Location Profile Yarra Me School is a vibrant, dynamic and inclusive Victorian Department of Education specialist school focused on building the social and emotional capability and wellbeing of our students so they become better equipped to engage in learning at their mainstream schools. With the main campus located in Preston and another in Hurstbridge, Yarra Me School provides services to state primary schools in the North East Metropolitan and Hume Merri-bek Areas within the North Western Victoria Region. Yarra Me School Students Typically, Yarra Me School students are experiencing complex and significant social, emotional, behavioural, and learning challenges, contributing to profoundly disrupted engagement at their mainstream school. Students are typically in the Years F-6, whilst the Hurstbridge Farm campus supports students aged 10-17 years. Yarra Me School Staff Yarra Me School teachers are typically highly experienced specialist educators who are characterised by emotional intelligence, open-mindedness, determination, adaptability, collaboration, and visible commitment to person-centred approaches. Yarra Me School Vision We are deeply passionate champions for positive and respectful relationships, inclusive learning environments, and resilient people. Yarra Me School Mission We provide valued and respected programs that collaboratively deliver personalised, evidence-based trauma and social and emotional learning practices that support life-long learning for families, schools and students. Yarra Me School Philosophy Central to all Yarra Me School programs is the concurrent observation of Personalisation, Pedagogy, and Partnerships, which are exemplified in the following: Relationship development is the first and necessary step to enable learning; students learn via relationships and community, not in social isolation. The trauma-informed approach recognises that Adverse Childhood Experiences disrupt student development and that students will re-claim their capability with attuned, person-centred support and interventions. The Voice and Agency of the student and their parents / carers are crucial enabling factors for the student¿s development and the fidelity of the Team Around the Learner. Student success is achieved by building the student¿s Personal & Social Capabilities across multiple settings. This is achieved when the adults provide an environment that encourages the student to thrive. Thriving occurs when the student believes they are safe, that they belong, that they are understood and cared for, that their environment is predictable, that they are well-held by strong and clear expectations, and that interventions are attuned to their specific strengths, capabilities and developmental needs. To thrive the student also needs sustained relationships with adults that develop the student¿s understanding of their world and their place in it. Through these relationships, through the supports and expectations held, through the person-centred and other interventions provided, through the language shared, and through the efforts to help the student make meaning of their experiences, the student can develop better responses to their world. Thus, the student can achieve wellbeing and learning concurrently, which leads to increased engagement with schooling. Developing a well-coordinated Team Around the Learner is necessary to achieve student success, and also to sustain student success, especially when it provides consistency and predictability across home and school settings. The Team Around the Learner typically consists of the student, the parents/guardians, the mainstream school ES, teachers & leaders, and other professionals. The conditions for sustained student success are the concurrent engagement of student, parents/carers, and mainstream school teachers, education support staff, and leadership. Essentially, every response to the student is developmentally attuned, person-centred, and personalised; pedagogy is personalised and designed to promote the student¿s self-efficacy; and, in partnership, the adults provide a wrap-around student support team. YARRA ME SCHOOL PROGRAMS All Yarra Me School programs offer a time limited service for each learner. Yarra Me School conducts the Preston Program (classroom-based), which currently caters to students in the primary Years in a short-term intervention for students exhibiting significant disengagement from learning at tier 3 level; the Positive Partnerships outreach coaching service for Primary school students at tier 2 & 3 level of intervention; Hurstbridge Farm program (classroom-based, ages 10-17 years) conducted at a DFFH residential facility; and, a professional learning service. In 2025 the Yarra Me School will provide educational services to approximately 110 students (Preston Program - 9 per semester; Hurstbridge farm - 4.5 per semester; Positive Partnerships - totalling up to 42 per semester). The Yarra Me Positive Partnerships Service provides outreach coaching to mainstream primary schools. Yarra Me School delivers programs predominantly for primary aged students. Please contact the Principal by 01/08 on 0476 848 to discuss the role in context of the Yarra Me School philosophy Please see www.yarrame.vic.edu.au (website currently under construction). Selection Criteria SC1 Educational leadership Outstanding capacity for visionary and exemplary educational leadership of a school. Highly developed skills in leading and managing change including the leadership of others in the process of change. SC2 Financial, managerial and administrative ability Outstanding financial, organisational and resource management skills. Outstanding administrative capability, including the management of OHS, AIMS, and other systems. SC3 Planning, policy and program development and review Exemplary values appropriate to the development of student learning with a demonstrated capacity to achieve high quality student outcomes. Demonstrated ability to implement Department policies to a high