Leading Teacher: Data, Assessment and Reporting in Mildura

Wallan Secondary College (WSC) is a dynamic government school catering to Years 7 to 12, located 50 kilometres north of Melbourne in the fast-growing Mitchell Shire. Since opening in 2006 with just 110 students, WSC has grown to over 900 students, reflecting the school's strong reputation for academic care, student support, and community connection.

At the heart of the College is a dedicated team of more than 120 staff, including five Principal Class members and 11 Leading Teachers. Staff are supported through clearly structured teams, targeted professional development, and collaborative planning time. This framework enables staff to deliver high-quality teaching while also nurturing student wellbeing and engagement.

WSC places strong emphasis on student support, offering a range of wellbeing services that include a dedicated wellbeing team, access to counselling, and proactive wellbeing programs delivered through a structured pastoral care model. Programs like breakfast club, homework club, and targeted intervention in literacy and numeracy ensure that every student receives the support they need to succeed.

The College offers a broad, inclusive curriculum with a strong foundation in English, Mathematics, Science, and Humanities, alongside rich offerings in the Arts, Technology, Health and PE, Indonesian, and Music. Senior students benefit from a wide selection of VCE, VET, and Vocational Major (VM) programs to support diverse post-school pathways.

Leadership development is a key focus at both student and staff levels. Students are encouraged to take on formal leadership roles and participate in enrichment opportunities such as performing arts, sport, and student voice forums. For staff, clear leadership pathways are supported through coaching, mentoring, and internal progression opportunities, creating a strong culture of professional growth.

With a sustained focus on learning, support, and wellbeing, Wallan Secondary College continues to build a safe, inclusive, and high-achieving school culture, one that fosters success for every student and empowers staff to thrive in their roles.

Selection Criteria

• SC1 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.
• SC2 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.
• SC3 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.
• SC4 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.
• SC5 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.

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

In recognition of the importance of leadership and management combined with exemplary teaching practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the leading teachers may include but are not limited to:

• 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.
• 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.

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

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.