Thornhill Park Primary School was established in 2023 and is located in the suburb of Thornhill Park approximately 40 kilometres west of Melbourne. Our school currently has capacity for 800 students and caters for students from Years Prep to 6. Our enrolments are currently around 840, with a growth of up to 900 students expected in 2026. The grounds sit alongside a new creek installation in the Thornhill Park Estate and is surrounded by many new houses, bike paths and open park spaces. The school community is culturally diverse with many families coming from a language background other than English. We provide a strong culture of inclusion and have established a supportive environment for all students.
Our staff have a range of experience and work in teams to provide differentiated programs for all students. We value the on going development of a strong culture and continue to build a team of people who have students at the centre of their decision making and strive to make an impact. We offer a curriculum based on building strong foundations in Literacy and Numeracy, whilst providing students with a range of real-life and problem-based experiences. Our teaching spaces also enable us to have a Specialist hub consisting of Physical Education, Food Tech, STEM, Visual and Performing Arts and Auslan. Our learning environments provide opportunities for students to explore their curiosity and develop as 21st Century citizens.
Thornhill Park Primary Schools vision is to ensure
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Our students are happy, empowered, curious and resilient learners
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Our curriculum is challenging, engaging, inclusive and relevant and supports each student in achieving their full potential
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Our staff are committed to providing high quality curriculum and a caring, inclusive classroom environment
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Our environment is welcoming, social, safe, positive and stimulating and encourages our students and staff to learn, develop and achieve success
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Our school community is committed to an ever developing, positive, supportive and collaborative partnership between home, school and the community
Our school values are Respect, Integrity, Persistence and Wellbeing.
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We display respect in all aspects of our school lives from the way we interact with each other to the way we treat our environment.
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We have integrity by always striving to do our best at school and ensuring we are honest and trustworthy citizens.
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We are persistent in challenging situations and always trying to give our very best. Being persistent enables our community to acknowledge that it is okay to make mistakes as this helps us to learn and to strive for excellence.
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We value wellbeing for all members of the community. We strive for people to be at their best when at school, so we endeavour to differentiate our approach to ensure we are inclusive and provide support for all students and staff. We recognise that optimal learning occurs when students are happy and healthy.
Please contact our Principal, Darryl Spiteri if you would like further information about the role or to organise a tour.
SC1. Demonstrated knowledge, ability and experience in coordinating the provision of Occupational Therapy Services.
SC2. Expert knowledge and experience in providing range of interventions aiming at increasing students¿ participation in school programs, including prescription of assistive technology, mobility aides and sensory programs.
SC3. Demonstrated ability to use a range of assessment and outcome measures to develop and evaluate intervention programs and curriculum delivery.
SC4. High level of communication and interpersonal skills when dealing with students, staff, parents and other members of the community and an ability to develop collaborative working relationships and participate effectively in a team environment.
SC5. Highly developed organisational skills with a demonstrated ability to work independently, utilise effective time management strategies, establish priorities and meet deadlines.
The Occupational Therapist will ensure that Occupational Therapy services are delivered using a collaborative model within the educational framework.
The Occupational Therapist will work to support the school community to realise the strategic vision for therapy provision across the whole school.
Key responsibilities of the Occupational Therapist include:
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Incorporating school policies and procedures into planning of therapy services.
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Update, revise and share all relevant assessment documents and plans.
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Active management of specific caseload including complex cases and high needs students.
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Active support of the Disability Inclusion process.
Range 4 is distinguished by broader management responsibility, particularly in the areas of finance, human resource and other support functions. Range 4 is responsible for managing a range of functions under a wide range of conditions, subject to the size and complexity of school operations.
Objectives will, generally, be clearly defined; guidelines will be broad and day-to-day direction minimal. Management responsibility extends to ensuring appropriate support levels are maintained across the school. Range 4 generally provides key support and timely advice to the leadership team and school council and liaises with the general school community, the Department and other government agencies and service providers.
Specialised professional roles will carry a high level of independence and accountability where suitable scope is provided to achieve objectives.
An education support class position supports the educational services being provided to students, but must not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor. Supervision of students cannot be required except where it is an integral part of the employee¿s position or involves supervision of students individually or in small groups, in controlled circumstances, where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.
In addition to the above, the successful applicant will also:
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Comprehensively assess students¿ needs from developmental, neurological and sensory perspectives.
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Design and implement goal focused occupational therapy programs for students in classrooms and group settings.
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Recommend appropriate adaptive equipment according to student needs and liaise with external agencies as appropriate.
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Liaise with and educate parents, care givers and staff on the safe and appropriate use of prescribed adaptive equipment.
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Liaise with external health professionals involved with the care of each student as necessary.
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Write appropriate reports for the Educational Needs Questionnaire as required.
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Work as part of an interdisciplinary team with other occupational therapists, speech pathologists, student wellbeing team and classroom teachers on improving student engagement and outcomes.
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Prescribe and purchase equipment for the school and ensure that the school equipment is well maintained and safe for use.
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Conduct oneself in line with all school and departmental policies and procedures, as well as those outlined by the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia.
Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of 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
This job is advertised as a full-time position, but the timefraction may be negotiable for the right candidate. Please outine in your application if you would prefer part-time hours and the time fraction you would prefer.
