Project Manager - Positive Education

Heathmont College is a mutually respectful learning community that embodies “growing through knowledge” to all of the students who attend our excellent school.  

As a college, we firmly believe that an individual’s skills and relationships are a vital determinant of success in life. We balance our students’ intellectual development with their social, emotional and personal growth. A strategic approach is taken to improve our students’ resilience and their sense of self - worth. In doing so, we build their capacity and confidence to take on new and challenging experiences. 

Our teacher-student relationships are highly valued at Heathmont, allowing all students to feel engaged and connected as a community of learners. Students, parents and staff are committed to strong and constructive relationships that achieve successful outcomes for all students. 

Students feel safe, while at the same time challenged and supported by a positive school culture. 

At Heathmont College many opportunities are provided for students to be the best they can be. We are immensely proud of our strong student leadership program, passionate sporting teams, outstanding languages programs and vibrant performing arts curriculum. 

We invite you to join our community of learners at Heathmont College. We undertake to do our utmost to provide our students with the knowledge and skills they need to reach their goals. In return, we expect students to work hard, to do their best and most of all - to enjoy their educational experiences. 

Heathmont College is divided into a Senior School (Years 10-12) and a Middle School (Years 7-9) with a student management structure in place to look after the educational and wellbeing needs of all students. In addition, Learning Groups meet daily to build student connection with the Heathmont school community. 

In 2017 we proudly opened the doors to our Intensive English Language Centre and begin an accredited International Student Program.

The College offers a traditional VCE course of study with students in Year 10 being able to access a range of VCE Units 1 & 2 to enhance their study. A VCAL course of study at Intermediate and Senior levels is offered to selected students.  

Students in Years 7-9 follow a traditional course of study with the addition of our 9LiFE Program at Year 9 delivered as a whole day on a Wednesday.

Selected students in Years 7, 8 and 9 are able to access an Excel program in the areas of Literacy and Numeracy as well as a German Immersion program.

Data is used extensively by teachers to differentiate instruction and to help all students experience success in their learning. 

As a college our values are captured in the acronym RESPECT: 

Respectful Relationships 
Excellence in all we do 
Supportive Community 
Perseverance 
Enthusiasm for Learning 
Co-operation 
Trust

SC1         Demonstrated high level understanding of initiatives in student learning including the Principles of Learning and Teaching P-12 and Assessment and Reporting Advice and the capacity to provide leadership in the alignment of teaching and learning in accordance with the Victorian curriculum.

SC2         Demonstrated outstanding classroom teaching and leadership skills and capacity to implement high impact classroom teaching strategies, to  lead colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning and to enable all students to achieve their full potential.

SC3         Demonstrated outstanding ability to monitor and assess student learning data at the individual, cohort and whole school level and to use this data to inform teaching for improved student learning.

SC4         Demonstrated outstanding written and verbal communication skills and high level interpersonal skills including the ability to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with parents, other employees and the broader school community focused on student learning, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5         Demonstrated commitment and capacity to actively contribute to and to manage major curriculum or student activities and a commitment to continually improving teaching quality and capacity through the application of knowledge, stills and expertise derived from ongoing professional development and learning.

SC6       Demonstrated capacity to reflect critically upon their own professional practice and apply the knowledge, skills and expertise derived from ongoing professional learning to enable the further development of others' professional practice.

SC7      

Leading teachers will be highly skilled classroom practitioners and undertake leadership and management roles commensurate with their salary range.  The role of leading teachers is to improve the skill, knowledge and performance of the teaching workforce in a school or group of schools and to improve the curriculum program of a school.  Specifically, this role will work across the Maroondah network of schools to implement positive education within each school.

Typically, leading teachers are responsible for coordinating a number of staff to achieve improvements in teaching and learning, which may involve the coordination and professional support of colleagues through modelling, collaborating, coaching, and using processes that develop knowledge, practice and professional engagement in others.

Leading teachers are expected to lead and manage a significant area or function within the school with a high degree of independence to ensure the effective development, provision and evaluation of the school's education program.  In this case, the role is to implement positive education within each school in the network.

Leading teachers will be expected to make a significant contribution to policy development relating to teaching and learning in the school. A leading teacher has a direct impact and influence on the achievement of the school goals.  The successful applicant will be required to consider how positive education may be implemented more broadly across the Government education system and contribute to a business case that informs Government of future directions

Leading teachers are usually responsible for the implementation of one or more priorities contained in the school strategic plan.  For the purposes of this role, all participating schools will have student wellbeing as a priority.

The Project Manager of Positive Education will work closely with the Maroondah Network and identified school staff, NEVR Wellbeing team, The Institute of Positive Education, Geelong Grammar, The Centre for Positive Psychology, University of Melbourne, Maroondah City Council to develop a positive climate for schools in the Maroondah network in which all members of the school community flourish. The Project Manager for Positive Education is responsible to the initiative’s Governance Committee and reports directly to the Principal of Heathmont College.

The Project Manager will design a high-level, network focused implementation plan, designed to embed positive education within the network schools.  The Manager will also be responsible for the ongoing engagement of the existing community partners.

Specific tasks include but are not restricted to:

• Representing the Annex of the Institute of Positive Education in the school network and local community
• Identify and develop opportunities to integrate the science of Positive Psychology across all school activities including the curricular and co-curricular programs.
• Develop an implementation plan to establish the Annex of the Institute Positive Education in the City of Maroondah
• Develop a strategic plan to implement Positive Education from Foundation – Year 12 across the network
• Lead the Positive Psychology development and training of staff across the network
• Work with the University of Melbourne to ensure that measurement/evaluation of the project is undertaken in a rigorous manner
• Deliver a day of induction training to all new staff employed the Maroondah network prior to the commencement of each school year
• Establish a mentor program for the HOPE leaders throughout the Maroondah Network
• Actively promote to the Maroondah community the program through public information evenings, relevant conferences and the preparation of regular articles for publication in school newsletters and gazettes
• Encourage and actively support student-led Positive Psychology initiatives
• Seek to identify and engage guest speakers who will support the program’s aims
• Seek to identify opportunities for the Schools to participate in research into the effectiveness of Positive Education programs and lead the School’s participation in research programs.
• Prepare a report each term to the Governance committee which details the progress of the program
• Manage the Positive Education budget and provide periodic reports including an annual reconciliation.
• Host visitors from schools outside of the network who are seeking guidance around the implementation of their own Positive Education programs
• Promote the program by seeking opportunities to showcase the program at conferences and workshops
• Communicate effectively with the Governance committee with regard to all aspects of this role.

In recognition of the importance of leadership and management combined with exemplary teaching practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the leading teachers may include but are not limited to:

• Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement initiatives related to the school strategic plan and school priorities
• Leading and managing the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning and delivery
• Leading and managing the provision of professional development and developing individual and team development plans for teaching staff within the priorities of the school
   
• Leading and managing staff performance and development (review of staff)
   
• Teaching demonstration lessons
   
• Leading and managing the development of the school's assessment and reporting policies and practices
   
• Leading and managing the implementation of the school operations and policies related to student welfare and discipline
   
• Leading the development of curriculum in a major learning area and participating in curriculum development in other areas
   
• Responsibility for general discipline matters beyond the management of classroom teachers
   
• Contributing to the overall leadership and management of the school
   
• Contributing to the development of proposals for school council consideration

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.

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

- 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

• 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.