|
|
|||
|
|
|||
Getting Started as a School Board
Welcome to the School Board
Involvement on the Board will give you the opportunity of working in partnership with the school and the local education authority to improve the education provided for your children.
The Headteacher is one of the most important people you will have contact with during your term of office. He/She is not only the main adviser to the School Board, he/she is also the headteacher of the school and will always have the best interests of the children at heart. Partnership works best where all parties involved are mindful of the limitations of the others. Parents are not likely to know all about the workings of a school, neither are the staff and the headteacher in particular going to know when the Chairman or other members of the Board simply don’t understand the jargon of the teaching world.
Here at SSBA we are waiting to hear from you if you run into any problems, if you simply want to clarify a point before a meeting or if we can help in any way at all. Your local authority is also available for advice.
Remember what we tell our children every day "If you don’t understand something, don’t be frightened to ask". We are on the Board because of our children - keep them at the forefront of your discussions and decision-making and you’ll be just fine.
All this material is copyright of SSBA.
It can be purchased from the SSBA Office
GETTING STARTED
Membership of the School Board
Parents |
Teachers |
Co-opted Members |
Total |
|
| 1-500 | 4 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
| 501 - 1000 | 5 |
2 |
2 |
9 |
| 1001 - 1500 | 6 |
2 |
3 |
11 |
| 0ver 1500 | 7 |
3 |
3 |
13 |
Parent members are nominated and elected by other parents at the school. Staff members are nominated and elected by other staff members at the school. Co-opted members of the Board are invited following an invitation by the Chairman from all the members of the School Board.
Co-opted parent members are eligible for co-option only after a by-election has been held. However, this is likely to change following the current consultation on the Government Education Bill. It is envisaged that the by-election process will be removed and that parents will be eligible for co-option immediately following the normal election process held every two years if there is still a vacancy.
School Board elections are held every two years. The election period runs from 1st September to 30th November. New members of the School Board will take up office on the 1st December.
Members of the School Board will serve for a term of 4 years. School Board members may be re-elected.
Church Representation on Denominational School Boards:
The Church in consultation with the local authority will recommend a Church representative to the School Board. The School Board will be required to consider this nomination. As with other co-opted members of the Board, this representative will serve for a period of 4 years unless filling a casual vacancy.
Appointment of Office Bearers of the School Board
You are required to appoint a Chairman, a Vice Chairman and a Treasurer for your School Board. The position of Chairman and Vice Chairman cannot be filled by the staff member. The Headteacher is not a member of the Board but as principle adviser to the Board plays a very important part in the successful operation of a School Board.
It is always advisable to place the appointment of Office Bearers on the Agenda of the December meeting of the School Board every year. This simply confirms the Office Bearers already in place or gives the Board the opportunity to elect new Office Bearers. (December is most suitable as this is the month when every two years the new members of the Board will be in place).
The Chairperson of your School Board should consult the Headteacher about the agenda for every meeting of the School Board. As both partners are involved in the school they should both have an input to what the School Board will discuss at its next meeting.
The final say on what is on the Agenda rests with the Chairman of the School Board.
A Headteacher can not be expected to give reasoned advice if they are not happy about what is to be discussed.
Legally, the Headteacher is the formal advisor to the School Board. The School Board is required to listen to the advice given by the Headteacher and to consider it.
Example of a School Board Agenda:
TINYTOWN PRIMARY SCHOOL BOARD
Meeting to be held in Tinytown Primary School on Wednesday 19 June 1996
at 6.30 p.m. in the Primary 7 Classroom
AGENDA
| 1. | Apologies and Welcome |
| 2. | Announcements and Additions to the Agenda |
| 3. | Minute of the last meeting |
| 4. | Matters arising |
| 5. | Correspondence |
| 6. | School lets |
| 7. | Treasurer’s Report |
| 8. | Headteacher’s Report |
| 9. | Car Park (item raised in response to parental questionnaire) |
| 10. | Headteacher’s Financial Proposals - 1996/97 |
| 11. | School Development Plan |
| 12. | Report from Parents’ Association |
| 13. | AOCB |
| 14. | Date and time of next meeting |
The Chairman is responsible for the running of the School Board meeting. He/She must have an understanding of why each item has been placed on the agenda, how each item should be approached and discussed and should arrange for copies of agenda/papers to be sent out.
