Education Queensland is committed to providing high-quality educational programs and services that enable all students to access, participate and achieve in learning. To achieve this, the Department endeavours to attract, retain and develop a high-quality, skilled and professional workforce that reflects the diversity of Queensland's population and is capable of delivering for the future needs of Queensland.
The leadership provided by school administrators is critical to improving the educational outcomes of students in their schools. School administrators have a major influence on whole school planning for quality teaching and learning, and nurturing positive relationships between students, teachers and stakeholders.
The quality of teaching and learning in schools directly affects how students view themselves as learners, their attitude towards school, their capacity to engage in further education or training and their potential to be productively employed as young adults, and contribute to their community.
It is acknowledged that teachers play a critical role in facilitating student learning and achievement. Teachers have high expectations for the learning of all students and understand that the student is at the centre of all teaching and learning.
Teachers align their planning, teaching, assessment and reporting to the curriculum to maximise the learning of all their students. As students have different learning needs, levels of readiness, interests and preferences, teachers work to ensure that all students are engaged and challenged in learning. This occurs by using a range of teaching strategies and learning activities over time and in different contexts.
Teachers work collaboratively with other teachers and specialist staff to provide multiple opportunities for students to learn and to demonstrate their learning.
Through participation in local planning processes, advisory visiting teachers (AVTs) can provide a range of support options to schools including:
AVTs work collaboratively with teachers and other specialist staff to enhance engagement and achievement in learning for students with disabilities.
A vital part of a HOSES' role is to support the curriculum cycle (planning, teaching and learning, assessment and reporting) to enable achievement of the best-quality learning outcomes for all students. In particular HOSES are responsible for facilitating collaborative planning to ensure that students with disabilities are fully engaged in learning from the mandated curriculum outlined in the Australian Curriculum, P-12 Curriculum Framework, the Roadmap P-10 and school planning documents.
While teachers focus on teaching and learning in the key learning areas, speech-language pathologists work as part of the educational team to maximise students' access, participation and achievement of competencies in interpersonal communication, literacy, numeracy and other key learning areas. This is achieved directly in state schools through services including assessment, diagnosis, intervention, evaluation, consultation, liaison, advocacy, in-service training, community education and research.
Occupational therapists work as members of the education team to assist students to achieve optimal wellbeing, function, independence and productivity in school. They focus on skills for everyday life including:
Physiotherapists work as members of the education team to assist students with disabilities in developing movement skills. Physiotherapist's knowledge of posture, motor skills and fitness enables their support of students' access, participation and educational outcomes through goal focused assessment and strategies that are embedded in curriculum and school programs. They advise and assist teachers with:
Nursing services in Education Queensland are provided to support students requiring specific health interventions, enabling them to access and participate in an educational program. The purpose of this service is to build the capacity of school personnel to safely and competently manage the health requirements of students with a verified disability and/or specialised health needs.
Health support is provided through nursing assessment, development of individual and emergency health plans, the provision of the required training and ongoing assistance to school personnel implementing the health plans.
This page was last reviewed on 08 Dec 2011
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By law, equitable education opportunities must be made available for all students. All staff should be aware that Education Queensland policies are based on legislation. Look at these and other sources of information on legislation and policy.
Find more information about the professional roles of specialist staff.
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© The State of Queensland (Department of Education and Training) 2008.