Position: Classroom School Officer (Multiple Positions Available)
Commencing Date: As soon as practicable
Tenure: Term Time, Permanent
Hours: 27.5 hours per week (5.5 hours per day during school term)
Salary Range: $31.58-$32.26 per hour pending experience
Closing Date: Monday, 7 July 2025 unless filled prior

St Michael's Catholic School, Palm Island is a co-educational Catholic primary school on Palm Island, offering Prep to Year 6. Established in 1938, the school enjoys magnificent ocean views and natural surroundings including a creek, green hills and beachfront. The Sisters of Our Lady Help of Christians opened the school and later the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary Sisters took charge, remaining on the island until 2011. Their mission 'Truth by Love,' remains the school’s motto. St Michael's Catholic School exists to serve the community's Indigenous people, with the majority of students being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.

About the role

Inspire Young Minds in Paradise – Join Our Team at St Michael’s!
Looking for more than just a job? At St Michael’s Catholic School on beautiful Palm Island, you’ll find purpose, community, and the chance to make a genuine impact. We’re on the lookout for two enthusiastic and caring School Officers – Assisting Student Learning – to support our students’ growth in and beyond the classroom. With ocean views, rich cultural heritage, and a welcoming school community, this is your opportunity to support young learners where it truly matters.

St Michael's Catholic School, Palm Island is seeking multiple experienced and dedicated Classroom School Officers. These roles are Term Time, Permanent positions, completing 27.5 hours per week across 5 days, commencing as soon as practicable.

The primary purpose of the Classroom School Officer is to contribute to the provision of quality educational service by collaborating with teachers and student support services to provide support and guidance which assists students in their learning and development. The School Officer - Assisting Student Learning provides efficient and high-quality support to teachers with the preparation and/or enhancement of learning materials for learning and teaching and ensures all duties are completed to an acceptable standing as determined by the classroom teacher, student support services and Principal.

Key Accountabilities

Assist the student’s learning and participation in the school:

Assist teachers in preparing, implementing and supervising learning programs in the classroom

Be aware of the Classroom Teacher’s expectations of the students in the class and work with the teacher, actively participating in activities, intervening and encouraging students where appropriate

Assist individuals or small groups, with activities as part of inclusive teaching and learning practices, supporting the teacher with behaviour management and the development of social skills and classroom skills development

Assist students with their personal organisation when required

Respond to all students in the classroom in a warm and encouraging manner and build collaborative relationships with the students and respond to individual learning needs

Participate in meetings, both internal and external as required

Learning and Teaching

Provide support to teachers in the classroom

Assist the teaching team with classroom resources

Work in partnership with teachers to support student learning which may include:

General support to a group of students while the teacher is engaged in focused teaching

Provision of personalised support e.g. mobility or communication support, where required

Assisting students to complete tasks designed by the teacher

Preparation of support materials and resources

Support identified students with learning barriers, to engage in a range of learning activities

Collect data for analysis by the teacher - anecdotal notes on performance of tasks, work habits, behaviour etc., provided to the teacher.

Inclusive Education

Assist individuals or small groups with activities as part of inclusive teaching and learning practices

Provide support to the Classroom Teacher with behaviour management and development of social and classroom skills of students

Assist students with their personal organisation when required.

Small Group and Personalised Support

Communicate with teachers about student progress and areas of need

Inform the Principal on any welfare issues that may arise with students

Develop professional relationships with students based on trust and respect, which utilises a strengths based approach

Provide general formative feedback to student on performance during the teaching session

Role model behaviour in line with the school’s mission

Work in partnership with teachers to implement aspects of learning plans, as identified by the teacher, for groups of students including:

Work with the student, under the direction of a teacher, to support the implementation of particular learning goals as identified in the Student’s Learning Plan.

Pastoral Care

Proactively monitor and support student wellbeing issues under the guidance of the pastoral care team

Work to promote self-esteem and assist with student social interactions by teaching them social skills and discussing with them their social behaviours as required

Provide assistance with personal care as required which may also include mobility and personal hygiene

Provide assistance with communication – including note taking, taping material and using ICT to optimise the student’s learning experiences.

Professional Development

Support collegiate learning by sharing learnings with colleagues

Proactively seek opportunities to extend own professional learning via internal and external training.

Mandatory Criteria

Current Working with Children Suitability Card - The successful candidate will require a paid Blue Card before commencement as per the No Card, No Start policy developed by Queensland Government.

Ability to travel from time to time within the Catholic Diocese of Townsville

Ability to perform the physical requirements of the role in a safe manner

Desirable Criteria

Cert III in Education Support or a commitment towards completing this qualification

First aid qualification or a willingness to complete.

Some employees may be subject to pre-employment medical assessments during the selection process. Depending on the nature of the role, it may be necessary for successful applicants to be immunised against certain preventable diseases in order to minimise the risk of transmission.

What we offer

Competitive Salary Range:

Annual Leave with 17.5% leave loading

Access to salary packaging options to maximise employee benefits and salary

Modern facilities, equipment and resources

Access to long service leave after 7 years of continuous service

14 Weeks’ paid parental leave

Deferred Salary Scheme

Access to corporate health schemes

Induction processes and professional learning programs

Access to Employee Assistance Program

Wellbeing programs and initiatives

Our Organisation

Townsville Catholic Education supports a diverse region extending from Townsville to the Burdekin and Whitsunday regions in the south, and north to Ingham and Halifax, south-west to Winton, and west to the border with the Northern Territory, encompassing Mount Isa and several small, isolated western towns and east to Palm Island. Townsville Catholic Education provides a supportive, flexible working environment where care for the individual is an important part of our ethos. We employ motivated people who want to work together to produce excellent outcomes for our students. Our staff are recognised as being central to achieving our mission.

Townsville Catholic Education has standards of conduct for workers to maintain a safe and healthy environment for children. Our commitment to these standards requires that we conduct working with children checks and background referencing for all persons who will engage in direct and regular involvement with children and young people and/or adults-at-risk. The organisation is fully committed to child safety and has a zero tolerance to abuse of children or adults-at-risk.

How to apply

Click on the link to apply via the Careers page.