Head Teacher Special Education - Pennant Hills High School

• Job Reference: 0000BB3U
• Closing date: August 26, 2026, 2 a.m. (AEST)
• Location: Laurence St, Pennant Hills 2120 NSW, Australia
• Type: Full-Time
• Status: Permanent
• Contact: Ross Warren 02 9473 5000

About this job

Position Information

Pennant Hills High School is a large, coeducational, comprehensive high school with an enrolment of 1,086 students, including 31% from non-English speaking backgrounds and thirteen students who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. There are academically selected classes in Stage 4. The school has a proud tradition of high achievement in academic, sporting and cultural pursuits, and there is a broad curriculum choice across all stages. Extensive curriculum enrichment programs ensure high levels of student engagement. Strong, positive relationships exist between staff, students and the community, ensuring a stimulating and rich learning environment in which students are supported and encouraged to achieve their personal best. The school has implemented a Positive Behaviour For Learning (PBL) program based on the established core values of responsibility, integrity and achievement. A strong commitment to developing student leadership capacity is evident through an active Student Leadership Council. Students are taught in a technology-rich environment by experienced, committed teachers. A Inclusive Education Unit caters for students with a mild or moderate intellectual disability as well as autism and complex learning needs. There is a strong culture of inclusivity of students with a disability throughout the school.

General Selection Criteria

1. Successful teaching experience with capacity to initiate improvement in teaching, learning and classroom practice
2. Knowledge of curriculum, assessment and student welfare with the ability to lead and design quality, inclusive teaching and learning programs
3. Educational leadership skills to build the capacity and manage the performance of individuals and teams
4. Well developed communication and interpersonal skills with the capacity to build relationships and engage students, staff and parents
5. Ability to plan and manage resources effectively and equitably to support teaching and learning
6. Knowledge of and commitment to the Department's Aboriginal education policy

Specific Selection Criteria

Applicants must satisfy the teacher training and academic qualification requirements for this position. In addition to the general selection criteria,

Approved to teach special education with experience supporting students with moderate (IO) and mild (IM) intellectual impairment, autism, and complex learning needs, and skilled in leading collaborative development of Individual Education Plans to support the social, emotional, personal, behavioural and academic learning needs of students.

Exemplary classroom practitioner with the ability to inspire, mentor and build capacity of a team of teachers and SLSOs to engage a diverse range of students in rich, differentiated teaching and learning programs in order to nurture, guide, inspire and challenge students to achieve their potential.

Outstanding leadership, communication and interpersonal skills to lead a collaborative team, building positive, inclusive, trusting relationships with students, parents, staff, external agencies and the wider community.

Demonstrated strong organisational and administrative skills in managing 5 inclusive education classes, balancing classroom teaching with supervisory duties, and leading transition programs from Year 6 to 7 and post-school, ensuring compliance with school, Department, and NESA policies.

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.

All Department of Education employees working in an SSP are required to be vaccinated as outlined at Vaccination requirements for school sites (nsw.gov.au). The successful candidate for this position will be required to confirm vaccination status prior to the department finalising their appointment and entry on duty. Find the department’s latest advice on COVID-19 (coronavirus) at https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19.

Special Notes

The Eligibility Requirements for Head Teacher Positions in NSW Government Schools are located here.

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 people of all backgrounds, including but not limited to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, people of any age or gender, people from culturally and linguistically diverse groups and/or from the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, refugees, people with disability, people with sensory differences, and neurodiverse people. If we can make some adjustments to our recruitment/interview process to better help you shine, please reach out to the contact person for this recruitment, details listed above. For more information, visit the NSW Department of Education’s Diversity, equity and inclusion webpage.

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.

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