Yarra Ranges Special Developmental School (YRSDS) provides quality education programs for school-aged students 5-18 with a moderate to profound intellectual disability, many students also have additional impairments, including sensory, physical and/or autism spectrum disorder.
Additionally, Our Early Education Program supports pre-school children aged between 2 years eight months and 4 years 8 months with developmental delay in two or more areas. Students must meet the state-wide eligibility criteria to attend YRSDS and are enrolled in accordance with the school's documented enrolment policy. Furthermore, all students at YRSDS are entitled to a Disability Inclusion Profile, which will outline the specific level of adjustments needed for each student to effectively access the curriculum.
YRSDS is a purpose-built facility staffed by specialists dedicated to meeting the unique needs of our students. The school is organised into four sections: Early Education, Lower Primary, Upper Primary, and Secondary, each overseen by a member of the leadership team. This team includes a School Principal, two Assistant Principals, and several specialised staff members, such as a Leading Teacher, two Learning Specialists, an Inclusion Outreach Coach, a School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) Team Leader, a Therapy Team Leader, and an Education Support Leader. All working together to drive the school¿s vision and educational initiatives.
To address the medical needs of our students, we employ two registered nursing staff who also provide health training for all school personnel.
At YRSDS, we have a shared belief that all students are entitled to access the same learning experiences as their age- equivalent peers. All learning experiences for students aged 5 to 15 are designed according to the Victorian Curriculum 2.0 at age-appropriate levels. For our Early Education Program, we utilise the Victorian Early Years Developmental Framework, while our secondary students, aged 15 to 18 in their final three years, currently participate in an adapted program based on the Victorian Pathways Certificate. Our secondary students also have opportunities to develop recreation and work-related skill.
Individual student goals are collaboratively developed with families and/or caregivers, ensuring alignment with developmentally appropriate achievement standards from the relevant curriculum.
All students at YRSDS have an individualised Education Plan with key goals that are created in conjunction with the student, their parents/ carers and the teaching and therapy teams. Our workforce includes exceptionally skilled Teachers, Therapists (Speech, Occupational, and Physiotherapy), Mental Health Practitioners, Education Support Staff, Specialist Teachers and a Family support Co-ordinator. Utilising a multi-disciplinary approach, we provide ongoing and extensive adjustments to ensure that all students can engage safely and positively in their education.
Our school's philosophy emphasises the belief that all children learn best in a happy, challenging, and supportive environment. Teaching and learning at YRSDS is child-centred, with a focus on fostering independence.
Our instructional approach is based on Communication, School Wide Positive Behaviour Support and Structuring Functional Independence. Our vision is to build independence through active learning and our school values for the whole school community are:
Be Respectful.
Be Responsible.
Be Safe
These values are integral to all school policies and practices and are reinforced through positive partnerships with students, staff, parents, caregivers, volunteers, and the broader community.
Curriculum design and delivery is enhanced by the expertise of a committed and caring multi-disciplinary staff. The teacher to student ratio enables smaller classes (6-10 students) with education support staff working alongside the teacher, ensuring individualised support for all students.
We are proud to have achieved gold accreditation for School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
We also host the internationally acclaimed MeTV, our onsite television broadcasting service. MeTV enhances our students' learning opportunities and contributes to our curriculum in a fun, interactive way. Information Communication Technology is embedded into student learning throughout the school.
The greatest strength of our school is a culture of warmth, inclusivity, and empathy. We actively foster partnerships among parents, students, staff, caregivers, volunteers, and the wider community, creating an environment that benefits every child.
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Demonstrated high level experience in inclusive education practice (teaching and learning), building school staff capability and developing processes for observation and feedback of teacher practice and peer collaboration.
- Demonstrated experience planning, implementing and evaluating evidence-based intervention strategies for students with disabilities and providing feedback to teaching staff to inform their effectiveness and development.
- Demonstrated ability to input into the development, implementation and evaluation of processes and strategies relating to teaching students with disability and diverse learning needs in a range of school settings.
- Demonstrated ability to provide explicit advice to teaching staff to assess and monitor student achievement and learning progress in line with the Victorian curriculum, and support teaching staff with effective strategies to engage with parents and families, including reporting on student progress.
- Highly developed communication, networking and interpersonal skills including the ability to liaise effectively with a wide range of people.
- Ability to provide leadership, professional learning and coaching that informs and influences the work of others involved in the engagement and wellbeing of children and young people.
Context
The Disability Inclusion reform agenda announced in the 2020/21 State Budget will invest more than $1.5 billion into the Victorian Education system over four years. This investment will support the Department of Education (the Department) to further improve outcomes for schools and students with disability and diverse learning needs. A key initiative under the reform is the Inclusion Outreach Coaching initiative, which supports schools to implement inclusive practices, guided by Inclusion Outreach Coaches (Learning Specialists).
