Overview

Work Type: Ongoing - Full-time

Salary: Salary not specified

Grade: Assistant Principal - Range 1

Occupation: Principal and assistant principal

Location: Melbourne - Western suburbs

Reference: 1540433

Selection Criteria

SC1 Educational Leadership a. Outstanding capacity for visionary and exemplary educational leadership of a school.

b. Highly developed skills in leading and managing change including the leadership of others in the process of change.

SC2 Financial, managerial and administrative ability a. Outstanding financial, organisational and resource management skills.

SC3 Planning, policy and program development and review a. Exemplary values appropriate to the development of student learning with a demonstrated capacity to achieve high quality student outcomes.

b. Demonstrated ability to implement Department policies to a high level.

c. An understanding of, and a commitment to, the use of learning technologies to improve teaching and learning.

SC4 Leadership of staff and students a. A highly developed capacity to motivate staff, develop their talents and build an effective team.

b. 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 a. Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills in individual, small group and community contexts.

b. Exemplary values pertaining to personal qualities of objectivity, sensitivity and integrity.

c. An ability to work with parents and the community to develop a strong learning environment.

SC6 School Specific a. Demonstrated experience leading and improving teaching and learning through coaching and data informed approaches.

b. A clear passion for active involvement at the school community level that connects stakeholders and creates an environment in which students thrive.

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

Appropriately qualified individuals currently registered or eligible for registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

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

Other Information

- 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

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.

Location Profile

Our School Sunshine Heights Primary School is a passionate, vibrant and multicultural P¿6 school community in Sunshine West, in Melbourne¿s west. We are a community of approximately 360 amazing students, representing more than 40 different cultural backgrounds, and we see this diversity as one of our greatest strengths.

Our staff comprises approximately 41 equivalent full-time staff, including three Principal Class leaders, 25 teachers, 11 Education Support staff and two Allied Health professionals. We are part of the Deer Park/Sunshine Network.

At Sunshine Heights, we believe that relationships are the foundation for everything. We invest time in knowing and understanding our students and families and in fostering a genuine sense of identity, belonging and partnership. We are committed to building a community in which everyone can know, show and grow themselves openly and without judgement.

Our diversity is something we actively celebrate. Our annual Harmony Day celebrations are a highlight of the school year, culminating in an epic community Block Party that brings together our students, families, staff and wider community.

We also believe that schools should be joyful places. We work incredibly hard and have high expectations of ourselves and one another, but we laugh, celebrate, create, perform and have fun together too.

Teaching and Learning at Sunshine Heights We are ambitious about what our students can learn and passionate about the craft of teaching.

Our approach to curriculum, teaching and qualified learning is informed by the Science of Learning and Reading and by the best available evidence about how students learn. We are building a coherent approach in which curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and professional learning work together rather than existing as separate initiatives.

Over recent years, we have undertaken significant curriculum development across the school. This includes the development of our own Systemic Knowledge Curriculum, carefully sequencing the knowledge we want students to develop from Prep to Year 6; a comprehensive approach to writing and sentence-level instruction; and explicit, systematic approaches to early reading.

Alongside this, we are developing a shared instructional approach to great teaching. Our work focuses on ensuring students are actively engaged in learning, teaching new material explicitly, checking understanding and responding to what we find, and supporting students towards accuracy, depth and mastery.

Professional learning is central to our culture. We believe that expertise develops when teachers have opportunities to learn, practise, receive feedback, examine evidence and work alongside one another.



Instructional coaching is therefore an increasingly important part of how we support teacher development.

Our staff have also had opportunities to learn directly from leading educators, including Dylan Wiliam through our work on formative assessment, and to connect with the wider evidence-informed education community through organisations such as Think Forward Educators.

We are proud of what we have built, but we do not believe our work is finished. We want to remain curious, evidence-informed and willing to change our minds when better evidence or better ideas emerge.

Who This Role Will Suit We are looking for an Assistant Principal who is first and foremost passionate about great teaching and learning.

This role will suit an educational leader who is curious about how children learn, excited by the craft of teaching and energised by the opportunity to work alongside teachers to continually strengthen classroom practice.

