South Wellington Intermediate School is a state school and its Board of Trustees has been given power under the Education Act 1989 to control the management of the school. The Board is a legal body with legal obligations to govern the school in accordance with the Acts and Regulations of Parliament, and within the school’s own charter.
Governance
The board emphasises strategic leadership rather than administrative detail, has a clear distinction of board and staff roles, concentrates on the future rather than the past or present, and is pro-active rather than reactive.
Management
The board delegates all authority and accountability for the day-to-day operational organisation of the school to the Principal.
Education Act 1989, Section 75 and 76
The legal responsibility of boards of trustees is determined by Section 75 of the Education Act 1989:
s.75 Boards to control management of schools –
Except to the extent that any enactment or the general law of New Zealand provides otherwise, a school’s board has complete discretion to control the management of the school as it thinks fit.
s.76 Principals –
(1) A school’s principal is the board’s chief executive in relation to the school’s control and management.
(2) Except to the extent that any enactment or the general law of New Zealand provides otherwise, the principal –
Shall comply with the board’s general policy directions; and
Subject to paragraph (a) of this subsection, has complete discretion to manage as the principal thinks fit the school’s day to day administration.
Roles within the Board
Chairperson
The chairperson is the elected leader of the board. Their prime role is to take an overview of the board’s responsibilities by ensuring that all the work of the board gets done. The chairperson is elected by fellow trustees and any trustee, with the exception of the principal and staff trustee, can be elected chairperson.
The chairperson’s role is a key one. It is reliant on the chairperson developing and maintaining a good working relationship with the principal to ensure the smooth and efficient governance of the school.
The functions of the chairperson include:
Leader and spokesperson of the board
Chair meetings of the board
Planning meetings and ensuring that follow up actions are completed and reported
Liaise regularly with the principal
Principal
The principal is a trustee and the chief executive officer of the school and has the overall responsibility for the day to day management of the school within the policies, procedures and delegations established and approved by the board.
The Ministry has defined the role of the principal as:
By law, a full member of the board
Provides information and guidance to the board
Acts as the educational leader of the school
Manages the school within the law and in line with board policies and goals
Oversees the day to day running of the school
Makes recommendations to the board on the appointment of staff
Oversees teacher appraisals and staff development programmes
The functions of the principal as the chief executive officer of the school include:
The management of the school
The professional leader of the school
The educational leader of the school
Delegated appointment of staff
Delegated performance appraisal of staff
Staff professional development
Reporting to the board
Provide the board with timely advice
Liaise regularly with the board chairperson
Board Members (elected and co-opted)
It is expected that trustees will:
Regularly attend board meetings and allocated committee meetings
Undertake the required readings (agendas, working papers etc.)
Undertake the tasks allocated to them
Take advantage of trustee training and other professional development opportunities
Adhere to the board code of conduct
Staff Trustee
The staff trustee reports the views of the staff and reports to staff on the decisions of the board. The staff trustee has the same rights as other trustees and must adhere to the same principles as all other trustees.
The staff trustee must be aware of their relationship with the principal, open communication is vital as there should be ‘no surprises’ at board meetings.
Board Code of Conduct
The South Wellington Intermediate School Board of Trustees agrees to adhere to the following code of conduct.
The board is charged with governance of the school. Effective governance has its base in co-operative partnership which is underpinned by a blend of professional expertise and community involvement. The board needs to promote a positive and effective relationship between the trustees and staff to ensure that the educational well-being of students is maintained.
The South Wellington Intermediate School Trustees shall:
Ensure that the needs of all students and their learning is paramount;
Ensure that all students are provided with an education which respects their dignity, rights and individuality, and which challenges them to achieve personal standards of excellence and to reach their full potential;
Respect the integrity of staff, the principal, parents and students;
Be loyal to the board, the school and the Charter;
Maintain the confidentiality and the trust vested in them;
Ensure strict confidentiality of the papers and information related to the board’s employer role;
Act as good employers;
Where possible ensure that any disagreements with the collective stance on matters relating to the employer position are resolved in-house;
Not to act independently of the board’s decisions;
Use South Wellington Intermediate Schools own processes to consult with Maori;
Acknowledge and accept that the principal is the professional leader of the school and is responsible to the board.
NATIONAL EDUCATION GUIDELINES (NEGs)
1.National Education Goals
Education is at the core of our nation’s effort to achieve economic and social progress. In recognition of the fundamental importance of education, the government sets the following goals for the education system of New Zealand.
1.The highest standards of achievement, through programmes which enable all students to realise their full potential as individuals, and to develop the values needed to become full member of New Zealand society.
2.Equality of educational opportunity for all New Zealanders, by identifying the removing barriers to achievement.
