Student Engagement Responder

Department of Education Victoria; Neerim South; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Education Victoria – Neerim South VIC is hiring for a fulltime leadership role within Neerim District Secondary College. The position supports student engagement, wellbeing, and school operations, working with families and staff to implement the school’s inclusive vision.

Role includes leading teams, coordinating duties, and providing advice to management while ensuring alignment with established guidelines and professional learning expectations.

Qualifications

• SC1: Demonstrated capacity to perform duties consistent with established guidelines and frameworks.
• SC2: Demonstrated capacity to work and collaborate with others in a team environment.
• SC3: Demonstrated capacity to communicate effectively in a team environment, including high level oral and written communication skills.
• SC4: Possess the technical knowledge and expertise relevant to the position.
• SC5: Demonstrated capacity to provide advice and support to management and other school staff.
• SC6: A commitment to professional learning and growth for both self and others.

Responsibilities

• Treat all students with fairness, equity, and empathy.
• Work collaboratively with the year level leaders to complete daily follow up, meet team responsibilities, and maintain respectful professional relationships.
• Organise meetings and prepare relevant documentation as requested.
• Lead the triage and re-engagement process for students exiting class, ensuring timely assessment, targeted support, and effective reintegration into learning.
• Refer students identified as at risk to the Student Wellbeing Team when required.
• Communicate and collaborate with Student Engagement team, the Wellbeing Team, administration staff and the Inclusion Team.
• Keep clear and accurate records relating to student management and wellbeing matters
• Promote parent and community engagement within the school
• Monitor student attendance and apply strategies that promote engagement and re-engagement in learning.
• Build and maintain a positive and consistent culture within the Student Engagement Team.
• Foster collaboration, peer support, and positive relationships among both staff and students.
• Other duties as required by the Student Engagement Leading Teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal.

Skills

Team collaboration

Communication

Advisory support

Leadership

Professional learning

Job description

Department of Education Victoria – Neerim South VIC

Neerim District Secondary College is a vibrant small rural secondary school of approximately 240 students, located in the picturesque township of Neerim South at the foothills of the Baw Baw Ranges. Set on spacious, well-maintained grounds, the school offers staff and students an attractive, settled, and inclusive learning environment that supports both professional fulfilment and personal wellbeing.

Our vision is to empower every student to become the best version of themselves. Central to this vision is a strong sense of community, where relationships are valued and individuals feel known, supported, and respected. Staff at Neerim District Secondary College work collaboratively as a cohesive and highly supportive team, partnering closely with families to help students achieve their academic, personal, and future goals.

Our shared values, developed in partnership with students, staff, and the wider community, guide everything we do:

• Community - We foster a strong sense of belonging and warmly welcome all members of our school community.


• Respect - We demonstrate care and consideration for the rights, feelings, and perspectives of others.


• Perseverance - We encourage resilience and determination, celebrating effort and growth in the face of challenges.


• Leadership - We actively promote leadership opportunities and leadership behaviours for students at all levels.

The school offers a strong and engaging Years 7-10 curriculum aligned with the Victorian Curriculum, complemented by a diverse range of performing arts, visual arts, and design technology programs. In Year 9, students participate in an innovative applied learning, inquiry-based program for one day per week, designed to develop interpersonal skills, problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, and real-world learning capabilities.

Students in Years 10-12 benefit from a broad range of VCE subjects delivered through a combination of on-site, face-to-face teaching and blended learning approaches. The school also offers a well-established VCE Vocational Major (VM) program in Years 11-12, with students supported to complete VET Certificates through external providers and engage in Structured Workplace Learning one day per week.

Student wellbeing and inclusion are central to our work. Through dedicated and passionate Student Wellbeing and Student Inclusion Teams, the school provides targeted and meaningful interventions to ensure all students individual learning and wellbeing needs are met.

Neerim District Secondary College enjoys strong and ongoing support from the Neerim South community, with students regularly involved in volunteering and contributing to local events. With increasing enrolments, supportive families, and a motivated, forward-thinking staff team, Neerim District Secondary College is a destination school and an excellent place to build a rewarding and impactful career.

Selection Criteria

SC1: Demonstrated capacity to perform duties consistent with established guidelines and frameworks, including coordinating and supporting others in respect to specific work functions relevant to the role.

SC2: Demonstrated capacity to work and collaborate with others in a team environment.

SC3: Demonstrated capacity to communicate effectively in a team environment, including high level oral and written communication skills.

SC4: Possess the technical knowledge and expertise relevant to the position.

SC5: Demonstrated capacity to provide advice and support to management and other school staff in respect to the work area.

SC6 A commitment to professional learning and growth for both self and others.

Role

This position is fulltime 7.6 hours per day.

Range 3 is distinguished by the introduction of management responsibility and accountability for the delivery of professional support services. The role will usually impact beyond the work area or professional field. It seeks to gain cooperation of other staff members or members of the school community to achieve specific objectives, such as in school administration, operations or educational programs.

Direction on targets and goals is provided but the position will have some degree of latitude in determining how they are achieved. This latitude will generally be limited by standard procedures and school policy. Deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.

The provision of business management responsibilities becomes a feature at range 3. Management of staff to achieve the expected outcomes is a key responsibility. Staff management issues will be resolved with minimal reference to senior management, although guidance will be required in more complex cases. Senior management will be provided with timely reports and advice, although this will generally be confined to matters relating to the immediate work area, service provision or educational program and is unlikely to impact substantially on whole of school operations.

This is the minimum range for positions that carry a mandatory qualification requirement of not less than four years. Professional student support positions become a feature at range 3 (e.g. therapists, psychologists) where standard professional services are delivered. Professional support and guidance will be close at hand and deviation from standard procedures and school policy will require guidance and direction from senior management.

An education support class 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.

Responsibilities

• Treat all students with fairness, equity, and empathy.


• Work collaboratively with the year level leaders to complete daily follow up, meet team responsibilities, and maintain respectful professional relationships.


• Organise meetings and prepare relevant documentation as requested.


• Lead the triage and re-engagement process for students exiting class, ensuring timely assessment, targeted support, and effective reintegration into learning.


• Refer students identified as at risk to the Student Wellbeing Team when required.


• Communicate and collaborate with Student Engagement team, the Wellbeing Team, administration staff and the Inclusion Team.


• Keep clear and accurate records relating to student management and wellbeing matters


• Promote parent and community engagement within the school


• Monitor student attendance and apply strategies that promote engagement and re-engagement in learning.


• Build and maintain a positive and consistent culture within the Student Engagement Team.


• Foster collaboration, peer support, and positive relationships among both staff and students.


• Other duties as required by the Student Engagement Leading Teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal.

Who May Apply

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

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*******@education.vic.gov.au

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:

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/child-safe-standards/policy

DE Values

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:

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/values-department-vps-school-employees/overview

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