The Board has established the following governance model based on its primary focus being pupil achievement and strategic leadership. It is the Principal’s responsibility to lead the day-to-day operations of the school and to provide assurance and variance reports for the Board to consider at each meeting, coupled with decision recommendations for the Board to consider.

1. Committee Principles

The Board may set up committees to help carry out its responsibilities and due process (eg. staff appointments, internal audit, discipline).

Education Act 1989, section 66 - gives the Board the authority to delegate any of its powers to a special committee except the power to borrow money.

The Board must spell out in the Board minutes and in a letter to each committee member the precise powers that are delegated to a committee. In addition the same delegation motion must name the members or how the committee will be constituted. For example, the committee can:

a) Investigate and report their findings to the Board.

b) Investigate and make any recommendations based on those findings to the Board.

c) Investigate, come to conclusions based on what they have discovered and have the power to act upon those conclusions, then report to the Board what they did.

Board committees:

a) Are to be used sparingly to preserve the Board functioning as a whole when other methods have been deemed inadequate.

b) Can consist of non-trustees. Committees must have a minimum number of 2 persons, at least one of whom must be a trustee.

c) May not speak or act for the Board except when formally given such authority for specific and time-limited purposes. Such authority will be carefully stated in order not to conflict with authority delegated to the Principal.

d) Help the Board (not the administration) do its work.

e) [Other than the Board Discipline Committee] must act through the Board and therefore can only recommend courses of action to the Board and have no authority to act without the delegated authority of the Board

f) Assist the Board chiefly by preparing policy alternatives and implications for Board deliberation. Board committees are not to be created by the Board to advise staff.

g) All have the Chair and Principal as ex-officio members with the exception of an audit committee.

h) Are to have terms of reference drawn up as required. It is suggested that these contain information about the following:

· purpose

· committee members

· duties and responsibilities

· delegated authority

2. Board Committees

Finance Committee

[Standing]

Responsibility of the Board

The Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the financial management of the school. The day-to-day management of the school’s finance and budget rests with the Principal.

The Finance Committee as a committee of the Board is responsible for providing guidance to the Principal for financial matters.

Purpose of the Finance Committee

The Finance Committee was formed to provide guidance to the Principal in the financial management of the school.

Terms of Reference

The Finance Committee is responsible to the board for:

a) In association with the Principal, recommending an annual operating and capital budget, including professional development budget allocation for the Principal and the staff.

b) Determining the level of budgetary discretion available to the Principal. (see delegated authorities)

c) Monitoring and reporting on the annual budget via the Principal.

d) Review on behalf of the board accounts passed for payment by the school. Advising on additional funding sources (spot audits 2 times a year).

e) Where appropriate, assisting the Principal to prepare a financial results report, which is to be provided to the Board by the Principal as part of every Principal’s report.

f) Recommending changes to financial policy.

g) Overseeing the preparation of the annual accounts for Board approval.

h) Assisting the Principal in reporting financial performance to parents and the community as appropriate.

i) Providing input into the school’s Strategic Plan.

j) Preparing special reports for consideration by the Board.

k) Annually reviewing the school’s risk management needs and insurance cover.

l) Assessing and making recommendations to the Board on requests for spending on individual items outside of budget.

Compliance Reporting

The Principal is responsible for financial reporting and demonstrating budget compliance. Where there is noncompliance, variances are to be reported to the Board, with recommendations on the actions required to meet compliance.

FINANCE COMMITTEE ANNUAL CALENDAR

Principal Appraisal Committee

[Standing]

Responsibility of the Board for Principal Appraisal

It is the responsibility of Rolleston Christian School Board of Trustees to appraise the Principal’s performance on an annual basis with the objective of ensuring high quality education opportunities for the pupils of the school and that the Principal meets the Teacher’s Council criteria for attestation.

The Principal’s performance will be formally appraised by the Board Chairperson or delegate(s) and, at the Board’s choice, an independent consultant who specializes in education and is able to review the effectiveness of the education provided.

The Principal Appraisal Committee are the trustees delegated to carry out the responsibility of the Appraisal process, reporting back to the whole Board.

The Purpose of the Appraisal Committee

The Principal Appraisal Committee as a committee of the Board is responsible for drafting the Principal’s Performance Agreement in consultation with the Principal, presenting it to the Board for approval, implementing the appraisal process and reporting to the Board at the completion of the appraisal.

