Assistant Principal - Wirlinga Public School

Wirlinga Public School and Public Preschool is a newly established NSW public education setting located in the growing Wirlinga/Thurgoona community, Albury. The school will open in two phases, with a 60 place a day public preschool commencing in Term 1, 2027, followed by the K–6 primary school in Term 1, 2028. The purpose-built facilities will include contemporary learning spaces, specialist support facilities, a library, hall, sporting facilities and expansive outdoor learning environments. Wirlinga is committed to establishing a high-expectations, inclusive and collaborative learning culture where every child is known, valued and supported to thrive. As a foundation school, Wirlinga offers a unique opportunity for staff to shape the school's identity, establish sustainable systems and practices, and build strong partnerships with families and the wider community. Our focus is on evidence-informed explicit teaching, complemented by trauma-informed and restorative wellbeing practices grounded in an understanding of internal psychology. We are committed to fostering self-regulation, personal responsibility, positive relationships and a strong sense of belonging within a safe and inclusive learning environment. Through continuous improvement, collective responsibility and high expectations, we aspire to be a school of choice where excellence, equity and wellbeing underpin everything we do.

Wirlinga Public School and Public Preschool is a newly established NSW public education setting located in the growing Wirlinga/Thurgoona community, Albury. The school will open in two phases, with a 60 place a day public preschool commencing in Term 1, 2027, followed by the K–6 primary school in Term 1, 2028. The purpose-built facilities will include contemporary learning spaces, specialist support facilities, a library, hall, sporting facilities and expansive outdoor learning environments. Wirlinga is committed to establishing a high-expectations, inclusive and collaborative learning culture where every child is known, valued and supported to thrive. As a foundation school, Wirlinga offers a unique opportunity for staff to shape the school's identity, establish sustainable systems and practices, and build strong partnerships with families and the wider community. Our focus is on evidence-informed explicit teaching, complemented by trauma-informed and restorative wellbeing practices grounded in an understanding of internal psychology. We are committed to fostering self-regulation, personal responsibility, positive relationships and a strong sense of belonging within a safe and inclusive learning environment. Through continuous improvement, collective responsibility and high expectations, we aspire to be a school of choice where excellence, equity and wellbeing underpin everything we do.

This is a unique opportunity for a highly skilled and motivated instructional leader to join Wirlinga Public School during its establishment phase and play a pivotal role in shaping the school's foundation pedagogy, professional culture and systems.

Throughout 2027, the successful applicant will work collaboratively with the principal and foundation staff to support the operation of Wirlinga Public Preschool while leading the development of the curriculum, assessment, explicit teaching and wellbeing frameworks in preparation for the opening of the K–6 school in 2028.

A key priority will be establishing sustainable, evidence-informed systems and structures that support consistent curriculum implementation, high-quality explicit teaching, differentiated learning and effective assessment and evaluation practices. The successful applicant will also contribute to the development of a whole-school wellbeing framework grounded in trauma-informed and restorative practices, internal psychology, positive relationships and high expectations for student behaviour, engagement and achievement.

As a foundation executive leader, the Assistant Principal will play a critical role in developing staff capability through coaching, differentiated professional learning, constructive feedback and courageous professional conversations. They will foster a collaborative and accountable professional culture, support continuous improvement and establish clear expectations that translate the school's vision into consistent and sustainable practices.

Working in partnership with the principal, preschool team, families and wider community, the successful applicant will contribute to the development of inclusive learning environments, effective operational systems and practices aligned with departmental policies and curriculum requirements.

The position requires a proactive, courageous and reflective leader who demonstrates initiative, exercises sound professional judgement and can balance strategic planning with operational responsibilities. The successful applicant will have a rare opportunity to shape the foundations of a new school, ensuring excellence, equity, inclusion and collective responsibility are embedded from the outset.

In addition to the general selection criteria, approval to teach infants and/or primary

1. Demonstrated ability to lead the implementation and evaluation of evidence-informed explicit teaching practices, with measurable impact on teacher practice and student learning outcomes.

2. Proven ability to use coaching, constructive feedback and professional conversations to address challenging staff performance matters and achieve measurable improvement in professional practice.

3. Proven ability to initiate, implement and embed a school improvement initiative through effective systems, structures and evaluation processes that sustain measurable improvements over time.

4. Demonstrated ability to establish and strengthen a positive, collaborative and accountable school culture through clear expectations, shared practices and collective responsibility for continuous improvement.

In addition to the general selection criteria, approval to teach infants and/or primary

1. Demonstrated ability to lead the implementation and evaluation of evidence-informed explicit teaching practices, with measurable impact on teacher practice and student learning outcomes.

2. Proven ability to use coaching, constructive feedback and professional conversations to address challenging staff performance matters and achieve measurable improvement in professional practice.

3. Proven ability to initiate, implement and embed a school improvement initiative through effective systems, structures and evaluation processes that sustain measurable improvements over time.

4. Demonstrated ability to establish and strengthen a positive, collaborative and accountable school culture through clear expectations, shared practices and collective responsibility for continuous improvement.

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.

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.

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.

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.

For technical support please contact School Recruitment Support at 1300 863 694.

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.

For technical support please contact School Recruitment Support at 1300 863 694.