Nau mai haere mai
The board takes its accountability for the performance of students and the school seriously and ensures that the school is well managed, well prepared and on track towards achieving its aims, objectives and targets.
School Board of Trustees and the OIA
Behind every school is a board who represent the communities they serve. Part of a board’s responsibility involves decisions on official information requests. This video gives an overview of the OIA as it relates to school boards. It also explains the Ombudsman’s role – whether that’s offering advice and guidance about the OIA to school boards or dealing with OIA complaints.
Digital Technology in the School Curriculum
What is Digital Technology and how does this change schools' teaching and learning?
What does it mean for ongoing board monitoring and planning? Find out more here.
Source material from New Zealand Ministry of Education.
Welcome to Privacy ABC for Schools. This course aims to provide an overview of privacy rights and responsibilities in the context of schools, as well as give you an understanding of how the Privacy Act is applied in practice.
Boards and Electronic
Meetings
The Education and Training Act 2020 allows for boards to meet using electronic methods. What does this mean and what would a board need to consider? Find out more here.
Privacy Principles
The Privacy Act (2020) has 13 key privacy principles. In this module, you will learn what these are and how they work in a school board environment.
School Donations
All domestic students in New Zealand aged 5 to 19 are entitled to free enrolment and free education at a state school. Some domestic students are entitled to free enrolment and free education up to the age of 21 if they meet certain criteria.
So what part do school donations play in schools? What is the School Donations scheme? And what is the board's role in these issues?
Official Information Requests
School boards are crown entities subject to the Official Information Act 1982. What does this mean for your board if you receive an information request? How do you respond? Find out more here.
Local Curriculum
Local curriculum (also known as 'school curriculum') is part of the New Zealand Curriculum. Local curriculum is what your school and teachers use to give young people meaningful learning experiences which are connected to their community(ies).
Sharing Information of Families and Vulnerable Children
Sharing information about an individual is often essential to their health, safety and wellbeing. New provisions covering information sharing arrangements have been added to The Family Violence Act 2019 and the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989. These provisions take effect from 1 July 2019.
Inclusive Schools
Inclusive education is about the full participation and achievement of all learners. Inclusive schools are welcoming, accommodating of and adaptive to the needs of students, staff, parents, whānau and visitors alike.
What is the board's role in leading an inclusive school environment?
Curriculum Progress Tools
The Curriculum Progress Tools include the Learning Progression Frameworks (LPF) and the Progress and Consistency Tool (PaCT). Together, the two tools support progress in reading, writing, and mathematics.
The Curriculum Progress Tools have been created by the Ministry of Education. Find out more about these tools which can assist school boards in their role of monitoring and raising student achievement.
Conflict of Interest
Wellbeing at School Toolkit
From time to time a school board may be challenged around a decision that it has made and how it reached that decision. The most common challenge to how the board reached its decision is around not having followed a sound and fair process and often this is around board members who have a conflict of interest.
The Wellbeing at School self review tools explore how different layers of school life contribute to creating a safe and caring climate that deters bullying.
Use this toolkit if your school wants to...
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improve social wellbeing and relationships for all
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create a safer climate that deters aggressive and bullying behaviour
Student Suspension
Suspension Legislation
Each board is required to work within the legislation and regulations for student suspension processes. Find out what these are here.
Suspension-the Principals actions required for a suspension
Each board is required to work within the legislation and regulations for student suspension processes. What is required of the principal during this process?
Suspension 4 options for a board
Each board is required to work within the legislation and regulations for student suspension processes. What are the 4 options the board has at a student suspension meeting?
Suspension meeting time frames
Each board is required to work within the legislation and regulations for student suspension meeting time frames. Find out more here.
Suspension-the Board’s preparation for suspension meeting
Each board is required to work within the legislation and regulations for student suspension meeting time frames. Find out more here.
Natural Justice, fair and reasonable
Each board is required to work within the legislation and regulations for student suspension processes. Part of this process is based upon natural justice. Find out more here.
The Boards Primary Focus
Boards’ primary focus, legislation, functions and mechanisms
A board’s primary objective in governing the school is to ensure that every student at the school is able to attain his or her highest possible standard in educational achievement. Find oout more here.
The board of trustees is required to report on student achievement. What does this mean the board needs to do?
The Principal's Report
The Principal’s report
The principal prepares a report for board meetings. What should the board be expecting and how does it interact with this report?
The board monitors, reviews, and evaluates the data from the principal’s reports. The data gives the board updates on student achievement and progress towards the annual implementation plan and strategic plan.
Therefore the board is required to pose questions, scrutinise the data, investigate, understand and be assured of how the students are progressing and what might be 'next steps' to ensure continued progress towards the strategic and annual goals.
The Education Review Office (ERO)
What is the Education Review Office role? Why do they visit schools to do reviews?
Material is used from:
School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success ERO 2016
Effective School Evaluation: How to do and use internal evaluation for improvement ERO 2016
The Education Review Office (ERO) has provided New Zealand schools with a framework for evaluation- these are called School Evaluation Indicators. This module looks at how boards may use the domains of the process indicators for self-review.
Material is used from:
School Evaluation Indicators: Effective Practice for Improvement and Learner Success ERO 2016
Effective School Evaluation: How to do and use internal evaluation for improvement ERO 2016
Sexuality Education
Sexuality Education is part of New Zealand school education. Find out why this forms part of our students' education.
Within a school community, various groups have different responsibilities and roles for sexuality education. Find out more about these.
ERO's document "Promoting wellbeing through sexuality education" (September 2018) describes findings of good practice for sexuality education.
The board includes understanding the curriculum area of Sexuality Education. This glossary has terms used in sexuality education.