level. SC4 Leadership of staff and students A highly developed capacity to motivate staff, develop their talents and build an effective team. A clear capacity to foster a learning environment that takes account of the individual needs of students and helps students to develop their special abilities and talents. SC5 Interpersonal and communication skills Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills in individual, small group, and community contexts and departmental networks. Exemplary values pertaining to personal qualities of objectivity, sensitivity and integrity. An ability to work with parents and the community to develop a strong learning environment. SC6 Engagement and Wellbeing Demonstrated leadership capabilities to support student wellbeing and engagement and build effective relationships with all members of the community. Demonstrated high-level knowledge and expertise to lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of engagement and wellbeing initiatives to ensure all students feel safe, supported, and ready to learn and to improve student outcomes. SC7 Community Criterion Demonstrable commitment to, and exemplary practice in line with, the combination of elements outlined in the Yarra Me School Philosophy. Role The assistant principal reports directly to the principal. Assistant principals have a primary responsibility for the management of significant areas or functions within the school to ensure the effective development, provision and evaluation of the school's education program. In exercising the responsibility, assistant principals will have the authority to make all significant decisions relating to the program, budget and staff relating to their area of designated responsibility within the framework of the school's strategic plan, policies and budget. Assistant principals will contribute to the overall management of the school through involvement in policy formulation and decision making. The management of significant school program or functional areas in schools involve assistant principals in the analysis of the needs of students and the translation of state educational policy and frameworks into appropriate education programs to meet the needs of all students. Typically assistant principals will be responsible for the effective use of the teaching staff and program budget of a defined area of the school's operation and for the oversight and leadership of the educational programs provided utilising these resources. Responsibilities Typically, assistant principals perform one or more of the following functions: supervision and coordination of the work of senior curriculum or level coordinators; allocation of budgets, positions of responsibility and other resources within the area of responsibility; supervision of the delivery of teaching programs; management of programs to improve the knowledge and experience of staff; responsibility for general discipline matters beyond the management of classroom teachers and year level coordinators; contribute to the overall management of the school; Who May Apply Appropriately qualified individuals currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching. 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 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 available at: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy 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: https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview Other Information The responsibilities of the Assistant Principal at Yarra Me School includes, but are not limited to, the following areas: Ensure a Child-Safe Environment : Uphold and promote child safety standards, creating a safe and secure environment for all students Promoting Inclusive Practices : Ensuring that teaching methods and school activities are accessible and accommodating to all students and their families and guardians. Supporting the integrated practice of the teaching teams and the multidisciplinary team (psychologist, speech pathologist and occupational therapist) to support student development. Engaging with Families, Communities and other Schools: Building strong partnerships with families and community organizations to support student learning and wellbeing. Contribute to School Development: 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 curriculum planning and delivery. Lead and strengthen the wellbeing, learning, and inclusion focus of Yarra Me School Leadership of whole school teaching and learning that supports growth and agency of students, their families and guardians. Leading and managing staff performance and development. Implement programs aimed at professional development and capacity building among staff. Participate in policy formulation and decision-making processes affecting the overall management of the school Contributing to the development of proposals for school council consideration. Contribute to School Management Upskilling, mentoring and empowering middle leaders Leading and managing the implementation of the school operations and all policies, including those related to student safety, wellbeing and behaviour support. Leading and managing school-wide OHS and AIMS and other programs. Leading and managing staff induction, including the Local Agreement. Leading and managing daily organisation of the school. Contributing to the overall leadership and management of the school. Developing and managing the school code of conduct. Provide support regarding matters of student behaviour beyond the scope of classroom teachers Providing support to implementation of the school's strategic plan. Promoting effective communication, support and teamwork across the school. Manage budgets, assign positions of responsibility, and distribute resources within their area of oversight Other duties as assigned by the Principal 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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx 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.