Terms of Reference

The Principal Appraisal Committee is responsible to the Board for:

a) Ensuring the appraisal process will result in a written assessment of the Principal’s performance on an annual basis, identifying any training/professional development needs for the Principal to undertake.

b) Ensuring the review is carried out according to the Board’s agreed procedure.

c) Ensuring that the criteria for appraisal will be the objectives set in the Performance Agreement, the objectives being drawn from the school’s strategic and annual operating plans, the Principal’s job description, and professional standards.

d) Ensuring that if there is any disagreement between the Principal and the committee as to the objectives, the committee, after considering the Principal’s input, will amend the objectives or confirm the unchanged objectives and bring their recommendations to the whole Board. The Board’s decision will be final.

e) When appropriate, sensitively seeking feedback on the Principal’s performance from staff, parents, or any other person/s that are in the position of providing feedback on how the Principal has performed.

f) Reporting back to the Board at the completion of the appraisal. Any discussion will be held ‘in committee’ (ie. non-Board members will be excluded).

g) Ensuring that the Performance Agreement and results of the appraisal are confidential to the Principal, the Board and their agents unless both parties agree to wider distribution.

In the event of a dispute relating to the appraisal results, the Board may choose to exercise its right to make a final decision or appoint an independent mediator to mediate. Ultimately the Board will have responsibility of any final decision.

Property Committee

[Standing]

Responsibility of the Board

The property from which the school operates is owned by the Christian Schools’ Trust (CST). The Board is responsible for maintaining the land, buildings and other facilities on the school site in a state of good order and repair. The Christian Schools’ Trust assumes all responsibility for major cyclical maintenance and property development.

The day-to-day management of the school’s maintenance rests with the Principal.

Purpose of the Property Committee

The Property Committee as a committee of the Board is responsible for:

a) Making recommendations and reporting back to the Board on all property matters

b) Providing guidance to the Principal for day-to-day property matters.

Terms of Reference

The Property Committee is responsible to the Board for:

a) Receiving guidelines and direction from the Board for property development.

b) In association with the CST, drawing up a 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP) for maintenance and development.

c) Bringing the 10YPP back to the Board for the Board’s approval or for further recommendation.

d) Ensuring the tasks assumed from the 10YPP clearly define the areas of responsibility.

e) Estimating the cost for maintenance and development plans.

f) Ensuring maintenance and property development is undertaken in accordance with the 10YPP.

g) Ensuring no school funds are used for capital development on the property.

i) Addressing Health and Safety issues related to maintenance on the school property.

j) Reporting to the Board on the results of Property Committee meetings and any response from the Proprietor.

Compliance Reporting

The Principal is responsible for property reporting and auditing the safety of the buildings. Issues are to be reported to the board, with recommendations on the actions required.

Disciplinary Committee

[Ad Hoc]

Purpose

To ensure that all processes relating to the suspensions of pupils adhere to the requirements of Education Act 1989, and its amendments, Education Rules 1999 and Ministry of Education Guidelines.

Committee Members

The chairperson and two or more members of the Board, excluding the Principal (who attends the meeting but is not involved in decision making). The chair of the committee is the Board chairperson or in the chairperson’s absence will be determined by the committee. The quorum for the committee shall be two trustees.

Duties and Responsibilities

The committee will:

· Act in fairness, without bias or prejudice and with confidentiality in keeping with the school’s Special Character.

· Act within legislation and the MOE guidelines.

· Act only on written and agreed information, not verbal hearsay.

· Use processes of natural justice in discipline hearing procedures.

· Make recommendations on discipline matters to the Board as necessary.

· Employ restorative practice where applicable.

The Board will be kept informed of the number of stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions on a per meeting basis.

3. Reporting and Audit Plan

Three-Year Board Reporting and Audit Plan

ANNUAL BOARD WORK PLAN

Audit Committee: Terms of Reference

Purpose

To monitor, on the Board’s behalf, compliance with Board policies and external legislation. This includes:

· Supporting the Board to review the effectiveness of the Board’s governance processes.

· Overseeing the Principal’s appraisal process.

· Reviewing the effectiveness of systems for the assessment and management of material areas of risk.

· Verifying that mechanisms are in place to ensure compliance with statutory requirements, financial and other.

· Commissioning reviews of specific controls and procedures (financial or non-financial) where so requested by the Board.

· Reviewing adherence to management policies and directives.

· Reporting any problems or reservations arising from the external auditors/reviewers work and any other matters that the external auditors/reviewers bring to the attention of the Board.

