Warragul and District Specialist School is situated in the regional town of Warragul in West Gippsland, an hour and a half east of Melbourne. The school commenced the 2026 year with approximately 130 students aged between 5 and 18 years. All students at the school have an intellectual disability with a large percentage having multiple disabilities including Autism, sensory and physical impairments and associated conditions. Students travel to the school from a broad geographic area, including Drouin, Neerim District, Yannathan / Poowong, and Trafalgar.

At Warragul and District Specialist School we believe that all students can and will learn, and grow in self-esteem, through fostering a climate of care, dignity and respect, using deliberate positive reinforcement, and recognition of achievement. The school promotes a curriculum that develops skills that its graduates will utilize as adults. We believe that graduates should be actively involved in work/further education, participate in managing their own homes, and are active participants in their own local community.

The whole school commitment to build teacher capacity and improve student learning outcomes is reflected in the key improvement strategies in the schools Strategic Plan which are:

- To maximise student learning growth.
- To improve student voice and agency.
- To improve the personal and social responsibilities of students.

In 2018 the school reviewed its values in line with the School Wide Positive Behaviour Supports initiative. All components of the school community were consulted coming up with 3 values.

The school's School Wide Positive Behaviour Support Values are:

Be a Learner





These values are strongly embedded into the school community and provide a framework from which the school community monitor's expectations and norms across school programs, activities and events.

Our school currently has achieved a Schoolwide Positive Behaviour Supports (SW-PBS) bronze award status.

At Warragul & District Specialist School we believe in in the principles behind our school motto, "Celebrating Difference". Acknowledging and celebrating individual difference in all students and members of the school community.

Selection Criteria

- SC1Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to lead and manage the implementation of school priorities, and the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum.
- SC2Demonstrated ability to lead the planning and implementation of high impact teaching strategies that respond to student learning needs. Demonstrated ability to support teachers to evaluate the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.
- SC3Demonstrated exemplary ability to monitor and assess student learning at a class, cohort or whole-school level and use this data to lead improvement initiatives. Demonstrated ability to support others in using data to inform teaching practice and to provide feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
- SC4Demonstrated exemplary interpersonal and leadership skills.



Demonstrated ability to lead team-oriented relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community focused on student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
- SC5Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values and support colleagues to adopt these behaviours and attitudes. Demonstrated ability to reflect upon their own, others and whole-school practice and contribute to the provision of whole-school professional learning.

SC6Demonstrated capacity to provide strategic leadership in Disability Inclusion and build the capability of colleagues to create an inclusive, high-quality learning environment for all students.

Role

Learning Specialists will be highly skilled classroom practitioners who continue to spend the majority of their time in the classroom delivering high-quality teaching and learning and have a range of responsibilities related to their expertise, including teaching demonstration lessons, observing and providing feedback to other teachers and facilitating school-based professional learning.Learning Specialists are expected to have deep knowledge and expertise in high quality teaching and learning in delivering improved achievement, engagement and wellbeing for students. The role of the Learning Specialist will be to model excellence in teaching and learning through demonstration lessons and, mentoring and coaching teachers in improving the skill, knowledge and effectiveness of the teaching workforce.

The Learning Specialist role is aimed at building excellence in teaching and learning within the Teaching Service.

Responsibilities

In recognition

📌 SPECIALIST SCHOOL (Baw Baw)
🏢 Victorian Government
📍 Baw Baw