Swan Hill College is located 350 kilometres north west of Melbourne on the Murray River and is situated within the CBD of the rural city of Swan Hill. In 2018 780 students are enrolled at the College supported by in excess of 100 teaching and non teaching staff. There is an equal gender balance and the catchment area includes township primary schools, local private schools and outlying primary schools some of which are 60 kilometres or further from the College. A comprehensive bus system services the College and other schools in the township. Some of our students travel for over 2 hours every day to gain access to the College.

The College has continued to work on facilities development to a point where it now boasts some of the best facilities in the State. A 250 seat theatre, modern technology facilities, outstanding library and extensive sporting arenas including stadium are but a few examples. Swan Hill College continues its focus on information technology the recent additional of the technology hub which includes VR, 3D printers and green screen.

The College Leadership Team comprises of the Principal, two Assistant Principals, the Business Manager and eight Leading Teachers with specific portfolios.

The college has made a real commitment by improving literacy by introducing an intervention program and a reading program at Year 7 and 8. Similarly, our numeracy programs include, scaffolding numeracy early years, a focus on problem solving and a recent introduction of the online Maths Pathways program. With the focus in these areas being the individual student growth.

Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) is well embedded across the college. At Swan Hill College we work together to achieve excellence and have high expectations of behaviour to create an environment which promotes individual academic and social growth. A clear set of behavioural expectations are developed around the school values of Respect, Responsibility, High Expectations and Belonging.

The College has a well developed and highly effective student wellbeing structure. The Student Wellbeing Team includes three counsellors, a chaplain and a College nurse. Network support staff also support this team. Doctor in Schools commenced in 2018. The two sub-schools, Junior and Senior, allows for strong links and support with students and families and also a healthy team spirit about the school. A team of College Captains, Junior Captains, House Captains and PBS leaders, also supports the student body.

The College has a Flexible Learning Options (FLO) campus. This program offers flexible learning opportunities for students who are disengaged or challenged by structured learning. The program is very successful and had given many students the chance to continue their education.

The College provides a very broad curriculum and an array of additional programs. At the senior level students choose from both the VCE and VCAL programs and a large number integrate Certificate level studies from our extensive VET offerings. At the Middle School a wide range of electives are offered with both an engagement and career pathway focus. Junior School students undertake a standard curriculum with a focus on General Studies and Maths /Science. The College offers an extensive Sport and Recreation program. The Performing Arts continue to grow utilising our state of the art Harrison Theatre, with students studying Dance, Drama and Music.

At Swan Hill College, we have a focus on the continued development of our teaching through the implementation of our Professional Learning Community. Our work is guided by the high impact teaching strategies and the inquiry cycle with a current focus on questioning and the high reliability literacy teaching procedures.

Our College enjoys considerable parent and community support in our vibrant rural setting.

Student engagement, aspirations and welfare are the key focus for the College and wider community. The College is an accredited performance and development culture school and professional development will be targeted to address these priorities.

The College’s Annual Implementation and Strategic Plans are available on our website www.shc.vic.edu.au

SC1 Demonstrated understanding of initiatives in student learning including the Standards, the Principles of Learning and Teaching P-12 and Assessment and Reporting Advice and the capacity to implement and evaluate learning and teaching programs in accordance with the Victorian curriculum.

SC2 Demonstrated high level classroom teaching skills and the capacity to work with colleagues to continually improve teaching and learning.

SC3 Demonstrated ability to monitor and assess student learning data and to use this data to inform teaching for improved student learning.

SC4 Demonstrated high level written and verbal communication skills and high level interpersonal skills including the capacity to establish and maintain collaborative relationships with parents, other employees and the broader school community to focus on student learning, wellbeing and engagement.

SC5 Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values, including a commitment and capacity to actively contribute to and manage major curriculum or student activities and a commitment to continually improving teaching quality and capacity through the application of knowledge, skills and expertise derived from ongoing professional development and learning.

The classroom teacher classification comprises two salary ranges- range 1 and range 2. The primary focus of the classroom teacher is on the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. The classroom teacher engages in critical reflection and inquiry in order to improve knowledge and skills to effectively engage students and improve their learning.

As the classroom teacher gains experience his or her contribution to the school program beyond the classroom increases. All classroom teachers may be required to undertake other duties in addition to their rostered teaching duties provided the responsibility is appropriate to the salary range, qualifications, training and experience of the teacher.


Classroom teacher Range 2
Range 2 classroom teachers play a significant role in assisting the school to improve student performance and educational outcomes determined by the school strategic plan and state-wide priorities and contributing to the development and implementation of school policies and priorities.

A critical component of this work will focus on increasing the knowledge base of staff within their school about student learning and high quality instruction to assist their school to define quality teacher practice.

Range 2 classroom teachers will be expected to:
- Have the content knowledge and pedagogical practice to meet the diverse needs of all students
- Model exemplary classroom practice and mentor/coach other teachers in the school to engage in critical reflection of their practice and to support staff to expand their capacity
- Provide expert advice about the content, processes and strategies that will shape individual and school professional learning
- Supervise and train one or more student teachers
- Assist staff to use student data to inform teaching approaches that enable targets related to improving student learning outcomes to be achieved.


Classroom teacher Range 1
The primary focus of the range 1 classroom teacher is on further developing skills and competencies to become an effective classroom practitioner with structured support and guidance from teachers at higher levels and the planning, preparation and teaching of programs to achieve specific student outcomes. These teachers teach a range of students/classes and are accountable for the effective delivery of their programs. Range 1 classroom teachers are skilled teachers who operate under general direction within clear guidelines following established work practices and documented priorities and may have responsibility for the supervision and training of one or more student teachers.

At range 1, teachers participate in the development of school policies and programs and assist in the implementation of school priorities.
The focus of a range 1 classroom teacher is on classroom management, subject content and teaching practice. New entrants to the teaching profession in their initial teaching years receive structured support, mentoring and guidance from teachers at higher levels.

Under guidance, new entrants to the teaching profession will plan and teach student groups in one or more subjects and are expected to participate in induction programs and other professional learning activities that are designed to ensure the integration of curriculum, assessment and pedagogy across the school.

Teachers at range 1 are responsible for teaching their own classes and may also assist and participate in policy development, project teams and the organisation of co-curricula activities.

The role of classroom teacher may include but is not limited to:

- Direct teaching of groups of students and individual students;

- Contributing to the development, implementation and evaluation of a curriculum area or other curriculum program within the school;

- Undertaking other classroom teaching related and organisational duties as determined by the School Principal;

- Participating in activities such as parent/teacher meetings; staff meetings; camps and excursions;

- Undertaking other non-teaching supervisory duties.

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.

The Department values diversity and is committed to workforce diversity and equal opportunity in schools and all education workplaces. The Department recognises that the provision of family friendly, supportive, safe and harassment free workplaces is essential to high performance and promotes flexible work, diversity and safety across all schools and Department workplaces.

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 http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/health/protect/Pages/childsafestandards.aspx

The Department’s employees commit to upholding DET’s Values: Responsiveness, Integrity, Impartiality, Accountability, Respect, Leadership and Human Rights. DET’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 DET values is available at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/hrweb/workm/Pages/Public-Sector-Values.aspx

• 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