Classroom Teacher

Introduction

Brentwood Park Primary School is situated in the south-eastern growth corridor in the residential suburb of Berwick.  The school is well situated within the local community.  The local pre-school and Kambrya College are adjacent on the school¿s northern and southern borders, respectively.  A medical centre and the community centre are in close proximity. Brentwood Park Primary School has a current enrolment of 993 students. 

1. Guiding Principles

2. Victorian government schools are child safe environments. Our school actively promotes 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 the child safe standards. The school¿s Statement of Commitment to Child Safety and Child Safety Code of Conduct are available on the school¿s website. 

The whole school community of Brentwood Park Primary School is committed to the needs of the children, fostering their self-esteem and enabling them to work towards achieving their personal best in a positive, challenging and supportive environment.  In all cases the welfare of the child is our prime concern.  All teachers accept responsibility for the provision of a safe and caring environment for all children.

Staff, parents and children are jointly involved in decision making.  Parents, as part of the school team, are encouraged to become involved in our programs.  The school strongly emphasises the importance of the home-school partnership with a high level of co-operation between parents, staff and children.  Parent support is high, with parents responding to the learning team concept promoted and practised by the school.  This emphasis is reflected in the day to day involvement of parents in a range of school activities such, School Council, fundraising team, camping program and excursions.  All members of the school community feel valued and welcome.

Staff, are committed to professional development to ensure the provision of high quality programs at Brentwood Park Primary School.  Personal professional development planning for teachers is consistent with school aspirations detailed in the School Strategic Plan and Annual Implementation Plan.

Student Wellbeing is an intrinsic component of the ethos of Brentwood Park Primary School.  Our student Codes of Conduct are unique and integral to the daily programs in each classroom, with the children being responsible for the designing of these and class consequences, with the guidance of the teacher.

Our school values are 

• Respect

• Responsibility

• Excellence

• Teamwork

Brentwood Park Primary School sees the development of ongoing support of the whole child as important, not only through the formal, but also informal curriculum.  Hence our focus is on complementary wellbeing programs such as, You Can Do It! And Respectful Relationships.

Programs that encourage and develop positive interpersonal relationships also include:

• The ¿Buddy¿ system.

• You Can Do It!

• Student Representative Council

• Camps for Years 4, 5 and 6

• Peer Mediation

• Prep Transition

Curriculum

Within our learning and teaching programs, we maintain a strong focus on literacy and numeracy, complemented by an inquiry-based curriculum and a comprehensive specialist program which encompasses visual arts, performing arts, digital technologies and, health and physical education, and Chinese Language and Culture. A Chinese sister school relationship was formalised in 2014 with Yangzhong Experimental School in Jiangsu Province, China, through a signed Memorandum of Understanding which promotes collaboration and annual reciprocal visitations by staff and students. 

A rigorous benchmarking assessment schedule which is implemented biannually and ongoing formative assessment practices, informs our teaching and learning programs in the two key learning areas of literacy and numeracy and, along with teacher observation and teacher judgement, ensures the teaching is targeted towards student learning needs. Student learning is facilitated through a whole school approach to learning and teaching with the development of a shared and effective school-wide pedagogy and the implementation of ¿best practice¿ educational programs to promote deep understanding and enhance student achievement. The Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM 2.0) is the framework for teaching practice.

Units of work, developed Foundation ¿ Year 6, are child-centred and based on the inquiry learning model.  These inquiry units cater for the history, geography and science areas of the Victorian Curriculum. 

School programs are planned, implemented and reviewed for children according to their learning needs.  Differentiation is a core feature of our teaching and learning. Digital technologies are integrated as powerful learning tools across all programs.  In addition to our computer laboratory, class sets of iPads are provided for Year Foundation to Year 3 and a Bring Your Own Device [BYOD] program, being iPads, is implemented in Years 4 - 6. Additionally, each classroom is either equipped with an interactive whiteboard or flat screen television with apple TV which are well utilised as learning tools. Co-curricula programs are developed and implemented across year levels to encourage and support children to strive towards the achievement of their personal best.

Our school provides a positive and challenging learning environment which supports improved learning for all children. 

Facilities

The school has been architecturally designed with its central core accommodated in seven distinct buildings, connec