Instructional Leaders

Westgrove PS. is situated in the fast growing outer suburb of Werribee.  The school opened in January 1995 with an enrolment of 233 and for 2018 has an enrolment of approximately 750 students. 

The school is designed around three attractive courtyards with substantial landscaping.  We have superb facilities with a gymnasium, performing arts rooms, art rooms and a well-stocked automated library.  Westgrove operates a Joint Use indoor pool on the school grounds in partnership with Paul Sadler Swimland. The swimming program is offered to all students every year. ICT is well resourced at Westgrove.  The Years 3 -6 students participate in the BYOD iPad program.  Staff are hard-working, open to new ideas and extremely responsive to the needs of all children.   They make a commitment to ongoing professional learning.

We have a mixed community with no dominant ethnic race. Our numbers of students from non-English speaking backgrounds has increased steadily.  We have a comprehensive EAL program operating.  There are a growing number of students from an indigenous background.

We strive to create a learning environment where children feel safe and secure, with opportunities for success provided for all children.  Schoolwide Positive Behaviour forms the basis of our engagement policy (be safe, be respectful, be a learner).

A feature of the school is the working and planning of teachers in professional learning teams.  Instructional Leaders at each PLT level provide coaching and support to teachers.  The school operates support programs to address specific learning needs.  These additional programs have included, Getting Ready in Numeracy, EAL and Levelled Literacy as well as specific classroom support to scaffold classroom instruction. We are committed to providing an authentic, rigorous, engaging, and differentiated program for all students.

Specialist programs in Visual Arts, Library, Physical Education and Performing Arts  are offered for various levels throughout the school.  Students also have the option of participating in fee paying instrumental lessons within school time but outside of core learning time.

The school is currently in its fourth year of a Strategic Plan.  Our goals are to:

1. Improve the learning growth in literacy and numeracy for each student

2. Improve the student engagement in their learning

3. Build the connectedness across the school between students, staff, families and the community.

4. Maximise the school resources to ensure the achievement of the strategic plan priorities.

The support from the parents and carers is strong, especially in the classrooms.  The Westgrove Community Association (Helping Hands) has a loyal band of volunteer workers who fundraise for the community. The School council is a very supportive and active group. We are grateful for their support.

SC1         Demonstrated high level understanding of initiatives in student learning for improved student outcomes and engagement 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 manage whole school curriculum or initiatives to continually improve teaching quality and capacity. 

SC6        Demonstrated commitment and capacity to lead the development and implementation of high quality transdisciplinary inquiry units for improved student engagment and authentic learning.

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.

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 and 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.

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.

Leading teachers are usually responsible for the implementation of one or more priorities contained in the school strategic plan.

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;

- Developing and managing the school code of conduct.

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.