• Job number 1226559

Dandenong South Primary School is medium sized primary school, with an enrolment of 598 students in 2021.  The school has a kindergarten onsite coordinated in partnership with the City of Greater Dandenong and Best Chance Child Family Care. Facilities include a modern gymnasium, refurbished classrooms, spacious, landscaped grounds, a Learning Centre and a Community Hub. A school funded Discovery Centre, incorporating a library and STEM learning areas was completed in 2020.  

The school is divided into five sub-schools; Foundation, Year 1, Year 2, Years 3 and 4 and Years 5 and 6. The full-time equivalent (FTE) teaching staff is 46.6 including a Principal, 2 Assistant Principals, 5 Leading Teachers, 2 Learning Specialists, 13 additional support teachers, 2 English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers. There are 24 Education Support (ES) staff including a psychologist, a speech therapist, MEA’s and integration aides. Specialist areas include LOTE (Indonesian), visual arts, performing arts and physical education.

To meet the needs of the students who predominantly speak English as an additional language, the school offers a range of literacy intervention programs. These include first phase and second phase EAL programs, LEAP (Literacy Enhancement Assessment Program) oral language, phonological awareness, and reading and writing programs. The school has a Play Based Learning approach through its Investigations program in its Foundation to Year 2 classrooms. Inquiry Learning consolidates this approach in Years 3-6.

The school continues its relationship with a number of partnering organisations to provide a Community Hub, which offers programs tailored to the needs of the local community. The Hub offers support to families by familiarising them with the school setting and builds relationships with school staff to provide a safe, supportive and accessible venue for a range of community services.

1. Territory qualification in either community development, education, early years or settlement field
2. Strong interpersonal skills which demonstrates your ability to create positive relationships with families and involve these families in activities and decisions
3. Experience working on place based, people centric community development projects
4. Knowledge/experience of working with families within a settlement and or early years framework
5. Strong networking skills and experience developing partnerships with other agencies to work together on a shared goal
6. Ability to set up projects that supports the community and builds their capacity and skill level
7. A positive can do attitude where you are happy to innovate new ways of doing things
8. Team player willing to support others and share lessons and resources with other hub leaders.

Performs and/or supervises tasks that are carried out in accordance with guidelines, accepted practice and school policy. This may include the supervision and coordination of other education support class staff within the work area or educational program. Supervision and coordination would be limited to ensuring routine tasks are performed to required standards  Input into identifying training needs and development of education support class staff within the work area or educational program becomes an important feature at range 2.

Specialised support to achieve specific outcomes is a feature of range 2. Typically this will involve accountability for a single function, (e.g. ensuring data is properly maintained) or the operation of a work area (e.g. managing the day to day operation of a school office) under the direction of the principal or another senior manager.

Provides support to teachers and students that is beyond the routine support provided at education support class Level 1, range 1. Within an educational program assists teachers with the coordination of the support function, such as directing/organising the work of other support staff or providing a specialist support role. 

Undertakes medical intervention support tasks or other specialised student/teacher support roles that require specific training that must be updated from time to time. The role is for a specific purpose for which there will be direct accountability as opposed to support roles that are carried out by a range of staff performing routine tasks under direction.

Performs technical tasks that require a sound knowledge of basic technical and/or scientific principles that are used to develop and adapt work methods and make judgements where there are clear guidelines and limited options.  Routine technical support in libraries, science and information technology laboratories would be typical examples.

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.

• Create a welcoming environment which encourages parents and their children to engage and become active in the hub
• Build relationships with parents and the local community and discover their strengths, aspirations and needs
• Informed by your consultations, plan activities in partnership with local service providers in the early years and settlement context which align with the program outcomes framework. For example, setting up English language programs and playgroups
• Support families increase their knowledge of child development, parenting, and settlement support by providing information sessions/programs at the hub. These should include skill development and capacity building activities
• Build strong relationships within the school and support the school to be able to develop families participation in early years and school readiness programs as well as the schools ability to support and respond to family needs
• Work in partnership with local services  to make supported referrals and connect families to other programs and learning opportunities in the community
• Participate in hub leader meetings and professional development opportunities in your local government area as well as the Community of Practice- a national space for you to learn from other hub leaders across all the states
• Complete regular reports and share lessons and case studies with your support agency/Community Hubs Australia
• Participate and support evaluations of the program