0436 848 652
About this job
Position Information
School counsellors are an essential part of the department’s School Counselling Service.
They provide counselling and psychological assessment of students to complement and enhance the work of teachers to strengthen student learning and wellbeing outcomes, and they help families understand and manage their children’s learning and mental health needs. This is a truly collegiate role offering unique challenges and opportunities – both in your professional development and your ability to make an impact on the lives of children and young people.
The successful candidate will be based at Neutral Bay Public School and provided with opportunities to work across the lifespan with both primary and high school aged students. Working as a school counsellor in a NSW public school will enable you to engage with a diversity of students (and school communities) like no other child and adolescent psychologist role can. This is a chance to use your skills to make a real difference in the lives of children and young people at a time in their lives when it matters most.
School counsellors receive regular, individual professional supervision with the Senior Psychologist Education and participate in group and peer supervision as a member of the broader district school counselling team. You will most likely be collaborating with a number of school communities and colleagues, as well as outside agencies, with the opportunity to use and expand the full range of your skills and expertise as part of a supportive, multidisciplinary team.
School counsellors are provided with regular opportunities to participate in continuing professional development and the NSW Department of Education will support you to complete or maintain your registration with the Psychology Board of Australia. Other benefits include school holiday leave, travel allowances and health and wellbeing benefits such as our Fitness Passport program. The department will also cover your indemnity insurance as a psychologist.
Neutral Bay Public School (662 enrolment with 48% EALD) is situated close to the busy commercial area of Neutral Bay. Following the opening of 19 new classrooms in 2025, it is anticipated that student enrolments will continue to increase to the school’s capacity of 809. Established in 1886, the school has a long tradition of academic excellence and is proud of its outstanding reputation for providing quality programs in all curricula as well as band, sport, languages, public speaking and student leadership. The school has enquiring and enthusiastic students, motivated and dedicated staff and supportive and committed parents and carers. Opportunity classes for academically able students in Years 5 and 6 offer extension and enrichment programs. The school has a strong focus on student wellbeing, Positive Behaviour for Learning and Visible Learning. All students are encouraged to be active participants in their own learning. Educational programs aim to develop each student's academic, social, creative, physical, cultural and citizenship ability. Literacy and numeracy achievement is enhanced through explicit teaching, utilising evidence-based, high-impact teaching strategies and collaborative practice that drives collective efficacy and supports individualised and differentiated learning. Visit the school website Neutral Bay Public School
Specific Selection Criteria
- Experience in counselling using evidence-based interventions with a demonstrated understanding of the mental health needs of children and young people.
- Experience in the psychological assessment of children and young people, including case formulation and report writing.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with key stakeholders to improve the learning and wellbeing outcomes of children and young people including students from diverse backgrounds and needs.
Conditions
- Be a registered or provisionally registered psychologist, or eligible for registration with the Psychology Board of Australia.
- Ability and willingness to travel between worksites.
- This position is under the Teachers award (Crown Employees (Teachers in Schools and Related Employees) Salaries and Conditions Award 2024). To be eligible to apply, you must have an unconditional, full approval to teach or have eligibility to apply for an approval to teach. If you do not hold a full approval to teach with the NSW Department of Education, you are required to commence the application process at the same time as you apply for this teaching opportunity.
Special Notes
Successful applicants will be provided with a Departmental induction program, ongoing professional learning and professional supervision.
Find out more about working in the school counselling service. Visit the Department’s School Counselling Service pages to discover more about working as a school psychologist or school counsellor in NSW public schools.
Applicants are to include details of their WWCC clearance number as part of this application.
About the NSW Department of Education
The Department of Education is the largest provider of public education in Australia with responsibility for delivering high-quality public education to two-thirds of the NSW student population. We welcome applications from all ages and genders, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, culturally and linguistically diverse groups, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, neurodiverse people and people with disability. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better help you shine, please contact the hiring manager using the contact details provided above. For more information, visit NSW Department of Education Diversity and Inclusion
Merit selection application guidelines for classroom teachers, executives and principals provide clear advice for applicants and selection panels. The guidelines are available here.
To meet the page limits outlined in the guidelines, all application attachments must be submitted in PDF format. Please note that late applications will not be accepted.