitate professional learning for school staff on cultural responsiveness and safety coordinate workshops and forums for the school and local community

5. Facilitate access to homework clubs and afterschool programs, to offer support and mentoring outside of the school

6. Support school leaders with the rollout of the cultural competency framework and other activities aimed at strengthening inclusivity for diverse communities

7. Participate in a statewide community of practices and statewide planning days with other School Community Liaison Officers

Who May Apply

• Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfil the specific requirements of the position.
• This role is identified as available for African heritage applicants only. Confirmation of your African heritage may be requested.

EEO AND OHS Commitment

Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction. Such requests will be negotiated on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.

The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, disability and neurodiversity. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for roles within the Department. The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via

Child Safe Standards

Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our schools actively promote the safety and wellbeing of all students, and all school staff are committed to protecting students from abuse or harm in the school environment, in accordance with their legal obligations including child safe standards. All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at:

DE Values

The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees, including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the department values is available at:

Conditions of Employment

The successful candidate will be required to work some hours during the school holidays. Regular work hours will be 8.30am to 4.36 pm on weekdays. This may be negotiated as appropriate.

The successful candidate will be eligible to claim time in lieu (TIL) where they are required to work in excess of their normal hours of duty.

Other Information

• It is desirable that the successful applicant has a relevant tertiary qualification in community development, education, social work or equivalent
• All staff employed by the Department and schools have access to a broad range of employment conditions and working arrangements.
• Appointment of successful applicants will be made subject to a satisfactory pre-employment conditions check.
• A probationary period may apply during the first year of employment and induction and support programs provided.
• Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at

Applications close Monday 25 August 2025 at 11.59pm

Posted

12 August 2025

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