SC1 Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to model exemplary teaching practice, including the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum, and implement school priorities.
SC2 Demonstrated expertise in the implementation and modelling of high impact teaching strategies that respond to student learning needs. Demonstrated ability to support teachers to evaluate the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth
SC3 Demonstrated exemplary ability to model the monitoring and assessment of student learning. Demonstrated ability to support others in using data to inform teaching practice and to provide feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
SC4 Demonstrated exemplary interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated ability to engage in collaborative relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
SC5 Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated ability to support others to reflect on their practice and facilitate school-based professional learning.
Role Purpose
The Learning Specialist: Inclusive Teaching and Instructional Excellence is an exemplary classroom practitioner who leads improvement in teaching practice through demonstration, observation, coaching and professional learning.
The role focuses on developing the capability of teachers to deliver high-quality, inclusive instruction that enables all students to engage, progress and achieve success. Through a model classroom approach, the Learning Specialist will showcase effective practice, host teacher observations, facilitate reflective conversations, and support staff to implement evidence-based teaching strategies in their own classrooms.
This role complements, rather than duplicates, the work of the Disability and Inclusion Leader. While the Disability and Inclusion Leader oversees systems, processes, Individual Education Plans and Disability Inclusion implementation, the Learning Specialist focuses on building teacher expertise and classroom effectiveness.
Key Responsibilities
Demonstration and Modelling of Excellence
- Establish and maintain a demonstration classroom showcasing exemplary teaching practice.
- Regularly model evidence-based instructional practices for teachers and teams.
- Open classrooms for observation by staff seeking to strengthen their practice.
- Demonstrate effective strategies for differentiation, explicit instruction, engagement, formative assessment and inclusive learning environments.
- Showcase practical approaches that support diverse learners while maintaining high expectations for all students.
Instructional Coaching and Observation
- Lead a school-wide approach to peer observation and professional learning visits.
- Facilitate structured observation cycles where teachers observe high-impact teaching practices in action.
- Conduct coaching conversations that support teachers to reflect on and improve their practice.
- Provide evidence-based feedback following classroom observations.
- Support teachers to set improvement goals and monitor implementation of new strategies.
Inclusive Teaching Practice
- Promote high-quality first teaching as the foundation of inclusion.
- Support staff to embed evidence-based adjustments into everyday classroom practice.
- Model effective teaching approaches that increase participation, engagement and achievement for students with additional learning needs.
- Work with teachers to strengthen differentiation and curriculum accessibility.
- Promote Universal Design for Learning principles and inclusive pedagogical approaches.
Professional Learning Leadership
- Design and facilitate professional learning that is practical, classroom-focused and evidence informed.
- Develop teacher capability through workshops, demonstration lessons, coaching and learning walks.
- Support Professional Learning Teams to examine student outcomes and identify effective teaching responses.
- Build collective teacher efficacy through collaborative inquiry and reflective practice.
School Specific Responsibilities
The Learning Specialist will receive a time allowance equivalent to four periods per cycle to undertake demonstration teaching, observation and coaching activities.
Specifically, the Learning Specialist will:
- Operate a model classroom where staff can observe high-impact teaching practices.
- Develop and publish an annual observation schedule allowing staff to engage in professional learning visits.
- Host individual teachers, teams and graduate teachers for observation and coaching sessions.
- Facilitate pre-observation and post-observation coaching conversations.
- Provide demonstration lessons in areas identified through School Improvement Plan priorities.
- Lead learning walks focused on inclusive teaching and student engagement.
- Work alongside teachers within their classrooms to model strategies and support implementation.
- Develop exemplars of effective classroom practice that can be shared across the College.
- Contribute to the development of a shared understanding of highly effective teaching practice at Bundoora Secondary College.
- Support the professional growth of teachers through mentoring, coaching and instructional feedback.
Success Indicators
The effectiveness of the Learning Specialist will be demonstrated through:
- Increased teacher participation in classroom observation and coaching programs.
- Improved staff confidence in implementing evidence-based teaching practices.
- Greater consistency of high-impact instructional practices across classrooms.
- Strong implementation of inclusive teaching strategies across learning areas.
- Positive staff feedback regarding coaching and professional learning.
