NAG 2:  Operations and Review

NAG 6:  Administration

DESCRIPTION:

To provide leadership to the Board of Trustees, and support to the principal. To establish and maintain codes of confidentiality and discretion as the working ethic of the board, and ensure members of the board understand and comply with the stated Board's Roles and Responsibilities and the Board of Trustees Code of Conduct.

KEY TASKS, ROLES and RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Be the board spokesperson on all occasions and report to the media if necessary.
• Liaise with the Ministry of Education, Education Review Office and other agencies as required.
• Deal with complaints as set out in the school's concerns and complaints policy and procedures.
• Read all relevant correspondence and information.
• To effectively convene meetings of the board and to manage these meetings in accordance with agreed meeting procedures, and board protocols, including the Board Code of Conduct.
• To prepare an agenda for each meeting in consultation with the principal.
• To ensure by the end of March each year, the principal has a relevant, signed job description and an appointed appraiser for the current year.
• Ensure that an annual appraisal of the principal is carried out in a constructive manner, and the board receives and acts on the principal's appraisal report.
• Ensure staff and community consultation is part of the board's decision making process, particularly in relation to strategic and operational planning.
• To ensure the School Charter is annually reviewed, revised, and annually a copy sent to the Ministry of Education.
• School Charter to have appropriate targets relating to the National education standards to raise student achievement.
• Take a lead role in the development of the school's Strategic Plan; board responsible for strategic direction.
• In collaboration with the principal, oversee the preparation of the school's Operational Plan.
• To ensure the requirements of the Annual Report are met and completed; copies to MoE by May 31.
• Oversee the board's self-review programme, including policy writing and review.
• To communicate school polices and appropriate board decisions to the school and community.
• To ensure meetings run smoothly, that the conduct of trustees is appropriate, and that the board acts as a unified body. To be responsible for ensuring that motions put to the Board are clearly worded and understood. Those procedures for handling motions are followed and that procedures for going 'In Committee', and for accepting public submissions, are understood and followed.
• To meet regularly with the principal to maintain the effectiveness of the governance/ management partnership, and effective board relationships. Meetings with the principal should focus on outcomes of meetings of the board and the co-ordination of the efforts of respective members of the board to achieve goals/objectives.
• Ensure that decisions of the board are minuted as a MOTION and when required, delegated to an appropriate person/s as an authority to act.
• Ensure that if a sub-committee is formed for a particular purpose, the board establishes and records the delegated authorities.
• Ensure the decisions of the board are carried out by the appropriate person by the nominated deadline.
• To maintain regular contact with board members between meetings.
• To maintain an open working relationship with individuals and groups within the school's communities.
• Be familiar with School Charter, Policies, Procedures, and relevant Acts of Parliament, STA Handbook and meeting procedures.

ANNUAL TIMETABLE:

• First Meeting: At the first meeting of the board each year, the Board Chair is reelected by the board.
• Ongoing: meetings with principal throughout each school term.
• Ongoing: Chairperson at meetings of Hillcrest Normal School Board of Trustees.
• Ongoing Term by Term: Board governance self-reviews.
• March: By the end of March, principal's job description including current year's performance agreement, completed and signed by BoT Chair and principal.
• March: By the end of March principal appraiser nominated and confirmed.
• May: Completion of annually updated School Charter and copy sent to the Ministry of Education by May 31 each year.
• Mid year : consultation with staff and parent community to inform next year's Operational Plan and the school's Strategic Plan as necessary.
• November: Preparation of Board Achievement Statements, based on Strategic and Operational Goals, for reporting purposes; completion of Board Achievement Statements by the end of November.
• November: Completion of Board Chair's Report for Annual Report, by the end of November. Copies of Annual Report sent to Ministry of Education by 31 January each year.
• December: Completion of next year's board goals by the end of the current school year; School Operational Plan.
• December – February: Receiving of principal's appraisal report and either establishing a summary report from the full-report or using the entire report to table In-Committee at the appropriate meeting of the board; this is usually by the end of the current year, but may be at the beginning of the next year.