Classroom Teacher
Essendon Primary School · Essendon, VIC
Location Profile
In 2025¿2026, the school further enhanced its outdoor learning and play spaces through the construction of a new playground, providing new, inclusive equipment designed to support physical activity, social development, and student wellbeing. The school grounds are well resourced and provide students with opportunities for active and passive play, social interaction, and physical development. Facilities include shaded seating and passive play areas, sandpits and play equipment, a synthetic turf soccer oval and running track, basketball courts, netball, and down-ball courts. Students also have access to the Windy Hill football oval during lunchtimes and for designated sporting activities.
Essendon Primary School currently has an enrolment of 365 students. The student population is culturally and linguistically diverse, reflecting the demographic profile of the local community.
The school is organised into five key learning areas: Foundation, Year 1/2, Year 3/4, Year 5/6, and Specialist programs.
The leadership structure comprises two Principal Class members, a Business Manager, two Learning Specialists, and five Professional Learning Team Leaders who oversee four year-level teams and one Specialist teaching team. This structure supports strong instructional leadership, professional collaboration, and a coordinated approach to whole-school improvement.
The school¿s curriculum is informed by the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, providing a coherent and consistent framework for teaching and learning. There is a strong focus on the delivery of high-quality Literacy, Numeracy, and Integrated Inquiry programs within a 21st-century learning environment. Teachers engage in ongoing professional learning and coaching to strengthen instructional practice. The school demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement, reflection, and responsiveness to individual student learning needs and wellbeing. E-Learning is embedded across the curriculum, with students from Foundation to Year 6 having access to digital devices to support improved teaching and learning outcomes.
Curriculum planning is undertaken collaboratively within year-level teams to ensure a balanced and comprehensive program aligned with best practice. This approach provides students with opportunities to develop higher-order thinking, problem-solving skills, and learner agency. A range of targeted intervention and extension programs are implemented to address the diverse learning needs of students.
Specialist programs are offered in STEM, The Arts, Physical Education, Japanese, and Wellbeing, enabling students to engage and develop skills, interests, and talents across a broad curriculum. Additional extracurricular opportunities include instrumental music tuition, mathematics competitions, the school choir, Chess Club, and Kelly Sports lunchtime and after-school programs.
Essendon Primary School places a strong emphasis on community partnerships and shared responsibility for student learning and wellbeing. The School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework is consistently implemented, with explicit teaching of the school values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, Kindness, and Achievement.
Students are provided with a range of leadership opportunities, including participation in the Student Representative Council. Parent engagement is strong, with involvement in fundraising initiatives, buildings and grounds projects, School Council, and volunteer programs.
Selection Criteria
SC1 Demonstrated knowledge of the relevant curriculum, including the ability to incorporate the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills. Demonstrated experience in responding to student learning needs.
SC2 Demonstrated experience in planning for and implementing high impact teaching strategies, guided by how students learn, and evaluating the impact of learning and teaching programs on student learning growth.
SC3 Demonstrated experience in monitoring and assessing student learning. Demonstrated experience in using data to inform teaching practice and providing feedback on student learning growth and achievement to students and parents.
SC4 Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills. Demonstrated experience in establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the broader school community to support student learning, agency, wellbeing and engagement.
SC5 Demonstrated behaviours and attitudes consistent with Department values. Demonstrated experience in reflecting upon practice and engaging in professional learning to continually improve the quality of teaching.
Role
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 te