This is a 12 month fixed term, full-time position commencing Term 1, 2026 with possible extension and/or permanency
Where Students Shine and Careers Thrive
Imagine waking up to a breathtaking Pilbara sunrise, just a short walk from work – it’s just the beginning! You can spend your evenings exploring local water holes, and weekends camping, or discovering the ancient gorges of Karijini National Park. Tom Price offers a lifestyle where adventure and connection await. You'll join a vibrant, multicultural community with deep roots in the ancient Aboriginal heritage of the Eastern Guruma people. Beyond your career, you can immerse yourself in a thriving local arts and culture scene, surrounded by stunning landscapes and a down-to-earth atmosphere.
At Tom Price Senior High School (SHS), we're dedicated to empowering our students to achieve their full potential in our supportive and welcoming learning environment. Our vision is to inspire a passion for learning in every student and foster a community where diversity is celebrated, and personal bests are achieved. We live by our core values of Respect, Inclusivity, Personal Best and Responsibility which guide everything we do.
We offer a wide range of educational programs, including both Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and Vocational Education and Training (VET) options. Our strong partnership with the University of Western Australia's Aspire program has a proven track record of helping our Year 12 students gain university acceptance. Our VET program thrives with the support of local businesses and industry, providing students with invaluable real-world learning experiences and nationally accredited vocational qualifications.
Our commitment to integrating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education through project-based learning in partnership with the CoRE (Centre of Resource Excellence Program) Academy, connects curriculum to industry, setting students on a pathway to success. Our Emergency Services Cadet Corps, with over 100 cadets, offers hands-on training in first aid and fire safety, providing leadership and other lifelong skills. by State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers and other emergency service personnel. The program is highly recognised, having won multiple awards, including the prestigious Cadet Unit Achievement Award at the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Youth Programs Awards and is considered one of the strongest cadet units in Western Australia. We’re also proud to partner with the Graham (Polly) Farmer Foundation and the Follow the Dream program to support our Indigenous students in achieving outstanding success.
Come join us and bring your unique skills and passion to a community where you can truly make a difference, inspiring the next generation in the heart of the Pilbara.
Find out more about our school by visiting www.tompriceshs.wa.edu.au or Schools Online, and teaching at Tom Price SHS by viewing the video below.
Location and Community
Tom Price sits within the Shire of Ashburton and is some 747 metres above sea level, making it the highest town in Western Austalia and a haven for the weary traveller. It’s a modern fully-serviced town designed to blend with the natural environment – an ideal base if you’re wanting to explore the natural wonders of the Karijini and Millstream Chichester National Parks.
Tom Price is a picturesque, modern and fully serviced town designed to blend with the natural environment. Facilities include: a major supermarket, doctor, hospital, fuel outlets, library, primary schools, a secondary school, Technical and Further Education (TAFE), motels and restaurants. There are several parks and gardens within the town, which are well maintained and provide an abundance of shade, suitable for a family BBQ, ball games or just a snooze under a tree.
The love of sport and the outdoor life in Tom Price is evident, with the majority of sports catered for. The town is home to three large ovals, tennis, netball, basketball and squash courts as well as a lawn bowls green, an indoor cricket centre, an eighteen-hole golf course and an Olympic size swimming pool.
The town has a strong volunteering ethos with many organisations you can be a part of including SES and St John’s Ambulance.
For more information about Tom Price visit the Shire of Ashburton.
The Role
The Follow the Dream Coordinator is a passionate and relentless champion for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student success. This role goes beyond traditional academic support to ensure that students not only achieve their educational goals but also thrive as confident and powerful members of their community. You will be a key figure in creating a supportive environment where every student is empowered to succeed academically while maintaining a strong sense of cultural identity and pride. Your leadership will be pivotal in shaping a positive school culture where students feel a profound sense of belonging.
As the Follow the Dream Coordinator, you will provide essential strategic leadership, effectively integrating all aspects of the program into the school's operations. This involves planning, organizing, and managing the program from end to end. You will be responsible for overseeing all facets of the program, from coordinating academic and cultural initiatives to managing resources. Your ability to align the program's objectives with the broader school vision will be crucial in ensuring a seamless and effective support system for our students.
This role is centred on the belief that a strong cultural identity is fundamental to a student's success. The coordinator will be tasked with creating an environment where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is celebrated and uplifted. By providing unique opportunities for leadership development and community engagement, you will help students become powerful advocates for themselves and their people. You will guide them on a journey of self-discovery, helping them to build the confidence and skills necessary to pursue their dreams and become the leaders of tomorrow.
About You
The ideal candidate for this role is a highly experienced and dedicated teacher and leader with the following skills:
- Relationship Building and Community Engagement: Demonstrated ability to foster strong, trusting relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, parents, families, and the wider community.
