Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader- Classroom Teacher
Department of Education Victoria – Whorouly VIC
13d ago, from Department of Education & Training Victoria
Whorouly Primary School is located in a small rural township, 30 kilometres south-east of Wangaratta, in North-East Victoria. The school has served its local district since 1874.Students are drawn from the town itself and the school bus service transports students from the surrounding district. Our school has close ties with the neighbouring Whorouly Pre School and local community groups. Whorouly Primary School is a member of the Ovens learning Community (OLC) of schools and is the base school for the MACC (Mobile Art Program) servicing seven schools.
The Whorouly Primary School buildings consist of a semi-open plan learning space, with a junior and senior classroom space, a multi-purpose classroom, a large covered deck, kitchen/staffroom, office, resource room and library/meeting room. Also located on the school grounds is an Art Shed, a kitchen garden, a large, grassed playing area, adventure playground, and a hard court.
Our students come from a wide range of families with diverse backgrounds. We provide a nurturing and challenging environment that empowers students to achieve their personal best, both academically and socially and become optimistic, resilient, creative and critical thinkers. We seek to promote our school values and inspire diversity, achievement, responsibility and endeavour, throughout the curriculum, in co-curricular activities, and in our daily operations.
The following values underpin the beliefs of the Whorouly Primary School community, reflect those of the broader community, and provide the basis for our actions:
Learning: Acquiring academic, social, physical and emotional knowledge and skills.
Relationships: Developing authentic relationships where mutual respect and support are promoted.
Persistence: Cultivating a positive work ethic and managing challenging situations as they arise.
Respect: Building respect for self and others, our community and the environment.
Teamwork: Working co-operatively with others towards common goals.
It is the intent of the school to invest in developing the capacities of all stakeholders to ensure we are actively engaging in a process of improvement by:
¿ building the capacity of staff to deliver consistent quality teaching practice
¿ ensuring consistent levels of learning growth for every student in literacy and numeracy
¿ strengthening the school as a learning community.
Selection Criteria
* SC1 Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the ability to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. Demonstrated experience in responding to student learning needs.
* SC2 Demonstrated experience in planning for and implementing high impact teaching strategies, guided by how students learn, and evaluating the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.
* SC3 Demonstrated experience in monitoring and assessing student learning. Demonstrated experience in using data to inform teaching practice and providing feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
* SC4 Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
* SC5 Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated experience in reflecting upon practice and engaging in professional learning to continually improve the quality of teaching.
Role
The Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System highlighted that primary schools provide opportunities to identify children with mental health and wellbeing challenges, who can then be referred to treatment, care and support.
The Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative is being expanded to every government and low-fee non-government primary school in Victoria. Scaling up across the state from 2023, by 2026 every primary school will be able to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader to implement a whole-school approach to wellbeing.
The Department of Education has been piloting the Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative in Victorian schools since 2020 in partnership with the Murdoch Children's Research Institute and the Faculty of Education at the University of Melbourne. Evaluation of this pilot initiative has shown that 95 per cent of Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders consider the Mental Health in Primary Schools model has improved their school's capacity to support students' mentalhealth and wellbeing needs.
Participating schools receive funding to employ a Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, a qualified teacher, to work across the school to implement a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing for students, staff and families based on a broad knowledge of the needs of the school community.
The role of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader is to:
* build capability of the whole school with regard to mental health and wellbeing (identification, promotion and prevention),
* provide support to staff to better identify and support students with mental health needs,
* establish clear pathways for referral for students requiring assessment and intervention, and monitor and evaluate student progress.
The role provides a proactive focus for the promotion and prevention of mental health and wellbeing through assessment and implementation of context-relevant programs, approaches and initiatives based on a broad and extensive knowledge of the needs of the school.
The Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader role is not a clinical role and is not designed for direct intervention. The role is seen as a key conduit in creating referral pathways once a teacher or other staff member identifies a concern in the classroom.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders are provided training in mental health literacy, supporting emerging needs, and building school capacity and receive ongoing support and professional development through structured and regular Learning Communities. Training is developed and facilitated by the Faculty of Education at University of Melbourne, supported by Murdoch Children's Research Institute.
Responsibilities
The role of classroom teacher may include but is not limited to:
* Direct teaching of groups of students and individual students;
* Contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of a curriculum area or other curriculum program within the school;
* Undertaking other classroom teaching related and organisational duties as determined by the School Principal;
* Participating in activities such as parent/teacher meetings; staff meetings; camps and excursions;
* Undertaking other non-teaching supervisory duties.
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.The Department recognises that the provision of safe, respectful and inclusive workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work and diversity across all schools and Department workplaces.It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for staff with disability (seeWorkplace adjustment guidelines).
Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via*******@education.vic.gov.au
Applicants seeking part-time employment are encouraged to apply for any teaching service position and, if they are the successful candidate, request a reduced time fraction. Such requests will be negotiated on a case‑by‑case basis and will be subject to the operational requirements of the school.
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. All schools have a Child Safety Code of Conduct consistent with the department's exemplar available at:
DE Values
The department's employees commit to upholding the department's Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. The department's Values complement each school's own values and underpin the behaviours the community expects of Victorian public sector employees,including those who work in Victorian Government Schools. Information on the department values is available at:
Other Information
* 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.
* Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at
Please ensure that your application includes:
* A resume including relevant experience as well as personal details (name, address and contact numbers, business and home)
* A section addressing the selection criteria and the requirements for application under the Who May Apply section
* Names and contact numbers (telephone and email if possible) of two referees who are able to attest to the claims made in your application.
Please note that the selection panel may seek additional referees beyond those you name. Consistent with policy, we shall advise you if we will take this action.
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.
* Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at
Qualification Requirements
* 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';
* 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 (this condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian ITE program completed by the person).
Details of qualification requirements as updated from time to time can be found at Recruitment in Schools.
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