Learning Support Officer in Melbourne

Department of Education Victoria – South Melbourne VIC

South Melbourne Primary School acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we are located and pay respect to their Elders past and present. We are a high-performing government school with a clear sense of what we're about and how we work. Our school opened at the beginning of 2018 and we have recently been funded to expand to a second campus next door, with construction commencing in 2029.

Our results across NAPLAN, the Parent Opinion Survey, School Staff Survey and AtoSS are consistently above state benchmarks, above similar schools and among the highest in the state. We are deliberate about who joins us. Our work is anchored in three values: Character, Community and Learning.

• Character - Our People: Every person who walks through our doors is significant. Kindness and manners are baseline expectations. We maintain a warm, inclusive culture with high, clear expectations. We promote Relaxed Professionalism as our mantra as we strive to have fun but remain sharp as we conduct our work. Staff work in Professional Learning Teams. Feedback is frequent, constructive and expected. Practice is routinely observed and discussed. We explicitly teach habits for success through our Big 10 Essential Habits. Our staff actively practise GEMS - Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Show More Love - in Staff Huddles, meetings and daily interactions. This environment suits professionals who value teamwork, feedback and shared standards. It is unlikely to suit those seeking a highly autonomous or individual classroom model.
• Community - Our Place: We live in the shelter of each other. Our community is diverse and multilingual, and we actively draw on that as a strength. We approach our community as an active partnership. We connect with families through Celebration of Learning Days, Whole School Assemblies and our Compass online portal. Student progress - both academic and social-emotional - is reported to families termly via Student Dashboards. EAL experience is an advantage as many of our students were born overseas and have English as a Second Language. We have partnered with the City of Port Phillip to establish an on-site Kindergarten and OSHClub, providing wrap-around services for our families.
• Learning - Our Program: Literacy and Numeracy are our core priorities. Our teaching is grounded in Cognitive Science and Direct Instruction. We prioritise consistency and have a low-variance, high-fidelity curriculum. Staff use data to plan, teach and evaluate impact. Shared planning reduces duplication and ensures every student benefits from the same quality of teaching. We have a highly structured academic and social-emotional curriculum and work from defined lesson plans developed as a school. Coaching, observation and feedback are embedded, not occasional. Responding positively to feedback with focussed actions is a baseline expectation. Our Specialist Programs provide rich opportunities for students across Music and Performing Arts, Visual Art, Mandarin and Physical Education.

What to Expect:

• Kindness and manners are the cornerstone of success
• Practice is visible and open to feedback
• Teamwork is non-negotiable
• A positive, professional disposition is expected at all times
• Clear instructional frameworks and structured collaboration are the norm
• You will be coached, and you will be expected to grow

We are a school that takes practice seriously. If that aligns with how you want to work, we'd like to hear from you.

Selection Criteria:

Please consider the nature of our educational setting when responding to these criteria, namely, our philosophy of practice and behaviours inside professional learning teams, our focus on data for improvement, our use of flexible learning spaces and the need to provide educational support and challenge for all students.

• SC1 Demonstrated capacity to perform duties consistent with established guidelines and frameworks, including coordinating and supporting others in respect to specific work functions relevant to the role.
• SC2 Demonstrated capacity to work and collaborate with others in a team environment.
• SC3 Demonstrated capacity to communicate effectively in a team environment, including high level oral and written communication skills.
• SC4 Possess the technical knowledge and expertise relevant to the position.
• SC5 Demonstrated capacity to provide advice and support to management and other school staff in respect to the work area.
• SC6 A commitment to professional learning and growth for both self and others.

Responsibilities:

To support students in the regular classroom environment, under the guidance of classroom teachers and the Wellbeing Leader.

• Assist students across a year level on an individual or group basis in specific learning areas.
• Attend Professional Learning Team meetings with teachers and other staff.
• Rove in the classroom and across year level classes, supporting students where needed.
• Engage in inclusive practices, assisting students within the classroom setting.
• Provide basic physical care and emotional support for students.
• Participate in Inclusion Aide team meetings.
• Assist with the supervision of students in playgrounds, at camps, on excursions, in sporting activities, therapy activities and life skills.
• Address immediate behavioural presentations relating to specific students within a classroom setting aligned to school policy and procedure.
• Assist in the preparation of student resources and equipment where directed by the class teacher.
• Be flexible and adaptive. You may be asked to work with different students in varying year levels throughout the day.
• Prepare basic curriculum support resources as directed by the class teacher.
• Set up and put away equipment and materials in support of teaching programs as directed by the class teacher.
• Participate in the monitoring and evaluation of programs and evaluation of individual student involvement and achievement.
• Some experience engaging in the Rights, Responsibilities and Respectful Relationships Curriculum is preferred.
• Assist with toileting, meals, lifting and administration of medication to students if special care is required.

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.

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.