Leading Teacher in Ararat

Ararat West Primary School is situated in the Rural City of Ararat, approximately 200km west of Melbourne. The school is set in expansive grounds, creating a relaxed, natural environment. Our purpose is to provide a safe and inclusive learning environment that is caring, challenging, and equips children with strong reading, writing, spelling and maths skills to enable them to have choice and opportunity in the future. Our school uses a structured literacy approach focused on the Big 6 of reading. Our Instructional Model is aligned with the VTLM 2.0 and informed by research about how students learn. We use a School Wide Positive Behaviour approach to support student social development. Our school values of Aspiring, Respectful and Resilient underpin all our actions.

Students have the opportunity to receive additional support in speech and language development through our on-site Speech Language Pathologist. Specialist programs include Art, LOTE, Science and Physical Education. We offer students a range of leadership opportunities and extra-curricular activities including choir, a whole-school performance, a range of sports including our long-standing skipping team, recess clubs, and we have strong links to the local community, through initiatives such as visits to local aged care facilities. In 2026 our school has 12 classrooms, with specialist staff and Education Support Staff supporting teachers in administration and classroom support roles. The Ararat West Primary School community has a long and proud tradition of achievement, setting high standards for all.

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to lead and manage the implementation of school priorities, and the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum.
• Demonstrated ability to lead the planning and implementation 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.
• Demonstrated exemplary ability to monitor and assess student learning at a class, cohort or whole-school level and use this data to lead improvement initiatives. 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.
• Demonstrated exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills. Demonstrated ability to lead collaborative relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community focused on student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values and support colleagues to adopt these behaviours and attitudes. Demonstrated ability to reflect upon their own, others and whole-school practice and contribute to the provision of whole-school professional learning.
• Demonstrated capacity to strengthen whole-school wellbeing, behaviour and inclusion through collaborative, practice-focused leadership, building staff capability, improving classroom practice.

Role

Leading teachers will be highly skilled classroom practitioners and undertake leadership and management roles commensurate with their salary range. The role of leading teachers is to improve the skill, knowledge and performance of the teaching workforce in a school or group of schools and to improve the curriculum program of a school. Typically, leading teachers are responsible for coordinating a number of staff to achieve improvements in teaching and learning which may involve the coordination and professional support of colleagues through modelling, collaborating and coaching and using processes that develop knowledge, practice and professional engagement in others.

Leading teachers are expected to lead and manage a significant area or function within the school with a high degree of independence to ensure the effective development, provision and evaluation of the school's education program. Leading teachers will be expected to make a significant contribution to policy development relating to teaching and learning in the school. A leading teacher has a direct impact and influence on the achievement of the school goals. Leading teachers are usually responsible for the implementation of one or more priorities contained in the school strategic plan.

Responsibilities

• Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement initiatives related to the school strategic plan and school priorities.
• Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning and delivery.
• Leading and managing the provision of professional development and developing individual and team development plans for teaching staff within the priorities of the school.
• Leading and managing staff performance and development (review of staff).
• Teaching demonstration lessons.
• Leading and managing the development of the school's assessment and reporting policies and practices.
• Leading and managing the implementation of the school operations and policies related to student welfare and discipline.
• Leading the development of curriculum in a major learning area and participating in curriculum development in other areas.
• Responsibility for general discipline matters beyond the management of classroom teachers, including responsive support.
• Contributing to the overall leadership and management of the school.
• Contributing to the development of proposals for school council consideration.
• Developing and managing the school code of conduct.

Who May Apply

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

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.

Child Safe Standards

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.

Conditions of Employment

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.

Qualification Requirements

The person must have provisional or full registration approved by the Victorian Institute of Teaching.