KSC 1. Educational leadership
1.1 Outstanding capacity for visionary and exemplary educational leadership of a school or college.
1.2 Highly developed skills in leading and managing change including the leadership of others in the process of change.
KSC 2. Financial, managerial and administrative ability
2.1 Outstanding financial, organisational and resource management skills.
KSC 3. Planning, policy and program development and review
3.1 Exemplary values appropriate to the development of student learning with a demonstrated capacity to achieve high-quality student outcomes.
3.2 Demonstrated ability to implement Department policies to a high level.
3.3 An understanding of, and a commitment to, the use of learning technologies to improve teaching and learning.
KSC 4. Leadership of staff and students
4.1 A highly developed capacity to motivate staff, develop their talents and build an effective team.
4.2 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.
KSC 5. Interpersonal and communication skills
5.1 Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills in individual, small group and community contexts.
5.2 Exemplary values pertaining to personal qualities of objectivity, sensitivity and integrity.
5.3 An ability to work with parents and the community to develop a strong learning environment.
KSC 6. Please outline your vision for Wellbeing excellence at Gowrie Street Primary School and the key milestones you would seek to achieve across the four-year Strategic Plan cycle. In your response, consider how you would strengthen whole-school wellbeing and MHiPS practices, build staff capability, improve student engagement and attendance, develop effective prevention and intervention approaches, and measure the impact of this work on student wellbeing and learning.
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.
Wellbeing, Inclusion and Mental Health Leadership
- Providing strategic leadership for whole-school wellbeing, inclusion, mental health, attendance and engagement, aligned with the priorities of the Gowrie Street Primary School Strategic Plan 2026¿2029.
- Leading the implementation and ongoing development of MHiPS, ensuring mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention are embedded across the school.
- Developing a coherent whole-school wellbeing and inclusion framework, with clear processes for universal supports, targeted intervention and intensive individual support.
- Leading an inclusive approach that ensures students with disability, additional learning needs, complex behaviours, mental health needs and other barriers to engagement are supported to participate successfully in school.
- Building staff capability to understand and respond to student wellbeing, behaviour, mental health, inclusion and engagement needs, including through professional learning, coaching, case consultation and clear whole-school processes.
- Leading effective case management and Student Support Group processes, ensuring interventions have clear goals, responsibilities, timelines and review processes.
- Developing strong relationships with parents and carers, particularly where students are experiencing wellbeing, attendance, behavioural or engagement concerns, ensuring families are actively involved in planning and decision-making.
- Establishing and maintaining effective relationships and referral pathways with external agencies and services, including Child Protection, The Orange Door, SSS, allied health providers, community organisations and other relevant services.
- Coordinating incoming health and allied health services, ensuring services are targeted according to student need, integrated with school-based supports and regularly evaluated for their impact.
- Providing leadership and advice in relation to complex student wellbeing and safety matters, including appropriate escalation, documentation, referral and engagement with Department and external services.
- Working closely with the Principal, Assistant Principal ¿ Curriculum, Disability Inclusion leaders, teachers and Education Support staff to ensure wellbeing and learning are considered together, rather than as separate areas of school improvement.
- Ensuring student voice, belonging, positive relationships and culturally responsive practices are embedded within the school's approach to wellbeing and inclusion.
Wellbeing Data, Attendance and Intervention
- Leading the development of a coherent approach to wellbeing, attendance and engagement data, ensuring information is used to identify students requiring additional support and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions.
- Establishing clear processes for identifying and monitoring vulnerable students and cohorts, including students experiencing poor attendance, disengagement, repeated behavioural incidents, mental health concerns or complex family circumstances.
- Leading the school's approach to attendance improvement, including early identification of emerging concerns, family engagement, individual attendance planning, case management and escalation where required.
- Monitoring patterns in attendance, behaviour, wellbeing, engagement and intervention data and using this information to identify emerging whole-school and cohort-level priorities.
- Establishing an intervention tracking system that clearly identifies which students are receiving additional wellbeing, mental health, allied health or engagement support, the purpose of the intervention, frequency of support, responsible staff and expected outcomes.
- Ensuring interventions have clear entry and exit criteria, measurable goals and regular review points so that the school can determine whether support is improving outcomes for students.
- Using data to evaluate the effectiveness of MHiPS initiatives, wellbeing programs, allied health services, attendance strategies and targeted interventions, rather than measuring success simply by the number of students accessing a service.
