Location Profile
Special Developmental School (SDS) is located in Traralgon. It is one of two special schools in the Latrobe Valley and is the only Special Developmental School in the Gippsland Region. The school caters for students with moderate to severe disabilities. Students travel from all over the Latrobe Valley and surrounding outlying areas to attend.
In 2022, we moved to a new purpose-built school site. Our facilities include classrooms with attached kitchenettes, quiet spaces and toilets; art/homecrafts; STEM facilities, tech/manufacturing, food technology, therapy spaces, multi-purpose hall, library, consulting rooms and staff workspaces. These are surrounded by stunning landscaping, bright and colourful playgrounds and open spaces including a basketball court, walking track and playing field.
Our dynamic team provides a stimulating educational program for students with significant intellectual and associated difficulties and disorders from the age of 4 years 8 months to 18 years of age. Parents, staff and carers work collaboratively in planning educational and developmental programs for students. Student Support Groups are established for each student and emphasise the importance of a partnership between home and school in developing student goals. Our Allied Health team supports staff in developing programs that specifically target the learning goals of our students.
Our school has an SFOE of 0.5993 and we have 11 classes. These include 6 Primary classes and 5 Secondary classes. Our specialist sessions include art, music and physical education. Our principal team, comprising of 1 principal and 2 assistant principals, leads a team of 5 Allied Health Staff, 3 Administration Staff, 20 teachers and 24 education support staff.
School activities and programs focus on improving student learning outcomes and promoting greater independence. The staff encourage students to strive for excellence in all of their endeavours. To achieve this, the school provides sequential teaching and learning programs that deliver a comprehensive, broadly based and inclusive curriculum based on the Victorian Curriculum. The development of student communication is a key component of each student's Individual Education Plan and central to the learning process.
As a Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) and Respectful Relationship school, we focus on the wellbeing and engagement of our students. Explicit teaching of our school values and expected behaviours provides students with the skills to self-regulate and actively participate in their learning. When behaviours arise, our Tier 1 and Tier 2 PBS teams provide support to staff to understand why the behaviour is occurring and teach students strategies specific to the skills needed to shift their behaviour. Parents are a key partner in this process, so there is consistency between home and school.
For further information about the school, please visit Home - Latrobe Special Developmental School.
Selection Criteria
(a) Vision and values
Demonstrated capacity to create a shared vision, define and gain acceptance of school goals and set and communicate expectations for effective performance.
(b) Teaching and Learning
Demonstrated ability to manage the quality of teaching and create a positive culture of challenge, support and collaboration.
(c) Improvement, Innovation and Change
Demonstrated capacity to produce and implement clear, evidence-based improvement plans and policies and lead innovation and change.
(d) Management
Demonstrated capacity to ensure that the school's human, physical and financial resources are efficiently allocated and managed.
(e) Development
Demonstrated capacity to create a professional learning community that is focused on the continuous improvement of teaching and learning, supporting all staff to achieve high standards and commitment to their own learning and wellbeing.
(f) Engagement
Demonstrated capacity to develop positive relationships with students, parents/families and the local community and participate in and contribute to system-level activities.
Role
The role of the principal is to lead and manage the planning, delivery, evaluation and improvement of the education of all students in a community through the deployment of resources provided by the Department and the school community.
At the same time, the principal, as executive officer of the school council, must ensure that adequate and appropriate advice is provided to the council on educational and other matters, that the decisions of the council are implemented and that adequate support and resources are provided for the conduct of council meetings.
Responsibilities
The principal is accountable for the overall management and development of the school within statewide guidelines and Government policies. A transparent set of accountabilities, which distinguish their work from other members of the Teaching Service and the education community are set out in detail in the contract of employment.
The core accountabilities of all principals are to:
- ensure the delivery of a comprehensive education program to all students
- be executive officer of the school council.
- establish and manage financial systems in accordance with the Department and school council requirements.
- represent the Department in the school and the local community.
- implement decisions of the school council.
- contribute to system-wide activities, including policy and strategic planning and development.
- manage and integrate the resources available to the school.
- appropriately involve staff, students and the community in the development, implementation and review of school policies, programs and operations.
- report to the Department, school community, parents and students on the achievements of the school and of individual students as appropriate.
Who May Apply
Appropriately qualified individuals currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
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 (see Workplace 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:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy
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:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview
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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx
- Applicants for principal positions of special schools and special developmental schools must hold an approved special education qualification relevant to the position.
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 (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.
VAPA Requirement
To be eligible for appointment as a principal a person must either:
- Be a substantive Principal of a registered school in Victoria; or
- Have a statement of readiness following completion of the Victorian Aspiring Principal Assessment.