Term 1


School Planning and Reporting

  • Assure the board that:
    • the current strategic plan has been submitted to the Ministry of Education and published online
    • the annual implementation plan has been published online by 31 March each year
    • financial statements have been submitted to the school auditor by 31 March each year
    • the annual report (including audited financial statements) has been submitted to the Ministry of Education by 31 May and published online each year.

Learning Support

  • Assure the board that teachers of students with learning support needs have a sound understanding of student needs, and systems are in place to support these students.

Health Education

  • Assure the board that at least once every two years, a consultation with the school community has occurred, and a statement on the delivery of the health curriculum has been adopted.

Safety Management System and Worker Engagement, Participation, and Representation

  • Assure the board that the school safety management system aligns with board duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, including ensuring the safety of workers, providing a safe environment for workers and other people at the school, and minimising risks to health and safety.
  • Assure the board that workers have had the opportunity to participate in improving workplace health and safety.

Healthcare(also see subtopics)

  • Assure the board that policies and procedures relating to first aid, recording and notification of accidents, and managing, administering, and recording medication are up to date and implemented correctly.

Digital Technology and Online Safety

  • Assure the board that Digital Technology and Online Safety policies to promote internet safety and prevent bullying are being implemented correctly. Report on any breaches in digital safety.

Boarding House/Hostel Policies

  • Assure the board that the boarding house/hostel provides a safe emotional and physical environment that supports the learning of boarders enrolled at the school.


Term 2


Safety Checking and Police Vetting

  • Assure the board that all children’s workers employed or engaged by the school have been safety checked before their appointment. Confirm that children’s workers have been safety checked as required within 3 years of the previous check.
  • Assure the board that any non-teaching staff (who are not registered teachers or holders of a limited authority to teach) are police vetted, and any contractors and their employees have been police vetted if they may have unsupervised access to students during normal school hours. Confirm that police vets have been completed every 3 years.

Teaching Staff

  • Assure the board that all teachers employed at the school are registered with the Teaching Council and hold a current practising certificate, or have a limited authority to teach.

Performance Management

  • Assure the board that the school manages the performance of staff according to employment agreement requirements. Confirm that the board complies with mandatory reporting requirements to the Teaching Council.

Appointment Policy, Staff Conduct and Professional Development

  • Assure the board that procedures for staff selection and appointment are being implemented correctly, including identity and registration checks, and any board delegation of appointment responsibilities. Confirm that supporting policies for induction, staff conduct, and professional development are being implemented.

Employment Policy and Equal Employment Opportunities

  • Assure the board that the school operates an employment policy that complies with the principle of being a good employer, that the policy (including our equal employment opportunities programme) is available to staff, and that a report on compliance is included in the annual report.

Child Protection and Abuse Recognition and Reporting

  • Assure the board that the Child Protection policy is in use, is being implemented correctly, and is publicly available.
  • Assure the board that staff are engaged with the Abuse Recognition and Reporting policy, including indicators of abuse and procedures for reporting abuse.

Curriculum and Student Achievement Policy

  • Assure the board that teaching and learning programmes give effect to foundation curriculum policy statements and national curriculum statements.
  • Assure the board that the school complies with government requirements to teach an average of one hour per day of the following subjects: reading, writing, and maths; or pānui, tuhituhi, and pāngarau. (This applies to year 0-8 only.)

Cellphones and Other Personal Digital Devices

  • Assure the board that the school does not allow students to use cellphones during school hours, including break times, unless students have been granted an exemption.


Term 3


Student Attendance

  • Assure the board that student absences are correctly recorded, monitored, and followed up.

Reporting about Student Progress and Achievement

  • Assure the board that teachers have used good quality assessment information or aromatawai information to report to each student and their parents/caregivers at least twice a year on student progress and achievement.

Searches, Surrender, and Retention of Property

  • Assure the board that all procedures relating to search, surrender, and retention have been followed. Confirm that a written record has been kept of all surrenders and searches, and retention of any property held for more than 2 nights.
  • Assure the board that authorisation of non-teaching staff is specified in writing, and that staff members receive a copy and acknowledge the receipt in writing.

Minimising Physical Restraint

  • Assure the board that all procedures relating to physical restraint have been followed, and that all requirements to notify, monitor, and report have been met. Confirm that any non-teaching staff have been authorised in writing.
  • Assure the board that staff authorised to apply restraint receive appropriate training and support.

Stand-down, Suspension, and Exclusion

  • Assure the board that the school complies with the correct procedures and reporting requirements relating to stand-down, suspension, and exclusion/expulsion.

School Records Retention and Disposal

  • Assure the board that the school has complied with the Public Records Act 2005 in relation to the retention and disposal of school records.

Safety and Welfare for Students on Work Experience

  • Assure the board that work-based learning and work experience situations for students meet the required welfare and safety conditions.

Food and Nutrition

  • Assure the board that the school promotes healthy food and nutrition for all students.


Term 4


School Year, Terms, and Holidays

  • Assure the board that the school has been open for the statutory number of half-days and hours per day in the current year. Inform the board of the dates and number of half-days for instruction for the next year.

Managing Income and Expenditure and Expenditure

  • Assure the board that the school has complied with section 155 of the Education and Training Act, and appropriate provisions of the Crown Entities Act 2004 relating to borrowing.
  • A nominated board member assures the board that they have completed three randomly timed checks of the processes and authorisations used to make payments to staff members, particularly the payments made to the principal, anyone related to the principal, and others in the school with payroll responsibilities.

School Donations and Student Activity Payments

(Government scheme only)

  • Assure the board that if the school has opted in to the government donation scheme, this has been decided in consultation with the school community, and the community has been notified of this decision. If the school has opted in to the scheme, assure the board that the school has not asked for donations, except for overnight camps.

Gifts

  • Assure the board that all financial gifts can be properly accounted for, and the nature of gifts given is reasonable and proportionate to the reason they are given.

Protected Disclosure

  • Assure the board that the school has internal procedures that meet the requirements of the Protected Disclosures (Protection of Whistleblowers) Act 2022 (s 29) and this information is shared with staff members, contractors, board members, and volunteer workers.

International Learners Review

  • Assure the board that the school has completed a self-review of how it is meeting Code of Practice requirements and that the self-review attestation will be submitted by the due date (1 December) each year.