St Brigid’s Primary School Ballan and Our Lady Help of Christians Wendouree
Language Assistant - Auslan
We are seeking applications for a Language Assistant to work across two schools, St Brigid’s Ballan and Our Lady Help of Christians Wendouree. This exciting opportunity offers a fixed term-term, part-time role to commence in Term 4 of the 2026 school year. The successful applicant will have a demonstrated commitment to the safety and wellbeing of all children.
Position Description:
St Brigid’s Ballan and Our Lady Help of Christians Wendouree are looking for a native or native-like user of Auslan to join our team as a Language Assistant (Educational Support Officer) to continue to embed the Teachers as Co-Learners (TCL) approach to language learning.
This is a fixed-term, part-time position classified under the Catholic Education Multi Enterprise Agreement 2022 as ESB 2-1. The hours of employment for this position will be 2 hour 30 minutes per week (St Brigid’s) and 2 hours and 20 minutes (Our Lady Help of Christians). Days and times to be negotiated.
The applicant will:
- be proficient in the Auslan language (a native user and/or has a high certification in the target language)
- demonstrates a high skill and knowledge of Auslan
- has the ability or capacity to support classroom teachers to deliver an Auslan Teachers as Co-Learners program
- work with staff and students to develop and embed Auslan across the school through a Teachers as Co-Learners approach
- provide encouragement to both staff and students co-learning Auslan at the school
- demonstrates an ongoing involvement in the Deaf community and a capacity to support students and teachers to understand the history, traditions and the importance of shared cultural events
- be required to present a valid Working with Children Check and Police Check adhering to all Child Safety processes and policies of the school found under the Policies tab on our website
Important: The applicant does not require any teaching qualifications but rather will adhere to the position requirements of Education Support Officer (classroom language assistant).
Language Assistant Role Description
A TCL language assistant's role is to support teachers and students in their language learning by:
- working with individuals or groups of teachers to present new vocabulary and retrieve/recycle prior language for ongoing maintenance
- providing feedback to students and teachers on language accuracy (including formal assessments)
- modelling correct language use and helping to support correct receptive and expressive skill development
- supporting in-class learning experiences, such as working with small groups of students
- supporting creative output of language by teachers and students
- contributing to understanding and connections with culture and community
- willing to participate in TCL professional learning and networking
- supporting teachers in the assessment of student learning
- sharing information on Deaf events with staff and students
- modelling Deaf cultural norms
The Language Assistant will be:
- passionate about students’ language learning experience
- an advocate for active language use throughout the school community
- passionate and committed to the culture of the Auslan language and community
- organised and reliable
- a dynamic team player
Starting Date: Term 4 2026
Application Procedure:
Applications must include:
- completed Application for Employment Form
- a cover letter detailing the applicant’s experience
- current CV with names and contact phone numbers of three referees
Guided by our vision of “the pursuit of fullness of life for all,” DOBCEL is committed to inclusion and the safety, wellbeing, and protection of all children and young people in our care. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who support Catholic education and value the unique contributions of each person.
Our Lady Help of Christian's Parish School, Wendouree, is a Catholic school of approximately 200 students, which services the needs of families in north-west Ballarat. Established in 1961 by the Sisters of Mercy, we are now run by lay staff.
We work together with families, so each uniquely gifted child can continue to grow spiritually, socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually to achieve fullness of life. We are based upon the traditions of the Catholic faith and has a strong commitment to social justice. We provide stimulating, challenging and contemporary teaching strategies. We strive to foster mutual respect, responsibility and service within our school community. We aim to promote justice and the dignity of everyone, in an atmosphere in which each child's natural creativity can emerge and where each child values God's gifts, particularly environmental sustainability.
