Committee Principles

The board may set up committees/working parties to assist it to carry out its responsibilities and due process (e.g. staff appointments, finance, property, disciplinary).

The Education Act 2020 gives the board the authority to delegate any of its powers to a special committee, except the power to borrow money.

Board committees:

• are to be used sparingly to preserve the board functioning as a whole when other methods have been deemed inadequate

• can include non-board members but at least one must be a Member

• 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 or the Presiding Member

• assist the board chiefly by preparing policy alternatives and implications for board deliberation

• are intended to assist the board and not to advise or carry out the work of staff

• must act through the board and can only recommend courses of action unless they hold delegated authority to act on the board’s behalf

• are to have terms of reference drawn up as/if required, usually containing information as to their:

  • • • purpose

      • membership

      • delegated authority.

Any other committees established for special purposes should conform to the above principles.

Review 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

• reviewing the effectiveness of systems for the assessment and management of 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

• reporting any problems or reservations arising from the external auditor’s/reviewer’s work and any other matters that the external auditor/ reviewer brings to the attention of the board

• ensuring implementation of the triennial review programme.

Committee members

At least one Member who should not be either the board Presiding Member or principal.

Meets

As required. The Presiding Member of this committee will report to the board as appropriate on the areas covered by the terms of reference and the triennial review programme.

Delegated authority

The review committee is formally constituted as a committee of the board within these approved terms of reference and the delegated authority re the delegations list.

The committee shall be appointed by the board. The board may co-opt additional Members to the committee as and when required.

Members of the management team shall attend meetings when requested. A representative of the external auditor 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 Member or employee, and all Members and employees are requested 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.

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

Student behaviour management committee terms of reference

Purpose

To ensure that all processes relating to the suspension of students at Southland Adventist Christian School to the requirements of the Education Act 2020, Education Rules 1999 and Ministry of Education guidelines.

Committee members

All members of the board excluding the principal. The chair of the committee is the Presiding Member or, in the their absence, will be determined by the committee. The quorum for the committee shall be three Members.

Delegated authority

Under the Education Act 2020, certain powers of the board shall be delegated to the student disciplinary committee of the School Board. The committee will:

• act in fairness, without bias or prejudice and with confidentiality

• act within the ideals of the Seven-day Adventist Church 

• act in accordance with the values of the Southland Adventist Christian School

• act within legislation and the Ministry of Education 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, or

• decide the outcome of any student disciplinary meeting.

The board will be kept informed by the principal of the number of stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions at each board meeting.