• Experience in literacy intervention techniques targeting phonics, decoding, phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, word recognition, reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
• Experienced in delivery of Applied Learning curriculum to beginning literacy EAL learners.
• Understanding of and passion for working with young women from refugee backgrounds.
• North Melbourne location.

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) and 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, 2025 will be our nineth 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 ~110 students and a 40-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 our website here.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The River Nile School (RNS) is seeking a person that has experience with evidence based literacy intervention strategies to work with our newest language learners. Our students are between the ages of 15-24 and have a broad spectrum of English skills. Some have studied at university in their primary language, whereas others have not yet learned to read in their primary language. The successful candidate would work with classes, small groups and individuals at developing their English acquisition.

They would administer literacy intervention strategies to our new students and accelerate their English skills and ability to participate in our core curriculum. Ideally, our candidate would also teach the VCE Vocational Major (VM) and/or Victorian Pathways Certificate to young refugee women. Proactive, personalised student engagement, flexibility and trauma-informed (healing) practice are integral to the role.

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 an advocate for the evidence behind the Science of Reading and believe that this can be applied to older literacy learners.
• 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:

• Develop and deliver curriculum and literacy intervention strategies to classes, small groups and individuals that are new to English.
• Build the capacity of other teachers and RNS staff to incorporate current evidence-based pedagogies associated with EAL and language acquisition.
• Collaborate with our Assistant Principal, Lead Teachers, Speech Pathologist and Teachers, to develop literacy intervention strategies that are aligned to our cohort and individuals.
• Administer literacy assessments, benchmark progress and use data to drive further interventions.
• Deliver a 2 or 3-year VCE Vocational Major (VM) program and/or a Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) program.
• Develop and deliver English as an Additional Language (EAL) lesson planning, documentation and evaluation.
• Develop and manage assessment, evaluation and regular reporting of student language, literacy and numeracy (LLN) outcomes and curriculum outcomes within the VM and/or VPC.
• Participate in RNS meetings and reviews as required.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with teaching and education support staff to develop improvements in student outcomes
• Initiate and support collaborative creative student projects that deliver VM outcomes for students.
• Develop Individual Learning Plans and promote pathway opportunities that enhance students’ opportunities and life outcomes.
• Comply with all VRQA and RNS Policies, standards, procedures and Codes of Conduct and, most importantly, Child Safety regulations, Ministerial Orders and Duty of Care.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Demonstrated experience in delivering evidence-based literacy intervention techniques targeting phonics, decoding, phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, word recognition, reading fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
• Demonstrated experience of working with EAL students, particularly teenagers and adults.
• Demonstrated understanding of literacy assessments and data and how to use these to drive instruction.
• Demonstrated effective, creative, innovative classroom teaching practice that promotes a vibrant, engaging and safe learning environment.
• Proven collaborative relationship builder with colleagues across a school setting, with a mindset aligned to the school (please see above)
• Understanding of the impacts of trauma on learning, with some knowledge of trauma-informed practice.
• Demonstrated history of building engaging relationships with students from marginalised, refugee or CALD backgrounds, to be able to meet them at their point of need, develop and deliver on their learning goals and set them up holistically for success.

Desirable Skills and Abilities:

• Numeracy teaching experience and knowledge
• Applied Learning teaching experience and expertise.
• Student welfare and wellbeing experience and knowledge.

Qualifications, Experience and Credentials:

• Relevant tertiary qualifications – Minimum Bachelor Degree in Education or equivalent, with Teaching English to Speakers of
• Other Languages (TESOL) or EAL qualification preferred.
• Experience delivering literacy intervention in a primary or high school, English Language School, Adult Education setting or similar.
• VIT Registration and 100-point Proof of Identity required

Employment Conditions

Competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience; access to tax-effective salary packaging; training and development opportunities; supervision and an employee assistance program. RNS strives for its staff salaries to be competitive with the Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA) scales commensurate with experience.

Appointment of the successful applicant will be subject to:

• Reference checks
• A satisfactory Pre-Employment Disclosure Declaration
• The successful applicant must complete DET Mandatory Reporting / Child Safety training within the first month of work. A DET link to on-line training for non-government schools will be provided. If the applicant has evidence of completing this training at another school within the last 12 months, that can be provided on commenced and then refreshed at the appropriate annual time.
• A 6-month probationary period will apply. Induction and professional support and development programs will be provided.

Applications

• Must address Key Selection Criteria and the Position Description.
• Resumes should summarise relevant experience and qualifications and provide key personal details.
• The names and contact details of two referees, including current or most recent employer.
• Referees will not be contacted without the applicant being advised.

Applications including a cover letter, resume and response to the Key Selection Criteria should be addressed to: The Principal, The River Nile School via email [email protected] using the subject line: Teacher - EAL / Literacy Intervention application via EthicalJobs.

Enquiries to the RNS Business Office – Tel: (03) 9329 8425 or Mob: 0493 397 036.