Principal-Range 4

Victorian Government; Shire of East Gippsland; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Victorian Government is seeking a Principal to lead the Gippsland – Wellington school community. This executive role involves planning, delivering and evaluating a high-quality education program across staff and resources provided by the Department and school council.

The principal will also support the school council with informed advice, ensure implementation of decisions and provide necessary support and resources for governance and community engagement.

Qualifications

• Vision and values: ability to set and communicate school goals.
• Teaching and Learning: focus on improving teaching quality and student outcomes.
• Management: allocate resources efficiently across human, physical and financial assets.
• Development: build professional learning communities for ongoing improvement.
• Engagement: foster positive relationships with students, families and the community.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage planning, delivery, evaluation and improvement of education for all students.
• Act as executive officer to school council and provide counsel on educational matters.
• Establish and manage financial systems in line with Department and council.
• Represent the Department in the school and community and implement council decisions.
• Contribute to system-wide policy, planning and development.
• Coordinate resources and involve staff, students and community in policies and programs.
• Report achievements to Department, school community, parents and students.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Job description

Occupation: Principal and assistant principal

Location: Gippsland - Wellington

Reference: 1548888

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

(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 clear 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 [e-mail]

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:

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:

• 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.

In addition to the registration requirements set out above, principal and teacher class employees in special settings and visiting teachers are required to have completed an approved year of study in an appropriate special education discipline for ongoing employment in special settings or as a visiting teacher.
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/recruitment-schools/policy-and-guidelines/qualifications

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).

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.

Location Profile

Our school values are Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Responsible. These values were developed with input from staff, students, and families before moving to the new site and continue to be relevant to our current student cohort.

The school is a specialist school with a full-time Assistant Principal, 22 teaching staff and 35 Education Support staff. The school caters for the needs of students aged from 4 years 8 months to 18 years who have a diagnosed intellectual disability. Many of our students also have a diagnosis of Autism and a number have additional physical needs.

Students may be enrolled full-time or dually enrolled with a mainstream school. Students travel from within the Wellington Shire and there is some access to transport provided by the Department of Education. Our current student population is 108, which has grown over the last few years. The schools current SFOE is 0.49.

Dedicated teachers provide excellent learning opportunities for all students through quality programs based on outstanding teaching and learning practices. The school follows the Victorian Curriculum, making full use of the Towards Foundation Curriculum. We also offer the Victorian Pathways Certificate to our senior students in Years 10-12. Our classroom staff are a committed team, working to ensure each student has the opportunity to succeed in all areas of their school life.

The school has an open-door policy and welcomes parents and volunteers into the school.Our small team of dedicated parents work hard to ensure every student who attends the school has the same opportunities as those who attend larger mainstream schools.With committed staff and small class groupings, we are able to offer students a wide variety of enrichment programs.

Individual Education Plans are developed in consultation with parents/carers and allied health professionals. Plans are designed and implemented to meet the needs of and challenge individual students, while building on their abilities. Programs are developed in conjunction with the allied health staff and implemented by all school staff.

Communication programs aim to further develop the functional communication, language and literacy skills of all students. Assisted Augmentative Communication techniques and tools are utilised to give non-verbal students the opportunity to make choices, make their wants and needs known, and communicate with others.

Sale & District Specialist School also hosts the network's Outreach Inclusion Coach, who services other schools within the network.

Applications close Thursday 29 October 2026 at 11.59pm