Teacher Assistant - Challenging Behaviours

Marnebek School Cranbourne is a school established in a major growth area of outer South Eastern Melbourne within the City of Casey.  Marnebek School Cranbourne provides educational programs for students between the ages of five and eighteen with mild, moderate and profound intellectual disabilities associated with physical, social, emotional behavioural, sensory and multiple disabilities.

Marnebek School’s staffing includes 3 Principal Class, 42 teachers and 39 Educational Support Staff. To support students’ development, the clinical services coordinator overseas the allied health team that include  3 Occupational Therapists,  3 Speech Therapists, Social Worker, Psychologist, and a Division 1 Nurse. 

Our mission at Marnebek School is to provide a supportive learning community where everyone is encouraged to be responsible, safe, respectful and resilient. We enable students to become active in their learning by participating in engaging programs that prepare them for the future.

Our school has implemented the School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) initiative. SWPBS is used to support and manage student behaviour and interactions across the school surrounding the values of Respect, Resilience and Responsibility.

Victorian Curriculum is the foundation of student learning, with students working across varied levels of the curriculum. Marnebek School also adopts a whole school inquiry based learning approach where students rotate through a 6 year cycle that focus on an integration of learning domains such as Science, History, The Arts, Technologies along with Personal and Social capabilities. All students at Marnebek have Individual Learning Plans established that focus on developing skills across all areas of learning. 

Marnebek is a multi - campus setting with the main campus implementing programs for Prep, Junior and Middle school students. In 2013 Marnebek opened a second campus in the Hunt Club Estate, Cranbourne East, this campus operates as our senior campus for year 10,11 and 12 students.

Our Senior School provides VCAL Curriculum and the SPEC program that focus on work related skills and transition/pathways for exiting students.  Pathways programs include; Hands on Learning, Work Experience, School Based Apprentice Training and Employment with a Certificate 2 in Parks & Gardens, as well as a Certificate 2 in Warehousing & Logistics. There is also a specifically designed fitness and exercise studio where students learn skills to build healthy and active lifestyles.  A partnership between Marnebek School and Waverley Industries provides a work skills transition program for our senior students at Waverley Industries Hallam.

SC1    Capacity to undertake routine support tasks across a range of functions in one or more work areas within a school environment.

SC2    Capacity to communicate  and work effectively with members of the school community including students and the capacity to provide support and/or attendant care to students where necessary.

SC3    An ability to successfuly work with challangeing behaviour students in one or more work areas within a school environment.

SC4    An ability, skill and determination to work as a contributing member of an educational team to ensure the delivery of a high quality programs.

SC5    A commitment to professional learning and growth.

Undertake routine tasks that are usually carried out under close supervision and direction.  The level of supervision will vary depending on whether there is a high variety of tasks and where priorities may change (e.g. administrative support, assisting teachers in the classroom and other educational activities, such as providing attendant care and assistance to students, general support roles, assisting in out of school care programs).  Positions that work on a more independent basis will generally perform a limited number of tasks on a regular basis where priorities are clear, procedures are well established and direction is readily available.

 Work has little scope for deviation.  Tasks may involve a wide range of duties of a routine nature. Problems can usually be solved by reference to well documented procedures and instructions and clearly established practices.  Assistance is readily available when problems arise.  An experienced officer at this level will exercise limited judgement within clearly defined guidelines and well established practices that relate specifically to the tasks performed.

 Does not carry responsibility for the work of others.  More experienced employees will provide guidance and advice to others relative to the required tasks within the work area.

 An Education Support position supports the educational services being provided to students, but must not include duties of teaching as defined in clause 2.6.1 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) or its successor.  Supervision of students cannot be required except where it is an integral part of the employee's position or involves supervision of students individually or in small groups, in controlled circumstances, where the responsibility for students remains clearly with a teacher.

 Qualification requirements do not operate at this level.  Certification requirements may be required to legally perform specific tasks - e.g. driver's licence, first aid, safe food handling.

Classroom support.

The Teacher Assistant will contribute to the effectiveness of the learning program by supporting the teacher with the day to day operation of the classroom. The Teacher Assistant may assist individual students or a small group of students, when assisting with the implementation of the educational program.

- Preparation of teaching aids and the setting up of class activities prior to session.

- Clearing away of class activities and general cleaning at the end of each session.

- Assist the teacher with the unpacking of bags and settling of students as they arrive from the buses and in the afternoon assist with the packing and farewelling of students on their departure.

- Assist teachers with the settling in of new students.

- Where appropriate, provide advice in relation to a child's progress and education.

- Organisation of classroom displays.

- Filing of work in pupil folders.

- Minor clerical or typing duties on an ad hoc basis, such as compiling students records.

- Recording, storage and maintenance, retrieval and distribution of classroom material.

- Assist students on an individual or group basis in specific learning areas. Assist in the communication between students and teachers, particularly in coactive implementation of instructions.

- Assist with the tidying up of the classroom and kitchen where appropriate at the end of each day and ensuring classroom laundry duties are attended to.

Attendant Care:

- Assistance with toileting, dressing, showering , personal hygiene.

- Assistance with feeding meals to students.

- Assistance with lifting and transfer where necessary to classrooms, playground, toilet, car/bus, recreation areas, therapy areas, etc.

- Assistance during paramedical and physical education sessions.

- Assistance during hydrotherapy and swimming programs. All assistants are expected to participate in the water during swimming sessions.

- Assist with the administration of medication as per medical management plans, under the supervision of the classroom teacher.

General Duties

- Assistance with the supervision of students in playgrounds , recess and lunch time duties. Camps, excursions and sporting activities.

- Participation in team meetings.

- Participation in the monitoring and evaluation of programs.

- Participation in the monitoring and evaluation of individual student's involvement and achievement.

- Driving the school vehicles, subject to the employee's agreement.

- Assisting with the loading and unloading of students off the school bus.

- Carrying out student programs and other tasks as requested by the classroom teacher or Principal.

- Attendance at designated staff meetings and sub school meetings.

- Conduct a program for a small group of students under the supervision of the classroom teacher

-    Complete rostered shared staffroom responsibilities.-    Assist with the care and operation of equipment and prepare class sets for use.-    Assist users with school equipment such as photocopier.-    Assist in the preparation of displays and exhibitions.-    Minor cleaning and maintenance of equipment.-    Ensure storage areas are in a clean, safe and orderly condition.-    Assist with liaison and communication betrween parents, teachers, other staff and members of the wider school community.

Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of the position.

The Department values diversity and is committed to workforce diversity and equal opportunity in schools and all education workplaces. 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.

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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/protect/Pages/childsafestandards.aspx

This vacancy is specifically linked to Student Support Funding and is ongoing. If the funding reduces or ceases during the first seven years of employment, employment may cease subject to the provision of at least 12 weeks’ notice.