Head of Curriculum

Jabiru Community College acknowledges and pays our respect to the traditional custodians who cared for this land until they were forcibly disrupted through colonisation. The college has a strong commitment to acknowledging the history of modern Australia as a colonial settlement that has and continues to inflict much pain and suffering on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We acknowledge the calls from the first peoples of this country to have their sovereignty acknowledged and the pathway to treaty started.  JCC seeks to ensure that all young people, their families and communities feel part of our school community.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander people are strongly encouraged to apply for this Advisory Teaching Position.

Salary

Educational Services Award (teachers)  Award - Pay and conditions above award. (Head of program stream 1- Ed Qld Teachers Pay scale)

Status

Full-time position. 6 month probation. 2 year contract.

Work Team

The Head of Curriculum is a member of the Jabiru Community College (JCC) Team.

The Mission of Jabiru Community College

To be  a safe and creative learning community where young people from diverse backgrounds can take up their human right to a 21st Century education.  At JCC we believe that a quality education nurtures lifelong learning.  Our learners practice and improve their lifelong learning skills so they can build meaningful lives for themselves and others.

JCC strives for this outcome by building a safe community where diversity is respected and appreciated.  Our learning is driven by curiosity, expanded through reflection, and maintained through perseverance.  We believe that powerful, transferable learning happens, when learners are enabled to explore their passions and interests with others, and develop their personal agency.

This is JCC’s purpose.  

The College Framework

Jabiru Community college has a strong Practice Framework. We have four main pillars of practice:

• Community Development
• Post-structuralist Human Services Practice
• Student Centred Learning- using Big Picture Education design Principles
• Trans-disciplinary practice

Purpose of the Head of Curriculum Role

• To Lead the implementation and refinement of “Big Picture” Design Principles across all school practices, in harmony with the Philosophy of the college. This role will work closely with the college leadership team.
• To Lead the implementation of JCC offering the International Big Picture Learning Credential to its students.
• Support staff to draw on the Big Picture design principles as they practice their work with young people. Staff at the college work with young people to support them to take responsibility for their learning journey. This includes helping young people identify, plan, live out, share and document their learning journey at JCC and building pathways into and out of the college.
• To build and maintain strong connections with staff and young people across the school community using community development and group work principles.
• To work as a member of a team and with our whole learning community to build a place that is safe and supportive for all members.
• Coordinate curriculum design, implementation and development across the college to ensure all students have access to Australian Curriculum via the Big Picture Design for learning.
• Work collaboratively to empower young people from a Post-structuralist perspective.

Responsibilities

• Work effectively as a member of the Jabiru Community College team within the policies, procedures and practices of the organisation.
• Build a vibrant and caring learning environment to help improve the lives and outcomes for young people as decided by them.
• Work with the Jabiru Community College Team to ensure that respective projects operate in a manner that are safe for the board, staff, participants, stakeholders and the school and broader community.
• Work with the Jabiru Community College staff team to ensure programs fit within budget.
•  Work as an effective steward of the organisation’s property and equipment.

Reporting Relationships

The Head of Curriculum reports to the nominated Co-Principal of Jabiru Community College.

Major Accountabilities

• All Jabiru Community College Policies and Procedures including the Staff Handbook, College Practice Framework, and Mission Statement.
• The Head of Curriculum worker will be expected to show a willingness to engage in culturally safe and appropriate protocols/processes in alignment with JCC policies. With an emphasis on being inclusive of; (but not exclusive to) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, LGBTIQA+SG&BB Gender Diverse groups, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse groups, young people whose lives have been impacted by trauma and other minorities.
• Work to fulfil the requirements of the Head of Curriculum Role.
• Design, implement and develop learning programs consistent with the Big Picture Design for Learning, QCAA and Australian curriculums in collaboration with others.

Major Functions

Service Delivery

• Work collaboratively with Jabiru Community College members to build and improve our Learner Centred Curriculum program through Big Picture Design Principles, that supports the “learning for life”, social justice and care dimensions of the school community.
• Work together with all staff to enable them to design and deliver learning experiences and processes that support young people and our community with our social, cultural, emotional, academic, spiritual and personal learning journeys.
• Lead the implementation of JCC offering the International Big Picture Learning Credential to its students.

Program Development

• Work alongside Jabiru Community College members and through ongoing reflection and program innovation, develop practices and policies informed by Big Picture Design Principles that help create a culturally safe and supportive learning framework.
• Build a vibrant and nurturing learning community through the implementation and development of a whole school Learner Centred Curriculum Framework.

Staff Communications

• Participate in regular supervision sessions with Co-Principals.
• Engage effectively with all staff and volunteers to enable positive outcomes for young people, families and the JCC community.

Skills and Attributes of the Person

This position requires:

1. Commitment and skills to work collaboratively

• Work with colleagues, the school management team, Big Picture coaches and the wider community to create a vibrant and safe culture.
• Be able to consider the needs of the whole community when making individual decisions.
• Be able to work with individuals, small groups and the whole community.
• Demonstrate the skill of collaborative leadership- bringing people along with you, so the work you are responsible for leading is owned by everyone.

2. Be respectful

• Demonstrate patience, care and compassion for others and yourself.
• Experience in or a willingness to learn about supporting a school to navigate the complexities of colonisation for the betterment of all people connected to the school.
• Acknowledge the diversity of experience and the injustices of social structures such as colonisation, patriarchy, capitalism and dominant stories of gender and sexuality and be prepared to work for a safer, affirming and just place for all.

3. Be reflective and committed to self awareness and development

• A commitment to lifelong learning.
• The ability to change.
• An interest in analysing what is happening and see the multiple possibilities in any situation.
• Commitment to developing a deep awareness of self.

4. Be curious and open to multiple possibilities

• Listen deeply. Seek to understand.

5. Demonstrated perseverance

• Have flexibility, stamina and a desire to work patiently beside people.
• Have a knowledge about and commitment to taking care of yourself.
• Be able to demonstrate respect and perseverance when working alongside staff, families, communities and young people.

6. A capacity to find joy and celebrate the small things

• Appreciate that seemingly small steps can often be very powerful and significant for people.
• Understand that joy and optimism can be a way of approaching situations.

7. Have a passion for Big Picture Design principles and student centred learning

• What is it that you love about the Big Picture Design and the way it approaches learning? Why does working with your colleagues to implement a whole school Curriculum Framework excite you? Why does learning matter to you? How might this passion support you to work collaboratively? How does this passion excite and energise you?  How can you share it gently with others?

Qualifications

• A Tertiary qualification in education and the ability to be registered as a teacher with the Queensland college of teachers.
• Knowledge of and practice in implementing Big Picture Design Principles
• Current driver’s license- desirable

General Disclosure

This position description is general in nature and is subject to change providing that any changes shall not contradict the nature or the standard of work specified in the relevant Award for work paid at the level applicable to this position. The position includes, but is not limited to, the general duties as well as the ways of practice outlined above. This position description is to be reviewed before the next review date shown at the bottom of this document.

Signature:

I .........................................................(insert name) accept the duties and responsibilities of this position description.

Signed: .......................................................   Date:  ………../……..../............