Lead Teacher - Primary Years in Alice Springs, Northern Territory at Childrens Ground

About Children's Ground

Children’s Ground is a First Nations organisation. The Children’s Ground Approach is designed and delivered through the leadership of First Nations people. We are committed to systems change to ensure dignity, justice and equity for all children and families. Our work focuses on national reform as well as evidencing a new way of working.

The Children’s Ground Approach is a whole of community, whole of life approach. We privilege First Nations knowledge systems and practice. Over the course of a generation, led by local expertise, we create and deliver an integrated system that is centred on learning, development and wellbeing that responds to the child and their family through the key transition points from pre-birth to young adulthood.

Our approach recognises the cultural, social, and economic strength of our communities. We build on this over a generation to ensure a future for our children and grandchildren that gives them freedom, opportunity and rights to their culture and identity.

Children’s Ground operates in Central Australia and across the Top End, with support provided by a Melbourne-based Shared Services team.

About you

You will be a Primary Educator with 5+ years teaching experience and operational leadership skills/experience. You will be comfortable working within an integrated model, working and mentoring predominantly Early Years educators. You will be comfortable working on curriculum design and differentiated teaching environments. Educational sessions are delivered on-country and the role demands a certain amount of physicality to move in outdoor settings and transport resources and materials. A Driver's License is essential, and a bus license would be a bonus.

About the role

This role combines primary teaching with embedded pedagogical and operational leadership, working across Children’s Ground learning environments in Central Australia.

The position delivers high quality primarily learning while working within an integrated model where the majority of educators are focused on Early Years. The role requires the ability to work alongside and support Early Years Educators, recognising and respecting play-based, open ended and culturally grounded approaches (including Montessori and Steiner informed practice).

A key function of the role is to bridge and strengthen practice across learning stages, ensuring primary-aged children are appropriately extended while remaining connected to shared, community based and mixed-age learning environments.

The role will work alongside First Nations and non-First Nations educators to:

· Maintain consistent quality across multiple sites

· Support educator capability through mentoring, modelling and supervision

· Ensure program delivery meets compliance and documentation requirements.

The position introduces and supports projects-based and inquiry learning for primary-aged children, complementing (not replacing) existing Early Years approaches.

In addition, the role provides formal supervision, systems oversight and administrative leadership, ensuring robust data collection, clear documentation and continuous improvement across all locations.

This role brings together teaching, supervision and systems leadership – working alongside educators and communities across Central Australia while ensuring strong, culturally grounded and consistent learning delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Learning, Wellbeing and Educational Delivery

Deliver high primary learning acrsos multiple Children’s Ground sites in Central AustraliaWork within Arrernte-kenhe Angkentye and Apmerenge-ntyele frameworks, including first language developmentTeaching and Learning cycle also promotes Children’s Ground long term educational commitment, with educators’ alignment with the Australian CurriculumDeliver learning onsite, in community and on countryDeliver primary learning that is integrated within an Early Years focused environment, ensuring older children are extended while remaining connected to shared learning experiencesImplement project based and inquiry learning approaches for primary aged children, complementing play-based and open-ended pedagogiesWork in practice alongside educator to:Model high quality teachingCo-teach and support deliveryStrengthen culturally responsive practiceDevelop and monitor individualised learning plans with children and familiesEnsure learning environment are engaging, safe and culturally responsive

Leadership, Supervision and Workforce Development

Provide day to day leadership across multiple locations and learning environmentDeliver formal one on one supervision: goal setting, reflective practice, performance feedbackWork alongside Early Years educator to strengthen practice, mentor and coach and provide feedbackAct as the primary learning specialist within a predominantly Early Years team, ensuring appropriate challenge and progression for primary-aged childrenBuild capacity of First Nations educators and local staff through strengths-based mentoringMaintain supervision documentation and performance processesBalance support and accountability to maintain high-quality deliveryAct in Deputy capacity across Central Australia sites when requires

Program Coordination, Planning & Implementation

Support planning and logistics of delivery across multiple sites and communitiesEnsure consistence and continuity of programs across Central AustraliaSupport integration across Early Years, Primary and broader service areasDevelop culturally grounded curriculum and learning resourcesEmbed project based, inquiry and experiential learning approaches for primary aged childrenSupport educators to deliver hands-on, place based and community connected learning experiences

Community Engagement and Co-Design

Build strong relationships with families, Elders and community leaders across multiple communitiesSupport community-led input into program design and deliveryWork with governance groups to guide learning directionEnsure learning reflects local cultural knowledge and aspirationsSupport staff to engage respectfully across different community contexts

Systems, Data & Compliance

Ensure consistent, accurate and timely data collection across all sitesDesign and implement templates, tools and systems to support:Planning and programmingDocumentation of learning Individual learning plansReporting and evaluationSupport educators to maintain high quality, up to date recordsEnsure documentation reflects progression across developmental stagesMonitor and ensure compliance with:Children’s Ground frameworks Educational standardsRegulatory requirementsUse data to inform continuous improvement across programs and locations

Quality Assurance & Risk Management

Maintain quality, consistency and cultural safety across all Central Australia sitesEnsure safe physical and emotional learning environmentsUphold duty of care in remote and multi-site delivery contextsSupport adherence to organisational policies and proceduresEngage with local languages by learning basic words/phrases and using them in interactions with First Nations people.Participate in professional development programs offered by Children’s Ground.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

Oversee documentation and reporting across sitesMonitor outcomes and program effectivenessSupport reflective, evidence-based practiceContribute to longitudinal evaluation work Support community led monitoring and data practices

Leadership, Strategy & Organisational Contribution

Act as a visible and values driven leader across Central Australia

Contribute to strategic planning and program development

Support integration across Children’s Ground platforms

We invite you to walk with us on this unique journey…

Benefits include an attractive remuneration package including excellent tax benefits six weeks leave (4 weeks annual leave + bonus leave).If this sounds like the role for you please apply by including your resume and a cover letter. Applications will remain open until the position has been filled.

In line with our workforce development strategy, Children's Ground strongly encourages and supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants to apply.