Classification
Teacher Class (Learning Specialist) - Range 3
The successful applicant will be a highly skilled classroom practitioner who continues to spend the majority of their time in schools and classrooms delivering high-quality teaching and learning and have a range of responsibilities related to their expertise, including teaching demonstration lessons, observing and providing feedback to other teachers and facilitating school-based professional learning. Learning Specialist class employees are expected to have deep knowledge and expertise in high quality teaching and learning in delivering improved achievement, engagement and wellbeing for students. The role of the Learning Specialist will be to model excellence in teaching and learning through demonstration lessons, and mentoring and coaching teachers in improving the skill, knowledge and effectiveness of the teaching workforce.
For more information on the responsibilities of a Learning Specialist Range 3 employee, please visit:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/industrial-agreements/resources
Inclusion Outreach Coaches are based in specialist schools and partner with mainstream schools for defined periods, to provide coaching support to school leadership and staff aimed at strengthening inclusive practices. Coaches partner with the schools to increase their capability to implement preventative, evidence-based strategies that benefit all students. Together, the coach and school use data to identify a goal to work towards and plan and monitor for improvement and sustainability. Coaches collaborate with Departmental regional team members in a team-based response to the identified need. There is an emphasis on Tier 1 preventative, system change practices. Coaches do not work directly with students or provide individual student support. Coaches will undertake training to support schools in data-based decision making and using a Multi-tiered System of Supports. Coaches use a hybrid delivery model, so travel will be required.
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Demonstrating high-level expertise in teaching and learning practice and modelling exemplary practice and values in inclusive education, to support the development of an inclusive school culture.
- Delivering high quality, explicit technical advice and coaching support on best-practice for educators to effectively engage students in inclusive classrooms, so that they reach full participation.
- Supporting the school-based leadership team to use whole-school data and establish processes and/or systems to help identify how to make and embed school-wide adjustments to develop a high performing, inclusive school culture that is conducive to delivering inclusive practices.
- Playing a key role in implementing professional learning, including through coaching, and supporting schools to design, implement and monitor interventions delivered through a multi-tiered system of supports framework.
- Modelling effective inclusive education whole school and classroom practices and supporting teachers to seek, analyse and act on feedback on their practice.
- Providing leadership and professional learning to others, such as school leaders and teachers to help ensure quality inclusive practices are provided by schools to improve students’ learning and developmental outcomes.
- Maintaining professional competence and attend ongoing professional learning, including attending professional development coaching activities throughout the year.
- Maintaining active involvement in Inclusion Outreach Coaching Communities of Practice for educator and coaching workforces.
- Collecting and analysing implementation and evaluation data of the Inclusion Outreach Coaching initiative and liaising with the Regional Inclusion Outreach Coordinator to respond to identified needs.
Additional Area Responsibilities
Operating in collaboration with the Department's Area teams, this role will also have the following Area responsibilities:
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Using rigorous problem-solving procedures to identify and respond to school and school-based staff need; and coaching others to do so.
- Delivering both inclusion in-reach and outreach models of support to ensure the adoption and effective implementation of inclusive practices across a range of school settings.
- Collecting, analysing and using data effectively to monitor and report the measurable impact of the inclusion in/outreach practices being implemented in collaboration with the Regional Inclusion Outreach Coordinator.
- Partnering and collaborating with other coaches and workforces within the Health, Wellbeing and Inclusion and School Improvement teams in a multidisciplinary approach.
- Maintaining connectedness and capability support within the hiring specialist school (equivalent to one day per week) through:
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dedicated time to work with specialist school learning specialists and leadership teams
- coaching educators in specialist school classrooms
- attending specialist school meetings where appropriate
- ensuring evidence-based inclusive education practices are embedded within the hiring specialist school.
Required
Applicants must:
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Currently hold registration or be 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.
Desirable
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A graduate or postgraduate qualification in special/inclusive education and/or disability.
- Experience in, or understanding across various school settings.
- Demonstrated experience in inclusive education.
- Demonstrated experience working with students with disabilities and diverse learning needs.
Other Relevant Information
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A current driver's licence is mandatory, and a capacity to access private transport with approved comprehensive insurance cover.
- Successful applicants are subject to a satisfactory criminal record check prior to employment. New DE employees are required to meet the cost of the criminal record check.
Please ensure that your application includes:
- A section that addresses the key selection criteria.
- A resume including relevant experience as well as personal details (name, email and telephone numbers.)
- Names and contact details (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.
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
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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:
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The person must have provisional or full registration approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching; and
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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
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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.
