School Officer

Position: School Officer - Assisting Student Learning
Salary Range: $30.62-$31.29 per hour pending experience
Tenure: Term Time, Permanent
Commencing Date: As soon as practicable
Closing Date: Monday, 6 May 2024 unless filled prior

Holy Spirit Catholic School, Cranbrook is a place where children learn and find strength - the Spirit. As a Catholic co-educational primary school located in Cranbrook, Holy Spirit has an enrolment of 640 students from Prep-Year 6. The dedicated staff continuously strive for educational excellence based in the Catholic tradition, underpinned by the school’s motto is 'Strength in the Spirit'.

About the role

Holy Spirit Catholic School, Cranbrook is seeking a dedicated School Officer - Assisting Student Learning (ASL) to commence as soon as practicable. This role is a term time, permanent position working 20 hours per week.

The primary purpose of the School Officer - Assisting Student Learning is to contribute to the provision of a quality educational service by collaborating with teachers and student support services to provide support and guidance which assists students in their learning and development. The School Officer - Assisting Student Learning provides efficient and high-quality support to teachers with the preparation and/or enhancement of learning materials for learning and teaching and ensure all duties are completed to an acceptable standing as determined by the classroom teacher, student support services and Principal.

Key Accountabilities

Assist the student’s learning and participation in the school

• Assist teachers in preparing, implementing and supervising learning programs in the classroom
• Be aware of the Classroom Teacher’s expectations of the students in the class and work with the teacher, actively participating in activities, intervening and encouraging students where appropriate 
• Assist individuals or small groups, with activities as part of inclusive teaching and learning practices, supporting the teacher with behaviour management and the development of social skills and classroom skills development 
• Assist students with their personal organisation when required 
• Respond to all students in the classroom in a warm and encouraging manner and build collaborative relationships with the students and respond to individual learning needs 
• Participate in meetings, both internal and external as required

Learning and Teaching 

• Provide support to teachers in the classroom
• Assist the teaching team with classroom resources
• Work in partnership with teachers to support student learning which may include:
  • General support to a group of students while the teacher is engaged in focused teaching
  • Provision of personalised support e.g. mobility or communication support, where required
  • Assisting students to complete tasks designed by the teacher
  • Preparation of support materials and resources
• Support identified students with learning barriers, to engage in a range of learning activities 
• Collect data for analysis by the teacher - anecdotal notes on performance of task, work habits, behaviour etc., provided to the teacher.

Inclusive Education

• Assist individuals or small groups with activities as part of inclusive teaching and learning practices
• Provide support to the Classroom Teacher with behaviour management and development of social and classroom skills of students
• Assist students with their personal organisation when required.

Small Group and Personalised Support

• Communicate with teachers about student progress and areas of need
• Inform the Principal on any welfare issues that may arise with students
• Develop professional relationships with students based on trust and respect, which utilises a strengths based approach
• Provide general formative feedback to student on performance during the teaching session
• Role model behaviour in line with the school’s mission
• Work in partnership with teachers to implement aspects of learning plans, as identified by the teacher, for groups of students including:
• Work with the student, under the direction of a teacher, to support the implementation of particular learning goals as identified in the Student’s Learning Plan.

Pastoral Care

• Proactively monitor and support student wellbeing issues under the guidance of the pastoral care team
• Work to promote self-esteem and assist with student social interactions by teaching them social skills and discussing with them their social behaviours as required
• Provide assistance with personal care as required which may also include mobility and personal hygiene
• Provide assistance with communication – including notetaking, taping material and using ICT to optimise the student’s learning experiences.

Professional Development

• Support collegiate learning by sharing learnings with colleagues
• Proactively seek opportunities to extend own professional learning via internal and external training.

To join this vibrant school community, you'll need

• The ability to organise and prioritise a range of tasks and set priorities to meet deadlines in a busy environment.
• Demonstrated competence and confidence in using a personal computer and relevant software packages e.g. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.
• Demonstrated experience working with students with disabilities and/or special needs is desirable.

Mandatory Criteria

• Current Working with Children Suitability Card - The successful candidate will require a paid Blue Card before commencement as per the No Card, No Start policy developed by Queensland Government.
• Current Driver’s Licence
• Ability to travel from time to time within the Catholic Diocese of Townsville
• Ability to perform the physical requirements of the role in a safe manner.

Desirable Criteria

• Cert III in Education Support or a commitment towards completing this qualification
• First Aid qualification or a willingness to complete.

Some employees may be subject to pre-employment medical assessments during the selection process. Depending on the nature of the position, it may be necessary for successful applicants to be immunised against certain preventable diseases in order to minimise the risk of transmission.

For more information, please refer to the Position Description

What we offer

• Competitive hourly rate
• Annual Leave at 17.5% leave loading
• Salary packaging options 
• Modern facilities, equipment and resources
• Access to long service leave after 7 years of continuous service
• Up to 14 Weeks’ paid parental leave
• Deferred Salary Scheme
• Corporate health insurance 
• Induction, professional development and learning opportunities
• Wellbeing programs and initiatives

How to apply

• Upload a current resume
• Upload a cover letter addressing the skills, attributes and experience to support the key accountabilities of the role identified in the position description
• Complete the application form including your two nominated professional referees (name, position title and email address)

Applications during the shortlisting phase will be kept confidential. 

Applications close 3.00pm Monday, 6 May 2024 unless filled prior.

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