Relief School Officers

Position: Relief School Officers - Assisting Student Learning
Commencing Date:  As soon as practicable
Salary Range: $35.23 - $36.08 per hour pending experience
Tenure: Term Time, Casual
Closing Date: Sunday, 17 July 2022 unless filled prior

St Francis Catholic School, Hughenden is a co-educational Catholic school located in the rural township of Hughenden. St Francis is a small and close-knit community with 41 students from Prep to Year 6. Established in October 1900 with the arrival of the Good Samaritan Sisters, St Francis School is today administered by a lay principal and staff. The school’s culture is underpinned by the heritage of the Franciscan Friars and St Francis of Assisi who said, "Where there is love and wisdom there is neither fear nor ignorance." St Francis Catholic School strives to always model St Francis and Jesus by creating a sense of belonging for everyone, a community of self-disciplined people, a place of pardon and peace and a community of service within the larger social community. The school’s badge features the Southern Cross, representing the school’s western Catholic identity, and the motto, "Walk in Light".

About the role
St Francis Catholic School, Hughenden is seeking Relief School Officers - Assisting Student Learning to commence as soon as practicable on a casual basis throughout the 2022 teaching year. Experience is desired, but not essential.

The primary purpose of the Relief School Officer - Assisting Student Learning is to contribute to the provision of a quality educational service by providing efficient and high quality support to teachers with the preparation and/or enhancement of learning materials for the efficient running of teaching at St Francis Catholic School, Hughenden. The Relief School Officer - Assisting Student Learning is assigned to work in collaboration with teachers to provide support and guidance to assist students with learning and development. The Relief School Officer - Assisting Student Learning ensures that 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
• 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, supporting the Classroom Teacher with behaviour management and the development of social skills and classroom skills development
• 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 College’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.

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.
• It is a requirement of this role that you are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Proof of vaccination will be required as a pre-commencement document. 

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.

Please see the Position Description for more information. 

Our Organisation
Townsville Catholic Education supports a diverse region extending from Townsville to the Burdekin and Whitsunday regions in the south, and north to Ingham and Halifax, south-west to Winton, and west to the border with the Northern Territory, encompassing Mount Isa and several small, isolated western towns and east to Palm Island. Townsville Catholic Education provides a supportive, flexible working environment where care for the individual is an important part of our ethos.  We employ motivated people who want to work together to produce excellent outcomes for our students. Our staff is recognised as being central to achieving our mission.  

How to apply

• Complete the application form including your two nominated professional referees (name, position title and email address)
• Upload a cover letter to support your application
• Upload a current resume
• Attach a copy of your Covid-19 Vaccination Evidence.

Applications during the shortlisting phase will be kept confidential. 

Applications close Sunday, 17 July 2022 unless filled prior.

View other vacancies here.