Understanding the work of the board

Ko te mārama ki ngā mahi a te poari

All members of your school community should know what the board’s work involves and how the school is progressing. Doing this will help you build trust and confidence in your role as a board. The good news is there are plenty of ways to do it.

Your responsibilities as a board

Your board is responsible for seven key areas of work, including developing a charter, monitoring the school’s progress, having a policy framework, employing the principal, managing the school’s assets, ensuring legal compliance and implementing the National Education Guidelines. So it’s a good idea to make these areas the focus of your engagement.

What you need to know about engagement

Engagement with your school community over the board’s key work areas and school performance is one way your board can express accountability for your decisions and the school’s progress. If you’re new at building relationships with your community, we recommend getting in touch with NZSTA for advice. We’re here to help.

Why

Why engaging your community is a good idea

Developing a good process for telling your community about how the school board is performing across its key work areas will help you maintain a close, transparent relationship with your community. Need ideas? Get in touch.

What

What level of information is good to share

It’s up to you how often and how much you want to share with your community. Consider engaging regularly with your community about school performance to enable them to contribute solutions to problems as they arise. Providing regular updates (where you can) through the school newsletter or once a year may mean your board enjoys a better relationship with your community and enjoys better performance as a result.

How

How regularly boards should engage with their community

Whatever approach you take, let your school community know how frequently you plan sharing results with them. Be consistent and professional. Consider developing a community engagement strategy to define community engagement at your school and the most effective ways to engage and measure engagement on important issues such as school performance and the work of the board.

Professional Development

NZSTA Knowledge Hub

Visit our Knowledge Hub where you can find a range of learning tools, such as 80+ interactive modules, videos, podcasts, e-books, and events and workshops in your region.

With no log-in needed, learn on the go at our Knowledge Hub.

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Four governance principles for school leaders

Property and the role of the board

The Board's role in Finance

Community Pulse

Understanding the work of the board related videos

Governance framework 2018

NZSTA

Use this resource to assist your board in keeping its policies current and relevant.

Adapt the templates to suit your own unique context and requirements.

Key questions for property

Guidelines on religious instruction

Ministry of Education

The Ministry of Education’s Guidelines on religious instruction in state primary schools, intermediate schools and ngā kura clearly explain what the board has to do when it permits religious instruction at its school. It also explains the rights of children and their parents, caregivers, family and whanau, and what they should expect from their schools.” You can view the guidelines here.

Governance

Employment

Understanding the work of the board Ko te mārama ki ngā mahi a te poari