Leading Teacher- Wellbeing

Overview

Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time

Salary: Salary not specified

Grade: Leading Teacher - Range 3

Occupation: Leading teacher

Location: Melbourne - Western suburbs

Reference:

Location Profile

Purpose

Western Autistic School's vision is to provide a dedicated school for students with autism.

At Western Autistic School, we envision a nurturing environment for autistic students in grades Prep to Year 3. Through personalized support and collaborative teaching, we empower each child to thrive socially and academically. Our community celebrates diversity and fosters a commitment to building a strong educational foundation for our students that encourages lifelong learning and achievement.

Our school demonstrates commitment to the following values:

• Diversity
• Respect
• Learning as an ongoing process
• Sharing and growth of knowledge
• Collaboration

School Profile

The Western Autistic School is a large, vibrant and unique school in the western suburbs of Melbourne. We offer an early years program for 300+ young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Prep to Grades 3.

Our school caters to autistic students, and synthesises an evidence base drawn from student-centred, strengths-based approaches and contemporary research from the fields of autism and inclusive education to develop Individual Learning Programs for each student.

Key features of our program include:

• The individual student is the focus of our teaching
• Each student is provided with an Individual Learning Plan, in collaboration between the student, their family and the teaching team
• An emphasis on building foundational skills in social communication and functional areas, alongside academic skills particularly in the areas of literacy and numeracy
• Small classes of approximately eight students with a teaching team of consisting of teachers, education support staff and allied health professionals
• Individualised transition program for children to move on to their local neighbourhood school
• Ongoing outreach supports.

As part of our school's mission, WAS is actively involved in research and training. It has a registered training provider The Autism Teaching Institute (ATI) which provides post graduate qualifications to educators working with autistic students.

Further information about WAS and its branches is available at:

Selection Criteria

SC1 Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to lead and manage the implementation of school priorities, and the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum.

SC2 Demonstrated ability to lead the planning and implementation 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 monitor and assess student learning at a class, cohort or whole-school level and use this data to lead improvement initiatives. 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 leadership skills. Demonstrated ability to lead collaborative relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community focused on student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5 Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values and support colleagues to adopt these behaviours and attitudes. Demonstrated ability to reflect upon their own, others and whole-school practice and contribute to the provision of whole-school professional learning.

Role

Leading teachers will be highly skilled classroom practitioners and undertake leadership and management roles commensurate with their salary range. The role of leading teachers is to improve the skill, knowledge and performance of the teaching workforce in a school or group of schools and to improve the curriculum program of a school.

Typically, leading teachers are responsible for coordinating a number of staff to achieve improvements in teaching and learning which may involve the coordination and professional support of colleagues through modelling, collaborating and coaching and using processes that develop knowledge, practice and professional engagement in others.

Leading teachers are expected to lead and manage a significant area or function within the school with a high degree of independence to ensure the effective development, provision and evaluation of the school's education program.

Leading teachers will be expected to make a significant contribution to policy development relating to teaching and learning in the school. A leading teacher has a direct impact and influence on the achievement of the school goals.

Leading teachers are usually responsible for the implementation of one or more priorities contained in the school strategic plan.

The Leading Teacher Wellbeing plays a critical role in promoting a safe, inclusive and engagement learning environment for all students, staff, families and visitors.

Responsibilities

The Leading Teacher Wellbeing responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Leading professional learning and support teams in developing their understanding of their students and in developing student safety and behaviour support plans
• Capturing and monitoring whole school wellbeing data including incident reports and student safety and behaviour plans, to inform whole school planning and decision making
• Overseeing programs that foster student connection and resilience, including camps, incursions, excursions, swimming program, and extra-curricular opportunities.
• Strengthening family and community partnerships through parent forums, information sessions, and timely communication.
• Fulfilling the role and responsibilities as the school¿s workcover Return to Work Coordinator.
• Leading and implementing school wide safety measures as a core member of the school¿s OHS working group
• Leading policy development and implementation in areas such as child safety and wellbeing
• Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement initiatives related to the school strategic plan and school priorities
• Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to wellbeing curriculum planning and delivery;
• Leading and managing the provision of professional development and developing individual and team development plans for teaching staff within the priorities of the school;
• Leading and managing staff performance and development (review of staff);
• Teaching demonstration lessons;
• Leading and managing the implementation of the school operations and policies related to student welfare and discipline;
• Responsibility for general discipline matters beyond the management of classroom teachers;
• Contributing to the overall leadership and management of the school;
• Contributing to the development of proposals for school council consideration;
• managing the school code of conduct.

Who May Apply

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for the position.

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:

Other Information

• A written response to each of the Selection Criteria is mandatory.
• Up to three referees who are able to comment on your application in relation to the Selection Criteria.
• Referees other than those nominated may be contacted by the Panel.

Conditions of Employment

• 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

VIT LANTITE

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching. In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements. This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.

Applications close Saturday 20 September 2025 at 11.59pm

Posted

5 September 2025

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