- Improved student engagement and learning outcomes.
Teachers 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.
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.
¿Our job is not to prepare students for something, it is our job to activate our students to prepare themselves for anything.¿
Adapted from AJ Juliani.
Bundoora Secondary College is a year 7-12 College in a quiet residential area of Bundoora, a northern suburb of Melbourne. We are an innovative, caring school and take great pride in knowing every member of our community (both staff and students) as individuals and as learners.
The school is set on a well-developed, picturesque site adjacent to Gresswell Forest. The spacious grounds include a variety of playing fields and as our school farm continues to develop, a range of animal paddocks, productive gardens and indigenous flora plots. Our school is accessible by foot, bike or car and is well serviced by our school buses and public transport. Our school enjoys a strong partnership with our neighbours including Melbourne Polytechnic, Latrobe University and RMIT Bundoora Campus as well as other universities further afield. BSC is a Child Safe school and expects all employees to be cognisant of the expectations upon them to contribute positively to our child safe environment.
BSC is currently experiencing a period of strong growth as we implement our new curriculum program and pedagogical approach with a vertical structure of subject offerings across the traditional 8 ¿ 11 years called our PACE21 (Passion and Choice, Empowerment 21st Century skills) program. This program empowers students to choose the pace of their own learning journey. Our core purpose is to provide a broad and challenging education that is future focused and will develop students' 21st Century skills, abilities and knowledge for further education, training, work and community participation.
In order to do this, we require staff who are curious, flexible and generalist in their philosophy and thinking.
Students at BSC are not bound by the traditional year level classes. The school is broken into three cohorts - a common Entry year (the traditional year 7), PACE21 (traditionally years 8-11) and Graduation year (traditionally year 12). Our broad pathways focus and the vertical structure supports students choice and provides flexibility across our learning program ensuring that all students can engage in their learning at their point of interest and be challenged at their point of need.
Rigour remains a core value so high expectations of students will continue and progress will be routinely reported against the BSC Great Student (21st century skills) matrix and the Victorian Curriculum skills continuum to ensure that all students will achieve success. We are very much aware that ongoing feedback to students will support them in developing a growth mindset and promote learning so that each student can reach the next level.
We are a diverse and inclusive community. We live by our school values - Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Relationships and Rigour (the 5 R¿s). At BSC, students have an authentic voice into the everyday decision making at the school. We provide a variety of opportunities for student voice such as a Student Leadership Council, student lead tours, public speaking at assemblies and membership of College Council with voting rights.
Learning takes place in well-equipped air-conditioned courtyard style buildings, which contain specialist areas including a Library Resource Centre and student social space, the ECA Centre which contains a gymnasium, weight training facility and drama studio, the Arts and Technology areas including food, wood and media, art and craft, ceramics, painting and drawing and music laboratories. Science rooms are fully equipped for practical experiments and activities with two 3D printers and an emphasis on robotics. Each classroom is provisioned with an interactive whiteboard and our 1:1 digital technologies program is enhanced by the schools provision of PCs and MACs.
To enhance the student¿s learning experience, traditional co-curricular programs such as sport, drama and music performances, instrumental music, excursions, camps, art exhibitions and displays and student leadership have been incorporated into the mainstream curriculum to ensure that all students can pursue their passions.
Strong emphasis is placed on catering for the individual learning style of each student. Achievements are recognised and celebrated. BSC promotes an environment that encourages students to investigate, understand and actively design and participate in their learning through a variety of teaching and learning strategies.
Parents are welcome and encouraged to participate in all College activities and to work with teachers in developing positive educational outcomes for their children. While formal reporting to parents takes place twice a year, the College emphasises the continual monitoring and communication of student progress to students and parents.
We actively involve our community in the development of our educational programs, policies and the provision of a supportive and caring environment. This is reflected in our house teams and our wellbeing structures that exist to assist students and parents. The implementation of the Student Empowerment Guidelines results in an environment where students from a wide range of cultures and backgrounds exhibit co-operation and acceptance towards each other.
We have established positive links with our neighbouring primary schools as a means of easing the transition of students into the College, as well as providing continuity in their educational programs.
Bundoora Secondary College ¿ BSC ¿ where students experience education by student choice.