· Ensuring implementation of the Triennial Review Programme.

Members

At least two Trustees; excludes the Board Chair and excludes the Principal.

Meets

As required. The minutes of the Audit Committee meetings should be formally recorded and submitted to the Board at its next meeting. The Chair will report to the Board as appropriate on the areas covered by the Terms of Reference and the Triennial Review Programme.

Authority

The Audit Committee is formally constituted as a committee of the Board with approved Terms of Reference.

The Committee shall be appointed by the Board. The Board may co-opt additional trustees to the committee as and when required.

Members of the management team shall attend meetings when requested. A representative of the external auditors may be requested to attend meetings when appropriate.

The committee is authorised by the Board to investigate any activity within its Terms of Reference. It is authorised to seek any information it requires from any trustee or employee and all trustees and employees are directed to cooperate with any request made by the committee. The Principal will be informed in advance of any such requests.

The committee may recommend that external and independent advice is sought. If the advice is likely to incur costs prior approval must be sought from the Board. (Note: NZSTA provides HelpDesk and industrial advice free to trustees and Boards.)

No individual member of the Audit Committee can act without the directive of the committee as a whole.

Part Four

General Board Operations and Board Policies

1. Audits

The Board must have ways of knowing that its delegations to the Principal are being implemented. Primarily the board receives information through Principal reports. In order to independently verify the veracity of these the Board will from time to time undertake audits which will be programmed into its annual calendar and over a specified period sample all important aspects in the life of the school.

2. Charter

Each school has a charter. The charter consists of a context statement, the school’s foundational documents, other statements that the school may wish to make about its commitment to meeting the needs of the local community, the strategic three-year plan and the annual plan. Each charter is to be approved by the Board and sent to the Ministry of Education annually.

3. Elections

Elections for the staff and parent representatives on the Board are held every three years. The election process is described in full in Section 101 of the 1989 Education Act and in the Returning Officers handbook.

4. Job Description - Principal

The Principal’s performance agreement is determined at the start of each year. The Board monitors the extent to which the Principal carries out these responsibilities through periodic reports to the Board and the annual performance appraisal.

5. Policies

The Board uses policies to provide direction to the school. It is the Board’s role to ensure that policies and the associated procedures are developed and implemented. These policies are reviewed annually, in accordance with the Board’s annual Calendar.

6. Strategic Planning

The Board delegates to the Principal the responsibility to co-ordinate the development of strategic and annual development plans for Board and Proprietor consideration and approval. Both of these plans are reviewed each year and presented to the Board and Proprietor (Property and Special Character) for discussion and approval. (See Principal’s Job Description for further details).

7. Principal Professional Expenses

A budget for professional expenses and for professional development will be established annually based on outcomes of the appraisal process. Spending within budget occurs at the discretion of the Principal except in the case of overseas professional development. All overseas trips for professional development must be approved first by the Board of Trustees.

Professional development expenses may include but are not confined to: continuing education, books and periodicals, mentoring, and attendance at professional conferences.

8. Reporting to the Board

The Board governs effectively by establishing the direction and guiding policies for the school, delegating responsibility for taking the school in that direction and the implementation of the policies to the Principal and staff, and then receiving timely information from the staff, through the Principal, about the extent to which the Board intentions have been met. Most of the information the Board receives, is by way of reports on aspects of the school. The most important of these reports are about the extent to which curriculum implementation has met Board expectations.

The Principal reports to the Board as a whole and keeps it informed of the true and accurate position of the outcomes of programmes and services, financial position and all matters having real or potential legal considerations for our school. Thus the Board is supported in its strategic decision-making and risk management. Therefore, the Principal may not fail to:

a) Inform the Board of significant trends, implications of Board decisions, issues arising from policy matters or changes in the basic assumptions upon which the Board’s strategic goals are based.

b) Submit written reports covering the NAGs at each Board meeting.

c) Report regularly about progress in relation to the Strategic and Annual Plans.

d) Report on Student Achievement, both general achievement and the achievement of target students in target areas.

*At times the Board may be interested in specific areas of the school and may agree with the Principal to receive reports on this area for a specified time period.

9. Legal Responsibilities

a) The Principal reports to each Board meeting on matters of legal compliance.

b) The Board audits a sample of legal compliance matters annually based on the Education Review Office checklist.

c) Education Review Office checks legal compliance during its periodic reviews.