The Board
The following are the current board members
How do I contact the Board?
Please email Lizzie Simpson, Board Secretary
[email protected]
Information on a School Board
Are you passionate about the education of children in your community?
How about becoming a member and using your skills and experiences to help shape a positive future for our children?
What is a school board?
Every state and state-integrated school in New Zealand has a board. Boards bring families, communities and schools together to work for a quality education for our children.
The board is a Crown entity. It is the employer of all school staff and sets the school's overall strategic direction. The school's principal is the board's chief executive and manages the school operation in line with the board's policies.
The membership of the school board includes elected parent representatives, an elected staff representative and the principal. If the school has students above Year 9, the board also includes a student representative.
What does the board do?
School boards have a very important role in making sure every child achieves their potential at school. Here are some of the things they do:
- Work with the principal and consult with staff, students and the community.
- Set the educational goals and strategic direction of the school.
- Monitor progress and let parents know how the school is progressing against its annual targets and how well students are achieving.
- Decide how the school's funding will be spent.
- Select the school's principal and support the development of all staff.
- Oversee the management of staff, property, finances, curriculum and administration.
What sort of skills do boards need?
Board members are active leaders in their schools and need a balance of skills and experiences. They need to work well in a team, be able to put plans in place for the school's future, ask challenging questions and have good communications skills. It helps to have an understanding of financial matters and the education sector, and experience in managing people.
Who can become a board member?
Parents, caregivers and people from the wider community can be nominated for election to a school board.
How do I become a board member?
Ask your school about going along to a board meeting to see how it works. The board chairperson or any other board member can also answer questions about what the board does. Contact your school if you want to find out about standing for election, nominating someone else and voting in the election - they will be happy to help.
How is a board elected?
The school staff and parents elect boards every three years. The elections are the biggest democratic event in New Zealand. Schools around the country seek more than 13,000 parent representatives. All parents of students enrolled full-time in a state or state-integrated school can and should vote in the elections for parent representatives.
What help do school boards get?
Boards can get a lot of help in their important roles. There are training and development courses, local support services, the local office of the Ministry of Education gives support and advice, and the New Zealand School Trustees Association can provide free advice and support through their helpdesk advisory service.
- Advisory Service: 0800 782 435
- New Zealand School Trustees Association