Student Wellbeing And Support

9 days ago, from Department of Education & Training Victoria
Ardeer Primary School is a small metropolitan primary school with a current student enrolment number of approximately 133 students. The school was established in 1961 and is located in the heart of the small community of Ardeer. Set on a large suburban block with grassed open spaces, large inclusive playground, school oval, Covered Outdoor Learning Area (COLA), basketball courts, synthetic racetrack, and attractive gardens.
Given our relatively small student population, we offer a very personalised learning experience for our students. We pride ourselves on being a school that knows and caters to the needs of our school community and students extremely well and offer a highly personalised learning experience that many larger schools simply cannot offer.
We pride ourselves in our ability to create a school environment that is safe, orderly and where high levels of student engagement and effective learning will ensue.
We are committed to the achievement of excellence in all endeavours, setting high aspirational goals for our staff, students, and community alike.
Ardeer Primary School remains focused to the three big ideas of a Professional Learning Community:
A focus on improving learning outcomes in Literacy and Numeracy - our fundamental purpose is to ensure that all students learn at high levels.The development and nurturing of a collaborative culture - we work collaboratively to meet the needs of staff, students and our community.Results Orientation - we use student data, evidence and results to know if students are learning and respond to their needs.The implementation of consistent practices focused on empowering learners who are actively engaged in and connected to their learning.All students are supported to become active, independent learners provided with the skills to strive both within an individual and collaborative learning environment. We ensure our students develop increasing responsibility for their learning as they progress throughout their years at school. Frequent opportunities are enacted in the promotion of student voice, agency, and leadership both within and out of the classrooms. This includes through our Student Voice Team.
We have a committed staff and pride ourselves on the wonderful school climate that we create in which all students thrive. Students always remain at the centre of our daily work. We maintain an unrelenting pursuit in the delivery of the highest academic and wellbeing outcomes for every student, every day.
We create a professional working environment focused on the pursuit of practice excellence, and we value the importance of frequent collaborative opportunities to build staff capacity. All staff members at Ardeer Primary School actively work to develop their professional capacity to provide the best possible educational and wellbeing outcomes for our students. We have developed a consistent and coherent whole school approach to the teaching of English and Mathematics. Staff are committed to continually developing their practice and this is achieved through the support of external professional learning opportunities and internal coaching focused on building staff capacity.
The school has a strong commitment to providing a curriculum which is both supportive of the needs of individual students and one that challenges students to achieve their best. The school is committed to strengthening student achievement across all curriculum areas with a major focus on the curriculum areas of English and Mathematics. We also provide many different learning opportunities that cater to the whole learner. The school offers specialist programs in PE, Library, Music, Art and AUSLAN.
We implement the whole-school framework School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS). It provides a research-based approach to promote positive behaviour at our school. The SWPBS approach has been developed from evidence and data, demonstrating the most effective ways to prevent and respond to major and minor behaviours, improve school culture and increase academic performance.
At Ardeer Primary School, staff, students and families work together to build positive learning environments. Our school values are Respect, Responsibility and Safety. Our teachers explicitly teach these behavioural expectations in line with our Behaviour Matrix and the Victorian Curriculum.
We recruit for culture and seek to employ staff that are committed to ongoing professional development.
If you are interested in finding out more about this exciting role at our wonderful school, please don't hesitate to give our Acting Principal Christopher O'Brien a call on 93631194.
Selection Criteria SC1 `Content of teaching and learning'. Demonstrated ability to inform and influence the work of others involved in the engagement, mental health, wellbeing or learning of children and young people.SC2 `Teaching practice'. Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies relating to mental health, wellbeing or learning.SC3 `Assessment and reporting of student learning'. Demonstrated ability to support a student's mental health, wellbeing or learning by developing and maintaining connection with external services.SC4 `Interaction with the school community'. Demonstrated high level interpersonal skills and communication skills. Demonstrated high level of capability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with students, parents, other employees and the broader school community to focus on student learning, wellbeing and engagement.SC5 `Professional requirements'. Demonstrated ability to influence and negotiate by gaining buy-in and ownership for ideas, gaining agreement to proposals, or involving experts or other third parties to strengthen a case.RoleThe 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 programs, approaches and initiatives based on a broad and extensive knowledge of the needs of the school.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader role is not a clinical role and is not designed for direct intervention. The role is seen as a key conduit in creating referral pathways once a teacher or other staff member identifies a concern in the classroom.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are provided training in mental health literacy, supporting emerging needs, and building school capacity and receive ongoing support and professional development through structured and regular Learning Communities Training is developed and facilitated by the Faculty of Education at University of Melbourne, supported by Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
ResponsibilitiesOperating in collaboration with their school, leadership and wellbeing team where relevant, the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader will:
Promote a whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing to students, staff and families.Support teachers and school staff to expand their capacity to embed evidence-based mental health strategies, interventions and programs and build mental health literacy to identify and support primary school students with mental health concerns.Collaborate with school staff to inform, influence and provide input into teaching and learning relating to mental health and wellbeing. Provide support to schools staff and classroom teachers to build their capabilities to embed mental health into the classroom.Work with school leadership and wellbeing teams to embed whole school approaches to mental health into school planning and strategic processes. Coordinate clear referral pathways internally (within school) and externally (to community services) for students identified as requiring further assessment and intervention.Proactively work with and support regional staff, school wellbeing and leadership teams, teachers, parents/carers and other external agencies to coordinate targeted mental health support for primary school students.Contribute to the school's existing wellbeing team.Who May ApplyTeachers 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 CommitmentApplicants 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.
Child Safe StandardsVictorian 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: Child Safe Standards Policy.
DE ValuesThe 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.
Other Information 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.Please ensure that your application includes:
A resume including relevant experience as well as personal details (name, address and contact numbers, business and home).A section addressing the selection criteria and the requirements for application under the Who May Apply section.Names and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of two referees who are able to attest to the claims made in your application.Please note that the selection panel may seek additional referees beyond those you name. Consistent with policy, we shall advise you if we will take this action.
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.VIT LANTITETo 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.
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