School Psychologist – Forbes Public School

NSW Department of Education; Bathurst; On-site; AUD 104,000 - 166,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Leave entitlements

Travel allowances

Fitness Passport program (health &well

Indemnity insurance coverage

Job summary

Forbes Public School in New South Wales is seeking a qualified school psychologist to provide counselling and psychological assessment to students, collaborating with teachers and families to support learning and wellbeing. You will join a collegial, multidisciplinary team, receive supervision, and work across multiple classrooms while contributing to inclusive practice.

The role offers professional development and opportunities to support student health and learning outcomes.

Qualifications

• General or Provisional Psychology Registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
• Valid Working with Children Check (NSW)
• Current and valid driver’s licence with ability to travel between work sites.
• Australian citizenship or permanent residency encouraged for permanent, full-time or part-time roles.

Responsibilities

• Provides counselling and psychological services to students, individually and in groups.
• Administers cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural assessments and reports results.
• Works with principal, staff and student support services to improve learning and wellbeing outcomes.
• Collaborates with families, carers and other agencies to develop school-based support.
• Responds to serious incidents as part of a team effort to support schools.
• Refers students and families to appropriate external services when needed.
• Supports Wellbeing and Inclusion initiatives across mainstream and support settings.

Skills

Counselling

Psychological assessment

Collaboration

Teamwork

Education

General or Provisional Psychology Registration

Job description

About the Role Full Time: 1.0 FTE (Full time equivalent) Location: Forbes Public School School psychologists are an essential part of the Department’s school counselling service and work in primary and high schools. They provide counselling and psychological assessment of students, to complement and enhance the work of teachers to strengthen student learning and wellbeing outcomes, and help families understand and manage their children’s learning and mental health needs. This is a truly collegiate role offering unique challenges and opportunities – both in your professional development and your ability to make an impact on the lives of children and young people.

School psychologists receive individual professional supervision with the Senior Psychologist Education and participate in group and peer supervision as a member of the broader school counselling team.

You will most likely be collaborating with a number of school communities and colleagues, as well as outside agencies, with the opportunity to use and expand the full range of your skills and expertise as part of a supportive, multidisciplinary team.

School psychologists are provided with opportunities to participate in continuing professional development and the NSW Department of Education will support you to complete or maintain your registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.

Other benefits include access to a range of leave types, including recreation leave and flex leave, as well as leave loading, travel allowances and health and wellbeing benefits such as our Fitness Passport program.

The department will also cover your indemnity insurance as a psychologist while working in our schools.

Find out more about working as a school psychologist on the school counselling service pages of the NSW Department of Education website.

Forbes Public School is situated on the Lachlan River, on the land of the Wiradjuri people, within the heart of the Forbes community.

The school has an enrolment of 360 students, 30% of whom identify as having an Aboriginal heritage.

We value diversity and provide quality learning across 14 mainland classes and 5 special education classes that support students with moderate and/or severe intellectual disabilities (IO/IS), autism (AU), mild intellectual disability (IM) and emotional disability (ED).

Our school counsellor plays a vital role in supporting the wellbeing, social, emotional and learning needs of students across both mainstream and support settings. This includes providing counselling, assessment and guidance, collaborating with teachers to enhance classroom practice, and building strong partnerships with families.

In line with our Positive Behaviour for Learning culture and Stronger Smarter approach, the school counsellor plays a vital role in fostering a safe, caring, and high-expectations environment where every student is supported to thrive.

As part of the wider NSW Department of Education team, the counsellor also connects families with additional services when needed, with sensitivity to the community’s history of drought and flood impacts that continue to be felt.

School website Forbes Public School.

Key Accountabilities

• Provides counselling and psychological services to students, individually and in groups, including appropriate short term therapeutic interventions undertaken within the constraints of their training, experience and supervision
• Engages with and implements the procedures of the Professional Practice Framework for the NSW School Counselling Service
• Works in consultation with the principal, school executive, staff and student support services to improve student learning and wellbeing outcomes and implement current departmental priorities
• Contributes to the social, emotional, and academic development of students, and supports schools and students with complex behavioural needs
• Administers cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural assessment of students, reports on the results of assessments and interventions and collaborates to improve learning, wellbeing and mental health outcomes
• Works collaboratively with learning and support teams, parents and carers, and other agencies, to develop appropriate school based support for students
• Responds as part of a team to assist schools experiencing serious incidents
• Refers students and/or their families and carers to other agencies that will support the development of student health and wellbeing outcome

Essential Requirements

• Knowledge of and commitment to the Department’s Aboriginal Education Policy , Partnership Agreement with the NSW AECG Inc. and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Strategy
• General or Provisional Psychology Registration with the Psychology Board of Australia
• Valid and current Working with Children Check clearance – WWCC must be NSW
• Current and valid driver’s licence and ability and willingness to travel between work sites. Must have a valid unrestricted provisional or full driver’s licence with the ability to drive oneself.
• Australian citizenship or permanent residency Applicants seeking either permanent full time or permanent part time employment are encouraged to apply for this position. If the recommended applicant is seeking permanent part time employment (FTE from 0.1 to 0.9 inclusive), they will be offered an appointment at their desired FTE.

Total Remuneration Package

Package valued up to $187,933 + incentives (where applicable). Base salary ranges from $104,156 - $165,812* plus leave loading and employer's contribution to superannuation. Base salary rates above the minimum are available dependent on professional experience. *Note there is no automatic progression to the $165,812 SPAC salary level. Access to SPAC is available once a school psychologist has progressed through all salary steps and upon successful application for Advanced Certification level against the NSW School Counselling Service Professional Practice Framework.

About the NSW Department of Education

The Department of Education is the largest provider of public education in Australia with responsibility for delivering high-quality public education to two-thirds of the NSW student population. We welcome applications from all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, neurodiverse people and people with disability. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better help you shine, please contact the hiring manager using the contact details provided above. For more information, visit NSW Department of Education’s Diversity, equity and inclusion webpage .

Documents Role Description Aboriginal Education Policy

As this is a child-related position, you will also be required to obtain a NSW Working with Children Check (WWCC) Clearance number as a condition of employment (if you do not already have this). For more information, please visit the Office of the Children’s Guardian .

In addition, your employment may be subject to the Department’s National Criminal Records Check to determine your suitability for employment.

Note: The selection process will include a range of assessment techniques to assist in determining your suitability for the role.