Neil Paviour-Smith (Chairman)
Carolyn Coldstream
Alison Douglass
Julie Gerrard
Joanne Moyer
Steve Allen (Principal)
Sally Barrett (Staff Trustee)
The following material about the role of the Board of Trustees comes from the Ministry of Education document "Working in Partnership". The complete document is available from the Ministry website at: http://www.minedu.govt.nz/ .
Boards of trustees work in partnership with communities, principals, teachers and the government to ensure the best possible education outcomes for all students.
The legal obligations of school boards of trustees are set out in a number of different Acts of Parliament. The Education Act 1989 specifies some accountabilities that provide the government with assurance that high quality learning programmes are offered at the school and that resources (staff, finance and property) are being used effectively and efficiently.
A school's board needs to be able to assure the government that:
· the students in the school are receiving a high quality standard of education
· national priorities for school education are being addressed in the school
· the resources are being used prudently to ensure the highest possible quality programmes are provided for students.
To be able to accept these responsibilities requires the board to provide sound governance for the school as a professional teaching institution. This means:
· ensuring the school has a clear sense of purpose
· setting priorities and goals for improvement of learning and achievement in the school
· seeking assurance from the management (principal and senior staff) that the programmes being implemented in the school can achieve the goals
· evaluating information on the outcomes that the school's students are achieving in respect of the goals that have been set
· seeking assurance from the school's management that the school's resources are being used optimally to deliver the agreed outcomes, ensuring, for example, that resources are available to ensure the knowledge and skills of the teachers are up-to-date.
Members of the school community are always welcome to contact the Board. The easiest way is through the school office. Correspondence to the Board should be addressed to the Chairman.
However, please note that issues of concern relating to specific children or school staff should always be raised in the first instance with those most directly involved, and with school management.
Board meetings are held on the 3rd and 9th Tuesday of every term, although some meeting dates are shifted to avoid school holidays. They are usually held in the Staff Room at the Main School at 7:00 pm. Board meetings are held in public, and anyone is able to attend.
An Agenda for the Board meeting is posted on notice boards at both school sites in the week prior to the meeting. Copies of Board papers can be obtained from the school office.