02 49901637
About this job
Position Information
Cessnock West Public School is located in Cessnock on Wonnarua, Darkinjung and Awabakal Country. The school has an enrolment of approximately 400 students, including 35% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and 8% students from a Language Background other than English. The school has 17 classes including an Opportunity Class (OC) on site for students in Stage 3. The school values its diverse community and is committed to evidence-based and trauma-informed practices to deliver high-quality education.
Our teaching staff includes both experienced and early career teachers who share a strong commitment to evidence-informed teaching, with a focus on literacy, numeracy, and student engagement. The school has strong connections to the Korreil Wonnai AECG, Cessnock Community of Great Public Schools, Cessnock Principals Network and an active and supportive Parents and Citizens Association.
Our vision is to provide a safe and inclusive environment of continual improvement that embraces student strength, resilience, wellbeing and a love of learning through a collaborative, contemporary lens.
From the beginning of the 2026 school year, Cessnock West Public School will establish its first Intensive Learning Support – Mental Health class. This class will provide a specialised, structured learning environment with personalised support for students with complex mental health needs. The successful applicant will play a foundational role in establishing high-quality teaching, wellbeing and inclusion practices that reflect departmental policies and contemporary best practice in special education.
The teacher appointed to this position will work collaboratively with all stake holders to design meaningful learning experiences that maximise student engagement, and growth. A strong commitment to inclusive practice, high expectations and evidence-based teaching is essential.
Specific Selection Criteria
1. Approval to teach special education, experience and/or expertise in teaching students with complex mental health and behavioral learning and support needs, with proven skills in applying teaching strategies to foster high expectations and student engagement.
2. Demonstrated ability to implement effective classroom management and inclusive behaviour support strategies, including early identification and de-escalation of escalating behaviours, to create a safe, engaging and positive learning environment.
3. Highly developed interpersonal skills and capacity to effectively collaborate with key stakeholders including students, school staff, parents and carers and external agencies, to build culturally respectful relationships and enhance a culture of inclusivity.
Conditions
An unconditional full approval to teach is a requirement. 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
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 and people with disability. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better enable you to shine, please contact the Diversity and Inclusion Team (dandi@det.nsw.edu.au) or visit NSW Department of Education Diversity and Inclusion
New merit selection application guidelines for classroom teachers, executives and principals have been introduced to provide greater clarity to applicants and selection panels. The guidelines are located here. To ensure that your application complies with the guideline page limits, your attachments must be in PDF format.