Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to improve and enrich the lives of young learners?
Tombolo Academy is seeking an enthusiastic, motivated, and experienced Assistant Teacher to join our friendly and experienced team as a Lead.
- 35 Hours per week
- Term 1, 2025 start
- Salary range $77,000 – $81,000 pro-rata, depending on experience.
- Additional duty allowances
- As a registered charity, we offer attractive salary packaging benefits.
At Tombolo Academy, we strive to re-engage the disengaged by providing meaningful learning opportunities, forming purposeful relationships, and improving student outcomes by adopting an innovative approach.
Tombolo Academy is leading the way in neurodiverse education in Australia. As the first school of its kind in Australia, we strive to re-engage the disengaged by providing meaningful learning opportunities, forming purposeful relationships, and improving student outcomes by adopting an innovative approach.
About Tombolo Academy
Tombolo Academy is a unique specialist setting that caters for highly capable neurodiverse (twice exceptional) students aged 8-16 who have previously found it challenging to learn and engage in a mainstream setting.
We provide a calm, safe and stimulating learning environment where students feel comfortable to fail and face their challenges with the support of caring and understanding staff members.
The school is located in Hampton, 5 minutes from the beach and 25 minutes from Melbourne CBD.
About the role
We are looking for a senior and experienced Lead Assistant Teacher who is passionate and determined to improve student outcomes. The Lead Assistant Teacher will be the most senior member of the Assistant Teacher team, helping to support the educational program and work under the direction and supervision of relevant teachers to assist learning and monitor behaviour.
You will need to be a patient and resilient educator with a good sense of humour.
The ideal applicant will:
- Have previous experience in a similar Lead Assistant Teacher role – other titles could include Educational Support Lead, Learning Support lead or Classroom Support Lead.
- Demonstrate a high level of collaboration in a flexible classroom setting.
- Have experience in working collaboratively with a passionate team of staff to deliver a range of inspiring experiences for students.
- Have effective interpersonal skills and be prepared to work independently as well as a member of a team.
- Be able to form strong and meaningful relationships with students and parents.
- Have an interest in using new age technology to enhance learning.
- Demonstrate creative and innovative teaching practices to provide rich learning opportunities for all students.
- Have experience with positive behaviour support models.
- Have experience in teaching children with social, emotional, and behavioural issues.
Tombolo Academy can offer you
- Competitive salary and a range of benefits including NFP salary packaging.
- Over 13 weeks of holiday per year.
- Small class sizes with a high staff ratio.
- Modern, flexible, and designed-for-purpose learning spaces.
- A focus on work-life balance, with team building and wellbeing days scheduled in.
- A highly experienced team of educators to offer assistance and guidance.
- Ongoing coaching and mentoring with behaviour strategies and learning design.
- Flexibility to help create engaging and innovative lessons.
- A friendly, supportive, and welcoming team.
- Professional development opportunities and role diversity.
Essential requirements
- A minimum of four years’ experience in the classroom or equivalent
- Cert III or equivalent
- Working with Children’s Check
- Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (or willingness to obtain this)
- Be legally entitled to work in Australia.
- Understanding of and experience with highly-capable neurodiverse students.
Key Selection Criteria
- Collaborative Support and Adaptation: Demonstrated ability to collaborate with teachers to adapt lesson plans and teaching strategies, aligning with the specific needs of neurodiverse students and considering their strengths, challenges, and sensory sensitivities.
- Student Engagement and Understanding: Demonstrated experience in effectively engaging students who have had challenging experiences in mainstream education and may require additional support to feel comfortable in a learning environment.
- Creative Support in Lesson Delivery: Proven experience in supporting teachers to deliver engaging, creative lessons that foster a positive learning experience and contribute to improved student outcomes.
- Leadership and Direction for Support Staff: Demonstrated ability to manage and guide other teaching assistants, providing clear direction and ensuring cohesive support for students, while maintaining effective communication and reporting with the lead teacher.
- Teamwork and Relationship Building: Demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively within a small team, developing supportive relationships with students, staff, and the Tombolo community.
- Patience, Empathy, and Encouragement: Demonstrated patience, understanding, and empathy when working with students who may require extra time, support, and encouragement to grasp concepts and complete tasks.
Tombolo Academy is committed to being a child-safe organisation.
To apply please submit a current CV and cover letter addressing the 5 KSC below.
If you are interested in learning more about twice exceptional students or Tombolo Academy, please explore our website at https://tombolo.vic.edu.au
