Board of Trustees Minutes 11 September 2019

Date: Wednesday 11 September 2019

Time: 6.30 pm

Venue: Staffroom, Ridgway School

Open with karakia and introductions.

NZSTA presentation

Presentation by Sarah Campbell from NZSTA re governance and answering any questions the board has.

  • Sarah Campbell is a Governance Advisor at NZSTA.

  • Provides a BOT/Governance overview.

  • Being on a BOT is a journey and involves a lot of learning on the way.

  • School BOT's exist to support student achievement - to assist each student to achieve to the best of their ability.

    • This requires a range of opportunities for learning for different children.

  • Boards are Crown entities who also partner with the community.

    • Stewardship role, guardians of the community.

    • Set the vision for the school.

    • Understand aspirations of the community.

    • Entrust delivery to principal and teachers.

      • Principal ensures delivery through their reporting.

  • The governance is the what, the management is the how.

  • Important to have appropriate policies in place.

    • Some requirements have changed under children's act.

    • Also complying with employment legislation.

    • Education Act = legislation that sets out the role of the Board and establishes boundaries to ensure good functioning of the school.

  • Structure/membership of the Board

    • 5 parent trustees is standard

      • Elect chair each year

      • Bring parent view/perspective

    • Principal = trustee & responsible for management

    • Staff representative = bring staff perspective to the board.

  • Structure of meetings important

    • Come prepared - can be a lot of reading.

    • Structure time: approximately 2 hours is good

    • Minimum of 1 meeting per term and no more than 3 months between meetings.

  • Work towards consensus decision making.

    • It is ok to table some decisions to gather more information, reflect further etc

  • Good to have a quick evaluation at the end of meetings to check in with people as to how meetings are going.

  • Good to have kawa/code of conduct to help build trust around the table so that disagreements can be constructive.

  • Present a uniform front

  • Strategic plans is the Board's key document

    • 3-4 strategic goals are good

    • What's special about our school?

    • How are we pushing things to be better and better?

    • Living document that is not set in stone.

      • Have ongoing discussions about why things might or might not be working.

    • Principal to develop annual plan that sits under strategic plan and contains the details within

      • Board to approve annual plan once presented by Principal.

  • Work plan

    • Clear plan of what you are doing and when checked against the strategic plan

  • Concerns and complaints

    • Every school should have concern and complaints policy and parents have a responsibility to follow the correct procedure.

    • Refer parents to the concerns/complaints policy

  • As a Board you are not alone.

    • NZSTA represents, works with and supports boards.

    • Strategic planning workshops happening in Term 4.

    • NZSTA.org.nz - kh = knowledge hub

Administration

  1. Attendees: Barbara Dean, Kathryn Smith, Cushla Thurston, Jo Pohatu, David Eng, Raelene Sloper, Sarah Campbell (NZSTA), Caroline Stuart (Weaving Futures)

  2. Apologies: Rachel Kirkman

  3. New declaration of interests: none.

  4. NZSTA updates: none

  5. Correspondence: None

  6. Confirmation of Minutes:

Resolved, That the July 31 2019 Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes are accepted and approved (Moved, B Dean;Seconded, J Pohatu; Carried, Unanimously).

Ridgway's Strategic Aims

General Governance

  1. Ridgway's mission, values and strategic goals - value vote on board user stories.

  2. Kāhui Ako update: school representative for kaitiaki group.

    1. Member from each board to meet as connection between schools.

    2. Rachel will be our kaitiaki group representative.

  3. Staff leave requests and leave policy/principal appraisal

    1. The board have approved the principals leave of absence.

    2. Future discussion needed for board to establish authority to approve principals' leave in future

    3. ACTION: Establish authority for board member to approve principal's leave.

  4. ERO Report update

    1. Been to moderation and has some minor changes based on the evidence originally gathered.

  5. Board has reviewed fixed asset policy and moved to set the capitalisation threshold from the commencement of the 2020 financial year at $500 per individual item (except library books). Depreciation rates have been reviewed and the suggestion from Education Services Ltd was accepted (Moved: R Sloper, Seconded: D Eng)

    1. Resolved, That the fixed asset policy will be set at $500 per individual item (Moved, R Sloper; Seconded, D Eng).

Goal 1: Successful Learners

1. Presentation of Principal's report

  1. Question regarding Ridgway's achievement levels: Our percentage is really good compared to national levels.

  2. Questions regarding policies to review:

    1. Some internal school procedures need to undergo minor changes to reflect how we do things at Ridgway School.

    2. Board member role to receive communication and to oversee policies and procedures.

      1. J Pohatu has volunteered to do this position.

    3. New teacher from France will be arriving soon to learn about being a teacher in Aotearoa New Zealand

      1. No cost to the school, will be receiving his French salary.

  3. Discussion surrounding name of Ridgway School in Te Reo.

    1. Whanau group to discuss and recommendations to be shared with board.

Goal 2: Inclusive Culture

1. [No matters to discuss]

Goal 3: Inviting Environment

  1. Property:

    1. Draft Prelim Design has been received from architect.

      1. C Thurston has provided feedback and would like to make sure money is ringfenced for landscaping.

      2. K Smith has provided feedback, especially for admin/reception and technology areas.

  2. Decant

    1. Teachers don't want to lose the court and junior playground.

    2. Vogelmorn have emailed offering 10-15 hours a week

    3. St Bernards have an empty classroom and principal has also offered hall.

    4. Talked to Rally Hall

    5. Possibilities of classrooms placed within school grounds or on the bottom field.

      1. Teachers are considering the implications of this

      2. Children start school at Ridgway - keeping strong connection and home base with Ridgway.

      3. Learning will take place in the morning at the decided location.

      4. Students will return in the afternoon with different afternoon activities

Goal 4: Involved Community

  1. End of term newsletter: include donations info, property update,

ACTION: Barbara to draft BOT newsletter and send it around.

Closing

1. Outstanding action points from previous meetings

2. Any other business

3. Next meeting & supper duty: Wednesday 23 October, 6.30pm

Meeting closed: 8:35 pm

Signed as a correct record: ____________________________________

Chairperson / /2019
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