3.Development of the knowledge, understanding, and skills needed by New Zealanders to compete successfully in the modern, ever changing world.
4.A sound foundation in the early years for future learning and achievement through programmes which include support for parents in their vital role as their children’s first teachers.
5.A broad education through a balanced curriculum covering the essential learning areas with high levels of competence in basic literacy and numeracy, science and technology.
6.Excellence achieved through the establishment of clear learning objectives, monitoring student performance against those objectives, and programmes to meet individual need.
7.Success in their learning for those with special needs by ensuring that they are identified and receive appropriate support.
8.Access for students to a nationally and internationally recognised qualifications system to encourage a high level of participation in post school education in New Zealand.
9.Increased participation and success by Maori through the advancement of Maori education initiatives, including education in Te Reo Maori, consistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.
10.Respect for the diverse ethnic and cultural heritage of New Zealand people, with acknowledgement of the unique place of Maori, and New Zealand’s role in the Pacific and as a member of the international community of nations.
The implications for boards of trustees will vary depending on such factors as community goals, the needs of the students etc.
Through schools charters, boards have made a commitment to work towards these goals and will be measured against them.
National Administration Guidelines (NAGs)
NAG 1
The South Wellington Intermediate School Board of Trustees is required to foster student achievement by providing teaching and learning programmes which incorporate the New Zealand Curriculum (essential learning areas, essential skills and attitudes and values) as expressed in National Curriculum Statements.
The board, through the principal and staff, is required to:
i)develop and implement teaching and learning programmes:
·to provide all students in years 1 –10 with opportunities to achieve for success in all the essential learning and skill areas of the new Zealand Curriculum;
·giving priority to student achievement in literacy and numeracy, especially in years 1-4;
ii)through a range of assessment practices, gather information that is sufficiently comprehensive to enable the progress and achievement of students to be evaluated; giving priority first to:
·student achievement in literacy and numeracy, especially in years 1–4; and then to:
·breath and depth of learning related to needs, abilities and interests of students, the nature of the school’s curriculum, the scope of the New Zealand Curriculum (as expressed in the National Curriculum Statements):
iii)on the basis of good quality assessment information, identify students and groups of students:
·who are not achieving;
·who are at risk of not achieving;
·who have special needs;
and
·aspects of the curriculum which require particular attention;
iv)develop and implement teaching and learning strategies to address the needs of students and aspects of the curriculum identified in iii above;
v)in consultation with the school’s Maori community, develop and make known to the school’s community policies, plans and targets for improving the achievement of Maori students:
vi)provide appropriate career information and guidance for all students in year 7 and above, with a particular emphasis on specific career guidance for those students who have been identified by the school as being at risk of leaving school unprepared for the transition to the workplace or further education/training.
NAG 2
The South Wellington Intermediate School Board of Trustees with the Principal and teaching staff is required to:
i)develop a strategic plan which documents how the board is giving effect to the national Education Guidelines through their policies, plans and programmes, including those for curriculum, assessment and staff professional development;
ii)maintain an on-going programme of self-review in relation to the above policies, plans and programmes, including evaluation of information on student achievement;
iii)report to students and their parents on the achievement of individual students, and to the school’s community on the achievement of students as a whole and groups (identified in NAG 1 iii0), including the achievement of Maori students against the plans and targets that is referred to in NAG 1 v.
NAG 3
According to the legislation on employment and personnel matters, the South Wellington Intermediate School Board of Trustees is required in particular to:
·develop and implement personnel and industrial policies, within policy and procedural frameworks set by the government from time to time, which promote high levels of staff performance, use educational resources effectively, and recognise the needs of students.
·be a good employer as defined in the State Sector Act 1988 and comply with the conditions contained in employment contracts applying to teaching and non-teaching staff.
NAG 4
According to legislation on financial and property matters, the South Wellington Intermediate School Board of Trustees is also required in particular to:
·allocate funds to reflect the school’s priorities as stated in the charter.
·monitor and control school expenditure, and ensure that annual accounts are prepared and audited as required by the Public Finance Act 1989 and the Education Act 1989.
·comply with the negotiated conditions of any current asset management agreement, and implement a maintenance programme to ensure that the school’s buildings and facilities provide a safe, healthy, learning environment for students.
NAG 5
The South Wellington Intermediate School Board of Trustees is also required to:
·provide a safe physical and emotional environment for students.
·comply in full with any legislation currently in force or that may be developed to ensure the safety of students and employees.
NAG 6
The South Wellington Intermediate School Board of Trustees is also expected to comply with all general legislation concerning requirements such as attendance, the length of the school day, and the length of the school year.
