Baringa School is committed to excellence in Special Education. We aim to provide an innovative, caring and stimulating environment where learning is relevant and purposeful and where students develop a sense of belonging through mutual respect and cooperation. Our school motto is Be Respectful, Be Safe, Be a Learner.
Baringa School is located in Moe, which is in the Latrobe Valley. The school provides a comprehensive educational program for students who have an intellectual disability aged from 5 to 18 years of age. Current enrolment is 165.
The student population is drawn from a wide geographical area incorporating Trafalgar through to Traralgon.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Baringa School community sees the provision of a safe, caring and positive learning environment as its most important goal. The environment aims to support students as they strive to develop social, emotional, communication and educational skills that will lead to independence. School community commitment to providing a curriculum that challenges student learning through achievement and success is strong.
CURRICULUM
The curriculum at Baringa is based on the Victorian curriculum and covers English, Mathematics, Personal & Social Development, Health & Physical Education, Independent Living Skills, Art, Technology and Communication. A number of enrichment programs are also offered including Outdoor Education, Camps, Advance (a community volunteer program), vocational training including Work Experience and Pre-work skills, and travel training.
The school operates in Units of Lower Primary (ages 5 - 9), Upper Primary (ages 9 - 12), Secondary (ages 12 - 16) and a Senior Learning Centre (SLC) for students over 16 which provides a range of options including preparation for post-school pathways and independent living skills.
Our Assistant Principal in Student Wellbeing leads a student support services team, which includes a Psychologist, a Primary Welfare Officer and three Speech Pathologists. This team provides welfare support to all students across the school.
Baringa School is committed to the implementation of a whole school approach to Positive Behaviour Intervention and Support (PBIS) for student engagement and learning. Staff understand that behaviour is a learned skill, and that prosocial behaviour can be taught through explicit teaching and positive recognition. Teaching expected behaviours is a shared responsibility and requires a combined effort by all staff to ensure our students are Safe, Respectful Learners.
Individual student needs determine the curriculum focus for each student. Parents and professionals identify these collaboratively during Support Group meetings. When collated, these needs drive the curriculum provided for students. Through this process, Individual Learning Plans and personal goals for students are established. Many students present with challenging behaviour and require individual behaviour plans and modified or negotiated programming to ensure successful participation at school.
To help all our students to continue to build and develop their literacy skills, a new research-based literacy program called InitiaLit has been introduced across our school curriculum. InitiaLit addresses reading, spelling and writing by explicitly teaching the relationship between sounds and letters which builds knowledge and understanding of word structure, providing students with a reliable set of skills and strategies to use when reading and writing words.
FUTURE PLANS
Baringa School has a continuing commitment to work together to improve all school environments. The concept of promoting positive student behaviour through positive programming continues to be an important underpinning program to support students in all areas of learning.
Curriculum priorities focus on student achievement and engagement through the extension of literacy and numeracy across the school, extension of information technology to support learning, and further training in improving teaching and learning across the school, with a particular emphasis on explicit teaching and differentiated learning.
Ensuring that staff have strong capabilities in relation to working in a special education setting will continue to be an important focus for professional learning, particularly as experienced and Special Education qualified staff retire, and new staff come into the school. Knowledge and understanding of the principles underpinning School Wide Positive Behaviour Support and Understanding Poverty are important aspects of our culture and beliefs in relation to student wellbeing and engagement.
Selection Criteria
SC1 Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the ability to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. Demonstrated experience in responding to student learning needs.
SC2 Demonstrated experience in planning for and implementing high impact teaching strategies, guided by how students learn, and evaluating the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.
SC3 Demonstrated experience in monitoring and assessing student learning. Demonstrated experience in using data to inform teaching practice and providing feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
SC4 Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
SC5 Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated experience in reflecting upon practice and engaging in professional learning to continually improve the quality of teaching.
Role
The classroom teacher classification comprises two salary ranges- range 1 and range 2. The primary focus of the classroom teacher is on the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. The classroom teacher engages in critical reflection and inquiry in order to improve knowledge and skills to effectively engage students and improve their learning.
As the classroom teacher gains experience, his or her contribution to the school program beyond the classroom increases. All classroom teachers may be required to undertake other duties in addition to their rostered teaching duties provided the responsibility is appropriate to the salary range, qualifications, training and experience of the teacher.
Classroom teacher Range 2
Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities.
A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high-quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.
Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:
- Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students
- Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity
- Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
- Supervise and train one or more student teachers
- Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.
Classroom teacher Range 1
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 participate in the development of school policies and programs and assist in the implementation of school priorities.
The focus of a range 1 classroom teacher is on classroom management, subject content and teaching practice. New entrants to the teaching profession in their initial teaching years receive structured support, mentoring and guidance from teachers at higher levels.
Under guidance, new entrants to the teaching profession will plan and teach student groups in one or more subjects and are expected to participate in induction programs and other professional learning activities that are designed to ensure the integration of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy across the school.
Teachers at range 1 are responsible for teaching their own classes and may also assist and participate in policy development, project teams and the organisation of co-curricula activities.
Responsibilities
The role of classroom teacher may include but is not limited to:
* Direct teaching of groups of students and individual students;
* Contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of a curriculum area or other curriculum program within the school;
* Undertaking other classroom teaching related and organisational duties as determined by the School Principal;
* Participating in activities such as parent/teacher meetings; staff meetings; camps and excursions;
* Undertaking other non-teaching supervisory duties.
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.
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via marrung@education.vic.gov.au
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.
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.
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.
This position has been advertised as part of the Targeted Financial Incentives (TFI) program and includes incentive payments. Payments are only applicable and payable if the successful candidate meets the applicable eligibility criteria as noted below.
Payments and support on offer, subject to eligibility criteria:
* A commencement incentive payment (pro-rata for positions less than full-time) to the amount of:
* $25,000 (before-tax) if the position is for a school located within Inner Regional Australia (Vic.), or
* $50,000 (before-tax) if the position is for a school located within Outer Regional Australia (Vic.) or Remote Australia (Vic.).
$10,000 (before-tax) annual retention payments (pro-rata based on 1.0 FTE), at the conclusion of the second, third and fourth years of employment, for a total of up to $30,000 (before-tax). Each retention payment is subject to successful completion of employment milestones.
Eligibility for Targeted Financial Incentive (TFI) program payments:
* The successful candidate must be a new employee to this school.
* The successful candidate is committing to a minimum of 2 years of employment at this school.
* The successful candidate must not have previously received $50,000 (before-tax), or more, in commencement TFI payments within the last 5 years.
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.
To apply for this role, you will be redirected to the Schools (Government) job application system.
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