Trustees Governance, Guidelines and Delegations Policy
1 Rationale
- To fulfil the principles of good governance and management, the Board of Trustees will establish sound practices for developing and implementing sound policies.
2 Aims
- Establish processes through which the Board of Trustees can fulfil its governance role.
- Ensure that frameworks and guidelines for the management of the school are developed and followed.
- Ensure that staff, students, parents and the community in general have simple documented statements on the organisation of the school.
- Ensure that there are procedures for staff, students, parents and the wider school community in relation to disputes.
- Be accessible for the wider school community involvement in the review process
- Be able to be used effectively alongside the school’s Charter and Strategic Plan.
3 Delegations
- Board Chairperson as spokesperson for Board related public communications.
- Board Chairperson to chair and direct meetings as per standard best practice.
- Board to form sub-committees for Board work as the need arises.
- The Board shall have standing sub-committees in the following Board work areas – (i) property, health and safety; (ii) finance; (iii) strategic planning and self review; (iv) proprietors; (v) policy.
- The Board shall have ad hoc or need arises sub-committees or portfolio-holders in the following Board work areas – (i) complaints/disciplinary; (ii) Personnel appointments; and any for other such matters as the Board determines is required from time to time.
- Principal for the management and implementation of the Boards policy directions and the management of all of the school’s day-to-day administration matters.
- The Board shall prepare a delegations summary that will indicate the specific jobs and powers and the extent/scope of those powers that the Board delegates to the Principal and to board sub-committees.
- At the Board’s discretion one or other of the deputy-principals’, in the absence of the Principal, will be delegated as the acting-principal for a period of time as determined and approved by the Board.
4 Guidelines to Policies/Procedures
- The Board of Trustees should ensure it meets all legal and other requirements when developing policy documents and subsequent procedures for those policies.
- Policy documents are structured around rationale, delegations, procedures, accountabilities and review.
- Clear, simple language should be used to write policies (and procedures) so that they can be read and understood by all stakeholders of the school.
- Policies adopted by the Board will be available for response by the stakeholders of the school.
- School policies must be consistent with statute and other law, government regulations, the school charter/strategic plan and the principles of justice and equity.
- New policy and/or policy amendment and review may be initiated by the Board sub-committees in consultation with the full Board.
- The Board will establish an agreed Code of Conduct for all Board members.
- The Board and Principal will establish role descriptions for all sub-committees and portfolio-holders, and for the special roles of student and staff trustees and any co-opted Board members in conjunction with those trustees.
5 Review
- These guidelines will be reviewed in accordance with the Board’s regular review process or at any other such time as the Board determines.
- These guidelines links to the school’s mission, values and strategic aims and NAGs 1, 2, 2a, 3, 4, 5, 6 7 and 8.
Date of meeting |
Approval of policy |