Selection Criteria

SC1: Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in inclusive education and supporting learners with additional needs including the capacity to work directly with students who have complex behavioural and learning needs.
SC2: Developed interpersonal, collaborative and communication skills including the ability to work as a member of transdisciplinary teams and to be supportive of wider school initiatives.
SC3: Ability to maintain appropriate documentation including record keeping, therapy goals and plans, and conducting student assessments.
SC4: Experience delivering professional development and/or upskilling staff in inclusive practices.
SC5: Experience and knowledge in providing and supporting interventions that address sensory processing, social learning, self-regulation, motor planning, functional skills and play for students.
SC6: Demonstrated understanding of the Victorian Department of Education Disability Inclusion Model

Role

Western Heights College is seeking a motivated and innovative Paediatric Occupational Therapist to join our Inclusion (and Wellbeing team).

This position has a strong focus on functional capacity, curriculum access, task modification, assistive technology and equipment prescription.

Your role will be to identify what is preventing a student from successfully participating in learning and then work alongside the student and their classroom team to find a solution.

Sometimes that solution might be assistive technology or specialised equipment. Sometimes it will involve modifying the task, environment or teaching approach. At other times, the best intervention will be developing the student's underlying functional capacity so that, over time, they can participate with greater independence and fewer adaptations. This will also align with being a key part of the processing when providing supporting information for the Disability Inclusion Model. When supporting a student and their family through a Disability Inclusion Profile.

In addition, the role will include delivering targeted 1:1 therapy and small-group interventions.

That balance between providing access today and building capacity for tomorrow sits at the heart of this role.

Responsibilities

- Completing functional and occupational assessments to understand barriers to participation.
- Assessing how a student's physical, sensory, cognitive, fine motor, visual-perceptual and executive functioning skills impact curriculum access.
- Working directly within classrooms to analyse learning tasks and identify barriers to participation.
- Modifying classroom activities and learning tasks to improve accessibility.
- Recommending and prescribing assistive technology and specialised equipment.
- Supporting positioning, seating, access and functional participation within learning environments.
- Trialling equipment and strategies within the student's actual classroom setting.
- Developing individualised programs to build students' functional capacity and independence.
- Supporting fine motor, upper limb, handwriting, technology access, self-care and other functional skills where they impact participation at school.
- Delivering targeted 1:1 therapy and small-group interventions.
- Working alongside teachers and Education Support staff to embed therapeutic strategies within everyday learning.
- Providing staff training,



coaching and modelling around equipment, adaptations and therapeutic strategies.
- Monitoring outcomes and progressively modifying or reducing supports as students develop greater independence.
- Collaborating closely with other allied health practitioners

Who May Apply

Individuals with the aptitude, experience and/or qualifications to fulfill the specific requirements of 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 https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal

Location Profile

Western Heights College is a government co-educational single campus secondary college located in the

heart of the Hamlyn Heights, Herne Hill and the Geelong West region just a short drive from the Geelong

city centre, the Geelong Ring Road and nearby rural towns. The college is located within state-of-the-art

modern buildings which connect learning, to our community and reflects our leading-edge work in curriculum

design and delivery for our community.

The college¿s purpose is to empower students to strive for success and excellence in their educational

journey with a focus on learning growth, high expectations, holistic well-being, creativity and innovation

reflected strongly in the schools 3 values responsibility, courage and inclusion. The college offers flexible

indoor and outdoor learning spaces as well as an array of educational opportunities to empower students to

strive for success and excellence in their educational learning journey.

The college has a strong focus on literacy and numeracy across the college. Global learning and thinking

are a priority for the College with the school inclusive of cultural diversity, offering EAL and Chinese mandarin

as it¿s language. The college has sister schools based in China.

Leadership, interpersonal development and student voice and agency in learning are a focus for the school

with its offerings of exceptional dance, music, theatre studies, technology, STEM and art programs on offer.

The college has an exciting camps and excursions program with opportunities to include local, interstate and

international experiences to places like Mount Buller, Kokoda, Central Australia, and China. WHC is also

involved regularly in the School for Student Leadership Opportunities across all its campuses for Year 9

students. The college also runs tours to the USA for basketball, the UK for AFL Football, New Zealand for

Netball, and Europe for Soccer every second year.

All students belong to learning communities with developmental personal learning goals and pathways plans,

supported by a daily mentoring program. Years 7 and 8 students are supported in their learning communities

by a teacher team focused on building key skills, knowledge and understanding. An innovative personalised

program for Year 9 and 10 students includes access to VCE, the Head Start Program, School Based

Apprenticeships (SBA¿s) and Vocational Education Training (VET) studies. Years 11 and 12 students choose

from a wide range of studies, combining academic VCE, vocational and applied learning programs and

certificates (VET/VM). Western Heights College has an active and fully engaged College Council,

establishing strong links with the local community, including partnerships with the City of Greater Geelong,

Vines Road Community Hub, the Geelong Regional Library, the Polly Farmer Foundation (FTD Program)

and many local and elite sports groups including the Geelong Venom WNBL Team, and Melbourne Victory

Soccer Club. The school has a growing enrolment of close to its capacity of 1200 students in 2027.

📌 Occupational Therapist 0.4 FTE (Victoria)
🏢 Government schools
📍 Victoria