Location Profile

Mentone Primary School is situated in the beachside suburb of Mentone, within the City of Kingston, on the traditional lands of the Bunurong People. Established in 1889, the school has proudly served its community for over 135 years, building a rich tradition of educational excellence, shared values and community connection.

Mentone Primary School aspires to foster a vibrant community where every student thrives academically, socially and emotionally. By nurturing meaningful connections that embrace the rich diversity of our students' cultural backgrounds, individual needs and unique abilities, we aim to empower them with the knowledge, skills and dispositions to shape the world around them.

Our five school values¿Respect, Honesty, Team Player, Friendliness and Caring¿underpin our relationships, learning experiences and commitment to a positive, inclusive school culture.

Mentone Primary School provides engaging, high-quality learning programs designed to inspire, challenge and support every student to achieve their full potential. Our school-wide instructional model aligns with the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM 2.0), with a strong emphasis on explicit teaching and evidence-informed instructional practices.

Through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), teachers collaboratively plan, implement and evaluate teaching programs, using student learning data to inform instruction, monitor progress and promote continuous improvement.

Literacy and Numeracy are key priorities, supported by differentiated instruction and targeted interventions. Students also engage in transdisciplinary, inquiry-based learning that fosters curiosity, critical thinking and meaningful connections across the curriculum.

Students are provided with opportunities to extend their learning, pursue their interests and demonstrate their capabilities through a range of enrichment and extension experiences. These include the Challenge and Enrichment Series, the Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP), and participation in national and international competitions. These opportunities encourage students to embrace challenges, develop their talents and strive for excellence.

Specialist programs include Auslan, Library, Physical Education, STEM and Visual Arts. Sustainability, student leadership and the purposeful integration of digital technologies further enrich learning experiences, fostering creativity, collaboration and responsible citizenship.

Mentone Primary School is committed to an inclusive learning environment where every student feels safe, valued and supported. Our approach reflects the Victorian Department of Education's Disability Inclusion reforms, with Tier 2 funding strengthening inclusive practices and targeted support, while Tier 3 funding enables individualised assistance for eligible students through collaborative planning and reasonable adjustments.

Student mental health and wellbeing are fundamental to learning and engagement. Aligned with the Department's Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO 2.0), our comprehensive, whole-school approach emphasises positive relationships, social and emotional learning, resilience, student voice, prevention, early intervention and targeted support.

Our outdoor education program, spanning Years 3 to 6, includes camps and opportunities for interschool sporting participation, fostering independence, resilience and teamwork. Student leadership opportunities, including PLAY Leaders, Student Leaders and four School Captains, encourage responsibility, confidence and active participation in school life.

Strong partnerships with families and community organisations are central to our school culture. Team Kids provides Before and After School Care and Holiday Programs, while our Foodbank-supported Breakfast Club promotes student wellbeing, connection and readiness to learn.

Mentone Primary School is committed to upholding the Victorian Child Safe Standards and maintaining a safe, inclusive and supportive environment where every child's voice is respected.

Our dedicated staff, engaged families and strong community spirit create a welcoming workplace where students are known, valued and encouraged to achieve their personal best.

Selection Criteria

SC1 Demonstrated expert knowledge of the relevant curriculum. Demonstrated ability to model exemplary teaching practice,



including the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills across the curriculum, and implement school priorities.

SC2 Demonstrated expertise in the implementation and modelling 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

SC3 Demonstrated exemplary ability to model the monitoring and assessment of student learning. 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.

SC4 Demonstrated exemplary interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated ability to engage in collaborative relationships with students, colleagues, parents and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5 Demonstrated ability to model behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated ability to support others to reflect on their practice and facilitate school-based professional learning.

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 of the importance of exemplary practice for improved student learning outcomes, the key roles of the Learning Specialists may include but are not limited to:

- Demonstrating high-level expertise in teaching and learning practice
- Modelling exemplary classroom practice including through teaching demonstration lessons
- Working with the school leadership team to develop a shared view of highly effective teacher practice
- Leading and modelling the implementation of whole-school improvement strategies related to curriculum planning and delivery
- Playing a key role in the provision of professional learning, including through developing processes and protocols for observation and feedback of teacher practice and peer collaboration
- Modelling effective learning practice and supporting teachers to seek, analyse and act on feedback and on their practice
- Providing evidence-based feedback to teaching staff to inform their effectiveness and development
- Providing expert advice about the context, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
- Supervising and training one or more student teachers and mentoring and/or coaching teachers
- Modelling exemplary use of student data to inform teaching approaches
- Developing and promoting school-wide professional learning structures, processes and protocols through Skilled Learning Communities
- Modelling exemplary professional learning practice included through seeking feedback from other teachers and leaders on their own classroom practice as part of critical reflection and inquiry to improve practice

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 *******@education.vic.gov.au

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

The Panel requests that each applicant considers including the names of three professional referees who are able to make relevant comments regarding the application and the Key Selection Criteria.

Please provide email addresses for each referee as well as accurate telephone numbers to enable the Panel to make contact with the referees.

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

Program Benefits

No job description available

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.

📌 Learning Specialist: Teaching & Learning (Mentone)
🏢 Department of Education Victoria
📍 Mentone