Secondary Classroom Teacher

Role

The classroom teacher classification comprises two salary ranges- range 1 and range 2. The primary focus of the classroom teacher is on the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. The classroom teacher engages in critical reflection and inquiry in order to improve knowledge and skills to effectively engage students and improve their learning. 

As the classroom teacher gains experience his or her contribution to the school program beyond the classroom increases. All classroom teachers may be required to undertake other duties in addition to their rostered teaching duties provided the responsibility is appropriate to the salary range, qualifications, training and experience of the teacher.

Classroom teacher Range 2
Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities.

A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.

Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:
- Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students
- Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity
- Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
- Supervise and train one or more student teachers
- Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.

Classroom teacher Range 1
The primary focus of the range 1 classroom teacher is on further developing skills and competencies to become an effective classroom practitioner with structured support and guidance from teachers at higher levels and the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. These teachers teach a range of students/classes and are accountable for the effective delivery of their programs. Range 1 classroom teachers are skilled teachers who operate under general direction within clear guidelines following established work practices and documented priorities and may have responsibility for the supervision and training of one or more student teachers.

At range 1, teachers participate in the development of school policies and programs and assist in the implementation of school priorities. 
The focus of a range 1 classroom teacher is on classroom management, subject content and teaching practice. New entrants to the teaching profession in their initial teaching years receive structured support, mentoring and guidance from teachers at higher levels.

Under guidance, new entrants to the teaching profession will plan and teach student groups in one or more subjects and are expected to participate in induction programs and other professional learning activities that are designed to ensure the integration of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy across the school.

Teachers at range 1 are responsible for teaching their own classes and may also assist and participate in policy development, project teams and the organisation of co-curricula activities.

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.

EEO AND OHS Commitment

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.

The Department of Education is committed to the principles of equal opportunity, and diversity and inclusion for all. We value diversity and inclusion in all forms - gender, religion, ethnicity, LGBTIQ+, 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 family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces. It is our policy to provide reasonable adjustments for persons with a disability (see ).

Additional support and advice on the recruitment process is available to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders from the Koorie Outcomes Division (KOD) via

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:

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

VIT LANTITE

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal or teacher class a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching. In addition, from 3 August 2020, to be eligible for employment in the principal class or teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must 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 Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person.

Location Profile

Altona College is a Prep to Year 12 school situated in the local government area of Hobsons Bay, located approximately 15km west of the Melbourne CBD. Altona consists of a mixture of low-density housing to the south of the suburb, with mixed industry in the north. Altona is well resourced with recreational facilities, strong transport links and a strong hospitality culture. A key attraction to the area is Altona Beach and its refurbished pier located at one of only two swimming beaches in the western suburbs (the other being Williamstown Beach).

In 2023, enrolments continued to increase, but were managed carefully in compliance with a compulsory Enrolment Management Plan. This year we have a total of 704 enrolments across Prep-12. Despite having a relatively small school zone and proximity to larger established secondary schools, Altona College has continued to receive significant interest for enrolment. The primary school is one of four located within the suburbs of Altona and Seaholme and as such enrolments are greater in the secondary than primary years. Having recently completed two stages of Capital Works, community confidence continues to grow in our capacity to deliver a breadth of well-resourced programs. The Altona Early Years Hub is co-located onsite ensuring a smooth transition for students attending Kindergarten programs at that venue.

Primary students access specialist programs in Music, Physical Education, Mandarin and Art. The learning areas of Science, Humanities (History, Geography, Economics, Civics and Citizenship), Health, Design and Technology are taught through an inquiry approach. Further, primary students have access to secondary school resources and facilities, particularly in STEM and the arts.

Secondary students access the full breadth of the Victorian Curriculum in specialist classes across years 7-9 before transitioning into a personalised program based on extensive careers education. The college also delivered a high ability class in Years 7 to 9 with places filled by students within the designated enrolment zone. The College has successfully implemented the new Victorian Certificate of Education including the Vocational Major. Additional resources including VETiS (Vocational Education and Training in Schools) and HeadStart have supported students to access vocational pathways where the traditional ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank) based pathway does not meet their needs. Beyond the classroom, secondary students participate in programs such as Wyn-speak and network debating competitions where the college achievements are celebrated. Strong performances in sports (particularly Volleyball) are a positive reward for the growing levels of engagement, commitment and pride that characterise Altona College students and staff.

The over-arching goal of our 2021-2024 Strategic Plan is to ensure the growth of every student across the school. In line with the 2023 Annual Implementation Plan, the clear focus for 2023 was to strengthen learning outcomes in reading and numeracy across the school.

Both learning and wellbeing outcomes are strong and improving in most areas. NAPLAN data continues to show positive trends particularly in years 5 and 9, noting that smaller primary cohorts do contribute to volatility in the year-to-year data. Despite this, additional tutoring and support resources were deployed in 2023 to support students with lower than expected performance and should result in improvement moving forward. Numeracy was an area of improvement in 2023 and continues to be a focus for ongoing, long-term improvement.

Student survey data suggests our students regularly experience a culture of high expectations in safe, orderly classrooms where teachers actively advocate and differentiate for their needs.

Our college is committed to child safe practices.

We are seeking dedicated and innovative staff to share and develop our vision within our unique community.

Nathan Guthridge

Principal

---