Appointments Policy
St Patrick’s Catholic School, Te Awamutu
“The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
RATIONALE
The Board of St Patrick’s Catholic School will ensure that the best applicants are appointed through a fair, transparent appointments process that meets the legislative requirements of a good employer and reflects our Catholic Character.
Recruitment in St Patrick’s Catholic School is both a professional and spiritual task as it strengthens our capacity to achieve our vision that “Every child will pray, play, create, learn and be happy.” Therefore, our appointments process seeks to appoint in light of our commitment to a Catholic education and those who are able to nurture and live the school’s values of Love, Faith, Hope and Service (Aroha, Whakapono, Tumanako, Manaakitanga)
PURPOSE
This policy guides the appointment of quality staff to any vacancy that may arise, including:
Permanent or fixed-term teaching and leadership positions;
the allocation of Management Units;
Support staff positions; and
All tagged (special character) positions under the school’s Integration Agreement. .
It aims to ensure that:
Our Special Catholic Character remains central to recruitment,
The process is fair, equitable, and defensible,
We comply with legislative, diocesan and NZCEO expectations,
GUIDELINES
Appointments
When a full-time, permanent vacancy arises, an Appointments Committee with expertise relevant to the position will be selected to carry out the appropriate appointment procedures according to this policy.
Determining Internal or External Advertising
For leadership or special character (tagged) positions, the decision on advertising internally or externally will be made by the full Board. The proprietor must be consulted for any special character positions before advertising (NZCEO Board Handbook).
When all other vacancies arise, the Principal will advise the Presiding Member or the Board (as determined by the timing of the next board meeting and urgency of need) whether the position should be advertised internally or externally. Nothing prevents staff from applying for an externally-advertised position.
This decision will take into account:
St Patrick’s staffing needs and strategic priorities;
The principles of Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) and the Education and Training Act 2020 in that all permanent and long-term relieving vacancies must be advertised in such a way so that all suitably qualified people can apply;
The importance of sustaining and strengthening the Catholic Special Character of the school; and
Opportunities for professional growth and succession within the current staff.
The Presiding Member (or Board) will confirm the advertising approach before the appointment process begins.
Appointments Committee Composition - Table summary
Delegations
*The Board delegates to the Principal, in consultation with the Presiding Member, the authority to make appointments for part-time, relieving, or non-permanent positions.
The Board delegates all matters pertaining to the appointment, including official offers of employment, to the relevant Appointments Committee for each vacancy.
As long as the appointments committee meets the requirements of the vacant position as set out by the Board, the committee may determine to include other people with necessary skills or perspectives in their process.
Role of the Proprietor’s Appointee
Under the Integration Agreement and NZCEO Board Handbook, a Proprietor’s Appointee must:
Sit on all appointment committees for positions that impact Special Character (including all teaching and leadership roles);
Ensure the process properly addresses Catholic faith, ethos, and witness requirements;
Liaise with the Diocese if questions arise about candidate acceptability.
Appointments to Internal Positions and Allocation of Management Units
The Board delegates to the principal all internal role appointments.
The Principal is delegated responsibility for the allocation of management units, who has discretion to allocate the Board’s Management Units as fixed-term or permanent in line with any relevant employment agreements. When there is an internal role to be filled, the principal will form a committee to assist selection.
All staff members will have an equal opportunity to apply for such roles.
Safety Checking
In accordance with the regulatory requirements for safety checking under the Children’s Act 2014, we demonstrate our commitment to the safety of children by adopting appropriate safety checking practices when employing school staff, whether core workers, volunteers or others. This policy is used in conjunction with the Child Protection Policy and school procedures on safety checking, police vetting and screening. The Principal ensures this is done prior to appointment, with exception of the appointment of a new Principal.
Monitoring
The Principal will report to the Board on all vacancies and subsequent appointments in line with this policy. The report will confirm the Catholic Character and Proprietor requirements were met, and that all legislative and safety-checking obligations were completed before appointments were finalised.
Reviewed: 23 October 2025
Procedures / Supporting documentation
Police Vetting procedure
Safety checklist
NZ Catholic Education Office Board of Trustees Handbook - Appointments
School Templates (staff recruitment checklist, application form, shortlisting matrix, interview matrix, reference checking matrix, letter of offer of appointment etc
Storage of confidential information procedure/process
Legislative Compliance:
Collective employment agreements
Education and Training Act 2020