Property Policy

Property Policy

St Patrick’s Catholic School

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24: 1

Rationale

The School Board will manage St Patrick’s Catholic School property in accordance with legislation and the Integration Agreement.

Guidelines

PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

1. The School Board will implement a maintenance programme to ensure that the school’s buildings, grounds and facilities provide a safe, healthy learning environment for students and a working environment for staff.

2. Yearly maintenance of asset stocks should be considered upon urgency of health and safety issues, inability of access for the physically disabled and to provide a clean and excellent learning/working environment.

3. The day to day administration of the property programmes will remain the responsibility of the Principal.

4. The Proprietor will manage and finance works programmes that are above $5,000 with a submission to them and having a verified external quote for the works. It is at their discretion to whether the works and quotes are accepted and then to the timing and delivery of the work, after fully considering the health and safety importance or physical disability requirements of the works.

5. The School Board must comply with the terms and conditions of the Integration Agreement by developing, implementing and consultation by:

• having a 10 year property plan

• having an on-going maintenance plan & procedures

• having an asset register and replacement programme

• having regular property and ground checks

• ensuring there are assigned budget holders

DAMAGE TO SCHOOL PROPERTY

1. Where a major safety concern is identified that has been the cause of a serious injury to a student, staff or visitor to the school, the area should be assessed immediately to the cause of the injury and to whether immediate improvement, rectification or modification is required.

2. All damage to school property is to be reported to the Principal as soon as it has occurred or noticed. Broken windows are to be reported to the office so that repairs can be organised quickly.

3. Students are to take reasonable care of classroom furniture and markings or writing should be removed by the perpetrator immediately as it is noticed and appropriate disciplinary action taken.

4. Parents/caregivers of students responsible for damaging school property (including equipment, furnishings or buildings) through poor choices or on purpose will be notified and asked to cover the cost of replacement, repair or insurance excess (whichever is the lowest cost).

5. Students are not to wear shoes inside of classrooms, Soul Space and other signed areas unless there are exceptional reasons for them to do so. Students whose unacceptable behavior has resulted in damage to school property are to report to the principal or team leader.

6. When there are incidents of property being damaged by staff members, the principal will undertake an investigation and decide who is liable for the cost. This could be at personal cost to the staff member or through the school’s or staff member’s insurance, or a combination of each of these. Employment advice may be sought. 

CAPITAL WORKS

1. Proprietors are responsible for capital works under the Act and Integration Agreements.

2. The improvement and replacement of property at state integrated schools must comply with Ministry of Education standards and protocols established within the Integration Agreement.

3. In accordance with this responsibility, proprietor’s will require an annual review of their asset stocks with a walk through of the site to check the welfare and state of the assets involved. This will need to be performed with the selected property representative from the board.

ASSET REGISTER

1. The Board is responsible for the protection of its assets. Procedure 3.2 of the Finance Policy stipulates a requirement for assets to be insured.

2. The school Administrator is responsible for maintaining the school asset register. This is an important process for insurance purposes.

PROPERTY INSPECTIONS

1. It is the Principal’s responsibility to manage and oversee property and ground checks.

2. As standard practice this should be performed by the Property Manager and caretaker monthly and a written report presented to the Principal and Board at least once a term.

3. A selected property representative from the Board will also attend the checks termly.

4. Identified areas of concern should be recorded and dealt with according to the level of concern. Anything major should be reported to the Board or to the proprietor. Lower level areas of concern should be scheduled into the caretakers list of priorities and fixed accordingly.

STUDENT AND STAFF PROPERTY

1. The school provides no insurance for personal items lost or damaged at school. Families are encouraged to check that their personal insurance policies cover items away from home.

2. Students are encouraged not to bring money or valuables to school. If this is unavoidable, students are to give such money or valuables to the classroom teachers who will arrange safe storage until the end of the day. The items are not to be left in open bags or on the teacher’s desks.

3. Students are to be encouraged to keep school bags zipped up and hanging in cloak bays.

4. The school accepts no responsibility for loss.

5. Staff have the opportunity to store valuables in locked cupboards in the office. There is also a locked cupboard in each classroom for valuables and sensitive documentation. Staff need to be vigilant in leaving unattended classrooms unlocked.

RETENTION AND SURRENDER OF PROPERTY AND SEARCHES

• The Board nominates the Principal and Deputy Principals as the staff members authorised to search property. 

• If the authorised staff member has the belief, on reasonable grounds, that the student has an item that is likely to endanger safety, likely to detrimentally affect the learning environment or is harmful, they may require the student to produce, reveal or surrender the item. This also applies to digital items. 

• If the item is revealed, the authorised staff member may retain and/or dispose of the item or retain the device on which the item is stored. If the item is retained, it must be stored correctly and returned to the student or passed over to another appropriate person or agency. Any bag, item of clothing or container that held the item must be returned to the student.

• If a student refuses to surrender the item or the bag, item of clothing or container holding the item, the school’s usual disciplinary processes can be used. 

(Ministry of Education Guidelines for Surrender and Retention of Property)

Ratified: 28 September 2022

Reviewed: 20 September 2023