- Individualised Planning and Case Management: Exceptional case management and interpersonal skills required to understand each student's unique aspirations and learning needs whilst working collaboratively with families to co-design personalised plans ensuring success.
- Program Management: The capacity to manage and organize various program elements, including experiential opportunities like camps and university visits.
- Team Leadership: Proven ability to recruit, manage, and provide professional learning for tutors, that builds their skills and capacity to collaboratively develop tutoring plans, ensuring they meet the unique learning needs of our students.
- Financial Management: Experienced in monitoring and managing program budgets to ensure accountability and financial efficiency.”
- Cultural Responsiveness and Advocacy: Established competence in the crucial skill of demonstrating, articulating, and promoting culturally responsive approaches to celebrate and support students' Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural identity and to lead the school to continue to build its collective efficacy in Cultural Responsiveness.
- Strategic Communication and Promotion: The aptitude to advocate for and promote the "Follow the Dream" program to various stakeholders, including schools and the broader community.
Professional Benefits
Working for the Department of Education comes with a wide range of benefits designed to support both your professional and personal well-being. These benefits include competitive salaries, flexible working arrangements, extensive training and career development opportunities, and attractive leave provisions. Here are some of the key benefits you will enjoy:
- Attractive Country Teaching Program Allowance of $10 210 per year
- District allowance of $9 299 a year
- Temporary Attraction and Retention Incentive of $7 000 see info below
- 12 percent employer contributions to superannuation
- 12 weeks’ vacation leave (school holidays)
- More than 20 days of other leave, including sick leave and carers’ leave
- Subsidised accommodation where applicable
- Free relocation
- Air-conditioning subsidy
- Additional travel concessions
Teachers and school administrators employed at Tom Price Senior High School in 2026 are eligible to receive a temporary Attraction and Retention Incentive of $7 000 (pa, gross – to be adjusted pro rata for FTE and tenure). Eligible staff will receive a percentage of this payment on commencement at the school, with the remainder paid at the end of the school year. Staff must remain employed in the location until the end of the school year to be eligible to receive the second payment.
The temporary ARI payment is in addition to other incentives that may apply in this school.
Find out more about the benefits by visiting professional and personal benefits.
For additional information to all allowances and housing please contact Housing and Transport at housing.transport@education.wa.edu.au or on (08) 9264 5154.
Want to know more?
Full details of the role, selection criteria and training requirements are listed in the attached Job Description Form (JDF).
For more information about this opportunity, please contact Stephanie McDonald, Principal on (08) 9143 8100 or emailing stephanie.mcdonald@education.wa.edu.au
Equity and Diversity
We are committed to an inclusive and culturally responsive workforce reflecting the diversity in our schools and the Western Australian community. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, young people, people of diverse sexualities and genders, people with disability, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Explore our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Plan 2021-2025 for more details.
Eligibility
To work with us, you must:
- be an Australian or New Zealand citizen, permanent resident or have a valid visa with relevant work rights for the term of the appointment.
- hold registration with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia
- obtain a valid Working With Children Check before you start; and
- consent to a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check and obtain a current Screening Clearance Number issued by the Department of Education’s Screening Unit before you start.
More information about employment eligibility can be found on our website or in the attached application package.
Additional eligibility and training requirements are outlined in the attached Job Description Form (JDF).
Application Instructions
Apply online in two easy steps:
Step 1: Select Apply for Job
Complete the online application form, including details of two (2) work related referees, preferably one (1) being your current line manager.
Step 2: Attach your documents
Your application should include:
- A CV of up to three (3) pages outlining your employment history and professional learning summary relevant to this position
- A three (3) page statement addressing the following selection criteria as outlined in the attached JDF
- Demonstrated extensive knowledge and understanding of teaching and learning practices, particularly relating to Aboriginal students and their communities.
- Demonstrated extensive skills and experience in developing, implementing and evaluating learning programs and strategies at a school, region or system level.
- Demonstrated capacity to manage physical and financial resources.
- Demonstrated ability to provide strategic leadership that builds capacity, deals effectively with change and generates innovative solutions related to achieving educational outcomes.
- Demonstrated highly developed written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to conduct research, prepare reports and establish effective working relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to achieve planned outcomes.
It is recommended you have your attachments ready before selecting Apply for Job.
Your application must be received before the closing date and time. Late applications will not be accepted.
For technical support submitting your application, you can call the Department of Education’s Recruitment team on (08) 9264 4127 for assistance.
Advertised Vacancy Number: IPS/SA1013753
Suitable applicants may be considered for similar vacancies arising within the next 12 months following this selection process. This may include circumstances where the successful applicant declines or vacates the position.
The Department applies a four (4) day breach period to this selection process.
Applications close: 4.30pm (AWST) on Monday, 15 December 2025
