GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK
Effective Date:
The Minister of Education has issued National Administration Guidelines 7 and 8 (NAG 7, 8) to all schools,
which states:
National Administration Guideline 7
Each board of trustees is required to complete an annual update of the school charter for each school it
administers, and provide the Secretary for Education with a copy of the updated school charter before 1
March of the relevant year.
National Administration Guideline 8
Each board of trustees is required to provide a statement providing an analysis of any variance between
the school's performance and the relevant aims, objectives, directions, priorities, or targets set out in the
school charter at the same time as the updated school charter provided to the Secretary for Education
under NAG 7.
NAG 8 applies in relation to schools with students enrolled in years 1-8 from the 2013 school year, and
all schools from the 2014 school year.
*Schools that have students in years 1–8 that use The New Zealand Curriculum must use National
Standards for those students and schools that have students in years 1–8 that use Te Marautanga o
Aotearoa must use Ngā Whanaketanga Rumaki Māori for those students.
Policy Statement
This policy details the school’s strategies to deliver on NAG 7 and 8. These policies deal
with the governance of the school and ensure the Board is held accountable and abides by
the codes of conduct.
Scope
These policies apply to the members of the Board and staff at the school.
Purpose
1.
Trustees Roles and Code of Conduct
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2.
To ensure Board members will observe the Codes of Conduct to ensure the
school continues to have a happy, secure and caring environment.
The Board’s Consultation with the Community
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3.
The Board is elected by the community and therefore is accountable to it.
Through consultation, the Board can better utilise the experience, knowledge
and skills of the community to assist in the administration and learning of the
school.
Consultation also enables the Board to better understand the expectations
and requirements of the community when reviewing the School Charter and
implementing the New Zealand Curriculum.
To enable all members of the school community and equal opportunity to
express their views about learning needs and the development of their
school.
To inform the community of decisions reached by the Board.
To actively seek the viewpoints of the community and thus ensure the Board
fully understands the needs of the community.
To provide opportunities through which members of the community can share
their experience, knowledge and skills.
Principal’s Performance Management
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To ensure that the Principal is accountable for managing the school and
providing an effective teaching and learning programme.
To provide feedback about performance, achievement, strengths and
development needs.
To appraise performance in relation to the achievement of agreed goals.
To provide direction in development programmes that are appropriate to both
individual and school needs.
Strategies
The Board has approved the following strategies:
1. Trustee Roles and Codes of Conduct
(a) The Board and Principal agree to adhere to the roles and Codes of Conduct as detailed
in the NZSTA Trustee Handbook.
(b) The Board further agrees to adhere to the following Code of Ethics and individualised
Code of Conduct which is reviewed and signed at the beginning of each year.
Code of Ethics for the Board
The Board is committed to ethical conduct in all areas of its responsibilities and authority.
Trustees shall:
(a) Ensure the needs of all students and their achievements are paramount.
(b) Be loyal to the organisation and its mission.
(c) Respect the integrity of the Principal and staff.
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(d) Observe the confidentiality of non-public information acquired in their roles as
trustees and not disclose to any other persons such information that might be harmful
to the school.
(e) Be diligent and attend board meetings prepared for full and appropriate participation
in decision making.
(f) Ensure that individual trustees do not act independently of the Board’s decisions.
(g) Speak with one voice through its adopted policies and ensure any disagreements with
the Board’s stance are resolved within the Board.
(h) Avoid any conflicts of interest with respect to their fiduciary responsibility.
(i) Recognise the lack of authority in any individual trustee or subgroup of the Board in
any interaction with the Principal or staff.
(j) Recognise that only the Chairperson can speak for the Board.
(k) Continually self-monitor their individual performance as trustees against policies and
against any other current board evaluation tools.
Source: Keys to Effective Trusteeship, NZSTA, Elaine Hines and Lesley Moffat, 2004.
Code of Conduct for the Board
In order to govern the school through effective trusteeship and to ensure that all students
at the school are provided with the best possible teaching and learning opportunities.
Trustees agree to:
(a) Attend all Board meetings when possible.
(b) Supply reports to the Board on due dates with distribution as required.
(c) Arrive on time and come prepared for meetings with papers read and documents
copied as required.
(d) Advise agenda items in advance of meeting.
(e) Carry out promptly any actions that arise from a meeting for which a trustee is
personally responsible.
(f) Practice excellent communication by responding promptly to telephone calls, emails
and other forms of communication.
(g) Take advantage of training workshops provided by WWSTA and NZSTA, and ensure
ongoing professional development. Commit to attending at least one workshop or
conference per year.
(h) Adhere to meeting protocol as set out by NZSTA Trusteeship, A Guide for School
Trustees (copy http://www.nzsta.org.nz).
(i) Behave and speak respectfully at meetings: no name calling, put-downs, insults etc.
Use “I” statements.
(j) Declare any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest prior to discussions
commencing, or as soon as it becomes apparent that a member or members may
have a conflict of interest. The Board will decide jointly on whether the member(s)
should absent themselves from the meeting for that item, or take some other
appropriate step to manage the conflict.
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(k) Be clear that the trustee’s role, and understand that, irrespective of background and
skill brought to the Board as individuals, trustees work jointly to achieve the Board’s
primary aim of providing governance for the school’s management.
(l) The Chairperson of the Board will ensure that all Board members sign a declaration to
agree to adhere to the principles and practices outlined in the above Codes of Conduct
and Ethics.
2. The Board’s Consultation with the Community
(a) The Board will be receptive to the views of the community.
(b) A variety of communication methods will be used, for example, newsletters, school
meetings, informal meetings, telephone trees and emails.
(c) The Board will be members of the school Parent Teacher Association and regularly
attend monthly meetings
3. Principal’s Performance Management
(a) The Board will ensure an annual performance appraisal of the Principal is carried out.
(b) The Principal will be appraised on the basis of an established Performance Agreement.
This Agreement will include a job description devised around the 2009 Professional
Standards for Principals, and a set of performance expectations and development
objectives.
(c) The Chairperson of the Board and a Board appointed independent education
professional will conduct the Principal’s appraisal.
(d) The appraisal documents are confidential to the appraisers and the Principal.
(e) The Chairperson of the Board will keep the appraisal document of the Principal in
accordance with The Public Records Act 2005.
(f) The Principal is responsible for ensuring that outcomes of appraisals are acted upon.
(g) The Chairperson of the Board will report to the Board that the Principal’s appraisal has
been completed. If there is any relevant discussion, it will be held in committee.
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