Our next Assistant Principal will play a significant role in taking our teaching and learning work forward. They will work closely with our Principal Class team, Learning Specialists, PLT leaders and teachers; lead and participate in instructional coaching; support curriculum and assessment development; and help translate research and evidence into practical improvements in classrooms.

We want someone who enjoys being close to the work: visiting classrooms, talking about teaching, examining student learning, giving and receiving feedback, developing curriculum and helping others become even better at what they do.

This role will particularly suit someone who:

- is deeply interested in teaching, curriculum and how students learn;
- believes that excellent teaching can be developed through deliberate practice, coaching, feedback and collaboration;
- enjoys developing the knowledge and capability of others while maintaining high expectations;
- is excited by curriculum design and the challenge of building coherent learning from Prep to Year 6;
- can use assessment and data intelligently to understand learning and improve teaching;
- values clarity, consistency and evidence-informed practice while respecting teacher expertise, creativity and professional judgement;
- wants to contribute to a leadership team that thinks deeply, challenges ideas, learns together and keeps improving;
- understands that leadership is fundamentally relational ¿ building trust, having courageous conversations, celebrating success and helping others thrive; and
- genuinely wants to connect with and help lead a diverse school community.

While teaching and learning is at the heart of this portfolio, this is also an Assistant Principal role and therefore includes broader operational leadership responsibilities, including daily organisation and Occupational Health and Safety. We need someone who can move comfortably between strategic instructional leadership and the practical realities of helping a busy primary school run exceptionally well. Taking the initiative to problem solve and being active within the leadership of the school is essential.

You do not need to arrive at Sunshine Heights knowing everything or already doing things exactly as we do. We are interested in leaders with strong foundations, intellectual curiosity, humility, courage and a genuine desire to learn alongside others. This role could suit an experienced Assistant Principal or an emerging leader ready to take the next step into Principal Class.

Most importantly, we are looking for someone who wants to belong here: someone who cares about connecting with students, staff and families and who wants to contribute not just to our instructional work, but to the life and culture of our school.

We strongly encourage applications from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

A school tour will be undertaken on Tuesday 6th October at 4pm. Please contact the school office to arrange to join us.

Our Aspirational Vision Sail into a Universe of Possibilities

Delve into the unlimited energy of the human imagination

Inspire and grow hearts and minds

Nurture creativity and curiosity

Through courage, connection, commitment and collaboration

Discover the wonder and uniqueness in you

Welcome to Sunshine Heights Primary School.

Our Values Courage

We have the courage to believe that we can make a positive impact. We understand that hard work takes courage and a growth mindset. We have the courage to be curious and creative and stretch outside our comfort zone.

Connection

We understand who we are as individuals and how we build connections. We understand what it means to be part of a community. We are connected to the world around us and actively address issues of human and environmental sustainability.

Commitment

We acknowledge our strengths and build on our achievements. We take responsibility for and commit to our continual learning and growth. We show resilience when faced with challenges.

Collaboration

We motivate each other to be the best we can be. We encourage and embrace different perspectives. We are respectful of everyone.

And One Last Thing¿ Last, and most certainly not least, we love a good song and dance at Sunshine Heights.

Music can often be heard blasting from the speakers at the end of the school week, students and staff are rarely too far away from a performance, and we believe there should always be room for a little joy in the serious business of education.

Our Sunshine Heights playlist looks something like this:

¿¿ Old Town Road ¿ Lil Nas X & Billy Ray Cyrus

¿¿ Roar ¿ Katy Perry

¿¿ Uptown Funk ¿ Bruno Mars

¿¿ Watch Me ¿ Silentó

¿¿ Cut to the Feeling ¿ Carly Rae Jepsen

If you've read this far, perhaps have a listen while you write your application.

We'd love to hear what you might add to the playlist.

Apply now Applications close Thursday 15 October 2026 at 11.59pm Posted 2 October 2026

📌 Assistant Principal-Range 1 (Melbourne)
🏢 Victorian Government
📍 Melbourne