- Leading regular case management and wellbeing review meetings, ensuring actions are allocated, followed through and reviewed.
- Using student, family and staff voice alongside quantitative data to develop a more complete understanding of student wellbeing, belonging, safety and engagement.
- Monitoring whole-school trends and providing regular advice to the Principal and leadership team regarding student need, emerging risks, intervention effectiveness, staffing, external services and resource allocation.
- Maintaining accurate and appropriate documentation of wellbeing interventions, referrals, case management, attendance actions and external agency involvement, ensuring confidentiality and Department requirements are maintained.
- Using wellbeing data to inform the Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan, including monitoring whether agreed actions are being implemented effectively and whether they are resulting in improved student outcomes.
Whole-School Improvement and Leadership
- Working as a member of the Principal Class to provide strategic leadership for the implementation and evaluation of the School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan.
- Supporting the Principal in determining strategic priorities for staffing, professional learning, resources and budgets associated with curriculum, inclusion and attendance.
- Leading in such a way that ensures every student is provided with the best opportunities to achieve strong learning and wellbeing outcomes.
Appropriately qualified individuals currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
The department is committed to diversity and inclusion and developing a workforce that is representative of the community we service. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - culture, gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQA+, 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 safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability (see Workplace adjustment guidelines).
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via [email protected]
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.
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
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
- 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
To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class:
- The person must have provisional or full registration approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching; and
- if the person completed an Australian postgraduate level initial teaching program or course of study on or after 1 January 2024, they must demonstrate that they have satisfactorily completed a postgraduate level accredited initial teacher education program that has been accredited by an Australian State or Territory Teacher Regulatory Authority as satisfying the requirements of the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership 'Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures'; and
- a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education (ITE) program after 1 July 2016 must also 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 ITE program completed by the person).
Details of qualification requirements as updated from time to time can be found at Recruitment in Schools.
Gowrie Street Primary School is seeking an Assistant Principal to join the leadership team in 2027 - or earlier by negotiation. We are looking for an enthusiastic and highly capable leader who is committed to high expectations, inclusion and improving outcomes for every student, and who is excited to contribute to the continued growth and improvement of our school.
Gowrie Street Primary School is located in northern Shepparton, just 200 metres from the Kaiela (Goulburn) River. In 2027, we will have around 200 students, representing a wonderfully diverse community - including approximately 35% First Nations students and 14% students with English as an Additional Language.
Our vision is that we are a community that takes strength from who we are: our diversity, our cultures and our histories. We aim to empower our students to seize life's opportunities, overcome challenges, and develop into creative, curious and active young people who love learning and understand how they can make a positive impact on their communities and the world.
Working alongside our community is central to who we are. This is reflected in our many programs, including our Wellbeing Team, universal healthy eating program, therapeutic supports, Paediatric Clinic, and engagement programs such as Hands-On Learning. We also embed the arts across our curriculum, giving every child the opportunity to express themselves creatively.
Our values: Excellence, Determination, Empathy and Pride, underpin everything we do. As a School-Wide Positive Behaviour Supports (SWPBS) school, we take a restorative approach to behaviour, focusing on building strong, positive relationships. We have a strong focus on literacy and numeracy, and we foster positive mindsets through goal setting, reflection and encouraging student agency.
There are many special features that make Gowrie Street unique. We are one of the few schools in Victoria where all students learn a local First Nations language, Yorta Yorta, as their LOTE subject. We also have an on-site Kindergarten and After School Care service, ensuring continuity and connection for families.
Our teachers work in collaborative teams, providing a supportive environment for new staff and ongoing opportunities for professional growth. Professional learning is closely aligned with our Annual Implementation Plan, and every teacher has the opportunity to be part of our School Improvement Team. With our small class sizes, we can provide the personalised support that makes a real difference for our students.
At Gowrie Street, we work hard, support one another, and warmly welcome new members to our team.
School Tours
We strongly encourage interested applicants to attend a school tour before applying or please call the Principal, Tim Davis on 0429 054 454 to discuss the role.
Joining the leadership team of a school at the beginning of a new leadership cycle is an important decision, and we want the process to be the right fit both ways. A tour will provide an opportunity to see our learning spaces, understand our context, hear more about our curriculum, wellbeing and inclusion approaches, meet the Principal, and consider whether Gowrie St Primary School is the right professional fit for you.
