St Joseph's Catholic School, The Strand is proudly the first Catholic school to be established in Townsville in 1873. The school has served generations of families and has transformed over the decades as a modern and innovative learning community offering Kindergarten through to Year 6. The school provides an environment based on the Catholic tradition with a commitment to lifelong learning, recognising each child as unique and formed in the image of God. The school community fosters a friendly, trusting collaboration between principal, teachers, parish priest and parents for the ongoing development of each child.

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.

St Joseph's Catholic School, The Strand is seeking an experienced and dedicated School Officer - Assisting Student Learning (ASL) to commence 14 October 2025 and concluding on 5 December 2025, with the potential to be extended through the 2026 school year. This is a Term Time, Fixed Term position.

The primary purpose of the School Officer - Assisting Student Learning is to contribute to the provision of a 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 ensure 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 task, 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 notetaking, 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.

To join this vibrant school community, you'll need

The ability to organise and prioritise a range of tasks and set priorities to meet deadlines in a busy environment.

Demonstrated competence and confidence in using a personal computer and relevant software packages e.g. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.

Demonstrated experience working with students with disabilities and/or special needs is desirable.

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.

Current Driver’s Licence

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 position, it may be necessary for successful applicants to be immunised against certain preventable diseases in order to minimise the risk of transmission.

For more information, please refer to the Position Description

What we offer

Competitive salary range

Annual Leave at 17.5% leave loading

Salary packaging options

Modern facilities, equipment and resources

Superannuation up to 12.75% employer contribution (in a co-contribution arrangement)

Access to long service leave after 7 years of continuous service

Up to 14 Weeks’ paid parental leave

Deferred Salary Scheme

Corporate health insurance

Induction, professional development and learning opportunities

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.