INTRODUCTION

The River Nile School (RNS) is an independent senior-secondary school delivering Applied Learning curriculum to re-engage refugee school-aged women who may have had disrupted schooling, are newly arrived in Australia or find a flexible learning environment most suitable to their learning. All students who attend RNS have English as an Additional Language (EAL), so developing student levels of language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) is a central focus of our teachers. RNS offers students the VCE Vocational Major (VM) and the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) with an integrated program with projects negotiated with and developed by students. It provides a high-challenge, high-support learning environment with a strengths-based approach.

RNS offers small class sizes, and teachers work collaboratively to achieve the best possible outcomes for each student with personalised learning, wellbeing and support programs. RNS adopts a holistic model for supporting the unique educational needs of each student, so developing solid student-teacher relationships is essential. Our students come from backgrounds where they may have experienced significant trauma, so we adopt a trauma-informed (healing) approach to our teaching.

Based in North Melbourne, 2024 is our eighth year as a school. RNS grew out of the River Nile Learning Centre (RNLC), established in 2006 to assist the African refugee community. We’ve grown substantially since then, and our student cohort comprises young women from many regions. As a growing school filling a unique gap in the education sector, we are striving to build strong foundations to empower young migrant women to gain the language, life and work skills to thrive.

RNS has ~100 students and a 30-person team, including 12+ registered teachers and 10 allied professionals with social/youth work, multicultural engagement and refugee health expertise. Our team brings different and overlapping strengths, skills and experiences to enable us to respond holistically to students’ educational needs in a respectful and productive learning environment.

For further information, view: http://www.rivernileschool.vic.edu.au.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

As Engagement Coordinator you have an important role in connecting to our core community, stakeholders and enrolment feeders. You also support associated programs, initiatives and activities of our School, as required, commensurate with your qualifications, skills and experience.

Your Mindset:

• You believe every young person deserves a thriving future.
• You respect and value the perspectives of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) young people and are interested to work with those with complex needs to help them achieve their potential.
• You are comfortable working in a flexible, evolving, changing work environment, staying focused on outcomes and adapting your approach as needed.
• You are culturally aware, reflective, aware of privilege and the intersectionality that occurs between different community groups.
• You are willing to do the grunt work inside communities; attending events outside of hours (time in lieu granted), and accommodate community needs and customs.
• You are collaborative, valuing and respecting relationships within and across our entire team and with our external partners.
• You take initiative, solve problems and have a high attention to detail.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Enrolment:

• Manage student enrolments and formal mandatory enrolment documentation and processes around admissions and manage relationships with student referral schools and agencies, including school visits and open days. Collaborate with and support the Assistant Principal, Student Support and School Operations, who assesses their school learner fit, level and class placement as each potential enrolment is considered. Ensure enrolment policies and processes target the student cohort RNS was established to support.
• Develop and support enrolment projections and develop systems to ensure the school matches these enrolments
• Create and lead an enrolment strategy
• Oversee the onboarding process for new students
• Collate and review data trends in enrolment and develop plans to respond
• Ensure that enrolment numbers match goals and key performance indicators
• Oversee a process for engaging with schools and building relationships that lead to enrolments
• Develop relationships with community organisations and connected services that offer feeder enrolments
• Represent RNS in other schools as an ambassador. Learn the processes, goals and details in functioning of the school, in order to explain its purpose and function to other schools and organisations
• Oversee enrolment enquiries. Organise tours, visits, transition days and other key events

Community Engagement:

• Develop and support the implementation of a Community Engagement Strategy
• Engage with new arrival communities and develop a strategy on how to best support the needs of the community
• Attend events outside of hours (time in lieu will be offered) that are a key part of communities and organisations
• Develop a presence in communities and be an ambassador for RNS and it’s brand
• Support the school in connections to external services by building relationships and strategy
• Support any positions that focus on alumni internships, bi-cultural workers/multi-cultural workers
• Support the school in develop respectful, trusting relationships with key communities and stakeholders
• Develop and maintain relationships with key organisations that support our communities
• Assess trends in the refugee space based on external organisations and community needs. Develop processes and recommendations for the school based on these trends.
• Represent the school with other educational organisations, initiatives, conferences etc.

School Leadership and Involvement:

• Under the guidance of school leadership, research, identify, develop and coordinate appropriate educational / community partnerships that lead to long-term sustainable outcomes for students and community partners
• Coordinate student leadership development and mentoring, student incursions, excursions and experiential learning activities in the broader community – shaped by student interests and the RNSApplied Learning curriculum – to expand student’s networks, strengthen their learning engagement as well as increase their sense of belonging (or reduce their isolation).
• Contribute to and assist with school communications (e.g. RNS News, Annual Reports, school information sheets)
• Represent RNS at stakeholder meetings to facilitate awareness of our program and develop and strengthen our service networks and their support.
• In consultation with school leadership and teachers, assist in coordinating the referral of students to external specialist professional agencies and contribute to the support of pathways and transition of students.
• Compliance with ALL RNS Policies, Procedures and Codes of Conduct, especially for Staff, Student and Child Safety and Health.
• Support the RNS Principal in developing, reviewing and updating of the RNS strategic plan, policies, procedures and codes of conduct and associated reporting and communications documents and tools.
• Reporting to and working with the RNS Principal and Assistant Principals.
• Working cooperatively, consultatively and collegiately with other RNS school leaders, teachers and staff.
• Other duties as assigned by the Principal, Assistant Principals based on the needs of the school

Key Selection Criteria - Capabilities:

• Demonstrated experience in working with, empowering, developing and delivering engagement and development programs for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) students and/or communities.
• Demonstrated track record in building and maintaining networks and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders to achieve practical and meaningful outcomes which support positive pro-social and sustainable pathways for young people.
• Demonstrated experience in organising and coordinating experiential learning activities.
• Demonstrated excellent project management, documentation, written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrated capacity to develop constructive relationships with students, parents/guardians/carers, staff and external agencies.
• Demonstrated knowledge in working with students from marginalised, disadvantaged and/or refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds.
• Demonstrated ability in ensuring enrolments in schools, or funding sources and matching KPI’s in another organisation.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications in Community Development, Education, Youth Work, Social Work or similar.
• 5-years relevant experience, including working with CALD students or communities with complex needs
• Working with Children Check and 100-point Proof of Identity required (at interview stage of employment process)
• Evidence that applicants have completed training in all aspects of Child Safety, and updates this annually.
• Minimum two referees, including current or most recent employer (timing of contact can be discussed).

For Information contact: RNS Principal Charles Hertzog [email protected] using the subject line: Engagement Coordinator enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.