Graduate Teacher Program 2026

**Overview**:
**Work Type**:Ongoing - Full-time

**Salary**: Salary not specified

**Grade**:Graduate Teacher Program

**Occupation**:Classroom teacher

**Location**:Melbourne - Southern suburbs

**Reference**:1486796

**Location 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 - Graduates**:
**SC1** Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the capacity to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. Demonstrated capacity to respond to student learning needs.

**SC2**Demonstrated understanding of how students learn and effective classroom teaching strategies and the capacity to work with colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning.

**SC3** Demonstrated capacity to monitor and assess student learning data and to use this data to inform teaching for improved student learning.

**SC4** Demonstrated high level written and verbal communication skills and high level interpersonal skills including the ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with parents, other employees and the broader school community to focus on student learning, wellbeing and engagement.

**SC5**Demonstrated understanding of curriculum to enable the implementation of individual learning plans that assist students with an intellectual disability to achieve positive outcomes.

**SC6** Demonstrated understanding of the development and implementation of effective behaviour management programs for students with challenging behaviours.

**Program Benefits - Graduates**:
**Role - Graduates**:

- The primary focus of the range 1 classroom teacher is on further developing skills and competencies to become an effective classroom practitioner with structured support and guidance from teachers at higher levels and the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes.
- These teachers teach a range of students/classes and are accountable for the effective delivery of their programs. Range 1 classroom teachers are skilled teachers who operate under general direction within clear guidelines following established work practices and documented priorities and may have responsibility for the supervision and training of one or more student teachers.
- At range 1, teachers particip