Overview

Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time

Salary: Salary not specified

Grade: Assistant Principal - Range 1

Occupation: Principal and assistant principal

Location: Melbourne - Southern suburbs

Reference: 1543916

Location Profile

Pakenham Lakeside Primary School (PLPS) has a current enrolment of 670 students.

As an authentic professional learning community, which is reflected in our purpose statement:

¿The teachers and leaders in our school continuously seek and share learning, and act on this learning. The goal of their actions is to enhance their effectiveness as professionals for the students¿ benefit through the pursuit of continuous inquiry and improvement,¿

all staff focus on their practice and how they can most effectively support our students¿ growth, development and learning.

An integral component of our school¿s culture are our five core values:

- Respect
- Responsibility
- Tolerance
- Integrity
- Co-operation

From a staff perspective, these values underpin our workplace norms and create a framework around which our Staff Code of Conduct has been developed.

For our students, our values reflect the expected behaviours and attitudes which are exhibited by our children, both within our school environment and in the wider community.

Since our school commenced, staff and leadership have worked to develop a culture that nurtures teaching and learning as our core purpose. Staff who wish to be considered for employment at PLPS must possess three attributes that have helped build and sustain this supportive and energetic learning environment:

- an active participation in the leading of learning
- a preparedness to work within a culture of sharing and collaboration
- a desire to strive for continual improvement in professional effectiveness

Staff at PLPS must be able to:
- create positive relationships with students through respect, understanding, knowledge and trust
- maintain a clear focus on learning and the provision of constructive feedback that provides accurate information about progress, attainment and achievement
- implement fair and consistent classroom management practices that are underpinned by clear expectations
- undertake formative evaluation of teaching and learning programs through teacher inquiry
- participate in our collective responsibility model of teaching and ensure there is collective efficacy in our teaching teams across the school
- be receptive to the active involvement of students in decisions and choices about their own learning.

Teaching staff at PLPS embrace the above factors in their daily interactions with all students.

All teachers must be prepared to share and collaborate. This includes a commitment to contribute to all teams in which they are participants. They collaborate to implement innovative curriculum programs and to share best practice.

The alignment of curriculum, teaching and learning strategies and assessment underpins planning and preparation for all teachers. Influencing learning comes about in a collegial and supportive environment that encourages risk and innovation and which places learning at the centre of all activities.

Teachers at PLPS expect that every student has the capacity to learn ¿ they endeavour to ensure that every pupil is successful. To maximize opportunities for all students to succeed, teachers adapt their methods to the individual needs of the students, including high potential and under-achieving students.

Selection Criteria

SC1 Educational leadership

- Outstanding capacity for visionary and exemplary educational leadership of a school or college.
- Highly developed skills in leading and managing change including the leadership of others in the process of change.

SC2 Financial, managerial and administrative ability

- Outstanding financial, organisational and resource management skills.





SC3 Planning, policy and program development and review

- Exemplary values appropriate to the development of student learning with a demonstrated capacity to achieve high quality student outcomes.
- Demonstrated ability to implement Department policies to a high level.
- An understanding of, and a commitment to, the use of learning technologies to improve teaching and learning

SC4 Leadership of staff and students

- A highly developed capacity to motivate staff, develop their talents and build an effective team.
- A clear capacity to foster a learning environment that takes account of the individual needs of students and helps students to develop their special abilities and talents.

SC5 Interpersonal and communication skills

- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills in individual, small group and community contexts.
- Exemplary values pertaining to personal qualities of objectivity, sensitivity and integrity.
- An ability to work with parents and the community to develop a strong learning setting.

Role

The assistant principal reports directly to the principal.

Assistant principals have a primary responsibility for the management of significant areas or functions within the school to ensure the effective development, provision and evaluation of the school's education program. In exercising the responsibility, assistant principals will have the authority to make all significant decisions relating to the program, budget and staff relating to their area of designated responsibility within the framework of the school's strategic plan, policies and budget. Assistant principals will contribute to the overall management of the school through involvement in policy formulation and decision making.

The management of significant school program or functional areas in schools involve assistant principals in the analysis of the needs of students and the translation of state educational policy and frameworks into appropriate education programs to meet the needs of all students.

Typically assistant principals will be responsible for the effective use of the teaching staff and program budget of a defined area of the school's operation and for the oversight and leadership of the educational programs provided utilising these resources.

Responsibilities

Typically, assistant principals perform one or more of the following functions:

- supervision and coordination of the work of senior curriculum or level coordinators;
- allocation of budgets, positions of responsibility and other resources within the area of responsibility;
- supervision of the delivery of teaching programs;
- management of programs to improve the knowledge and experience of staff;
- responsibility for general discipline matters beyond the management of classroom teachers and year level coordinators;
- contribute to the overall management of the school;

Who May Apply

Teachers currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and qualified to teach and/or have demonstrated experience in the curriculum area(s) specified for 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 [email protected]

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

Conditions of Employment

- 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.
- Detailed information on all terms and conditions of employment is available on the Department's Human Resources website at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/Pages/default.aspx

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).

Details of qualification requirements as updated from time to time can be found at Recruitment in Schools.

Applications close Thursday 8 October 2026 at 11.59pm Posted 16 September 2026

📌 School Leadership (Melbourne)
🏢 Victorian Government
📍 Melbourne