Speaking at School Board meetings
All School Board members are entitled to speak at Board meetings and should be encouraged to do so by the Chairman. The Headteacher as main adviser to the School Board should be asked to discuss and advise on any item on the Agenda. The Local Councillors and the representative of the Director of Education are also entitled to attend and speak at meetings.
Parents and other members of the public are not allowed to speak at Board meetings unless asked to do so by the School Board Chairman. If parents or members of the public attend a meeting of the School Board they should be made to feel welcome. However, in order to make sure that the School Board meeting runs smoothly it is advisable for the School Board member to ask the visitor if there is a particular item on the Agenda which they have an interest in. (The parent may wish to raise a complaint). This saves names being minuted for public display and will protect the School Board.
The School Board can discuss any subject pertaining to the business of the school. This includes the management and running of the school, the curriculum, etc.
Here are some suggestions which you might find useful:
Approval of Headteacher plans for School Budget.
Manage use of school buildings after hours following guidelines laid down by Authority.
Fix dates for occasional holidays during term-time following consultation with Authority.
Take part in appointment committees for senior staff (Headteacher, Depute and Assistant).
Opportunity in selection of other school staff. (this would be a delegated function).
Report to parents at least once per year.
Seek formal delegation of other functions.
School Board Funds.
Communicating with parents, promote relationships between school, parents and the community.
School Development Planning.
Devolved School Management.
Partnership in School Evaluation.
Consultation of Government documents.
School Policies.
The minutes of the School Board meeting should be taken by the Clerk to the Board and should record any decisions taken by the Board. The accuracy of the draft minutes should be checked by the Chairperson and the Headteacher before being circulated to the members of the School Board.
Minutes should be put on the School Notice Board and marked as draft until passed at the next meeting. The School Board should decide circulation of the minutes but any circulation should include Members of the Board, the Headteacher, the education department and the Councillors.
Your School Board should consult the Headteacher for information about the school. The Headteacher will be pleased to explain the school system with you.
The Headteacher is required to provide policy statements on :-
The curriculum
Assessment of pupils
Discipline
Rules
Uniform
The Headteacher must also inform the School Board of any subsequent changes to school policy.
The Headteacher is required to provide reports and information on any matter concerning the school as may reasonably be requested by the School Board.
"Reasonably" means that the topic needs to be directly related to the work of the school and that the Headteacher has adequate time to produce the information and report.
It is a legal requirement for the School Board to communicate with parents at least once per year when the Board are required to issue a report of what the Board has been doing during the year. Most School Boards will communicate with parents throughout the year.
Some of the most popular items handled by School Boards in partnership with the Headteacher include:
changes to the school day, homework policy, school meal provision, state of the school building, school uniform, discipline policy, attendance and absence problems.
It is essential that the School Board report any findings of consultation on a particular subject to the parents once the matters has been considered by the School Board.
The best communication is short and simple. Prepare your documentation carefully and keep it relevant. Consider your audience.
Ask yourself: What is likely to concern them, what style is likely to appeal to them, and is there a need for translation.
Involve your audience by: Using a tear-off slip, by inviting them to discussion groups or by organising workshop groups at the meeting.
The Role of The Clerk - The position of School Board Clerk is also important. The exact nature of the Clerk’s duties is very much a matter for the individual Board, since there are few which are prescribed. There are, however, a number of activities which could be considered to form the principal duties of a Clerk. These include - Correspondence, Agenda, Circulation of Agenda and Papers, Minute Taking, Advice on Procedures and Statute, Preparation of Minutes, Public Display of Papers and Minutes, Circulation of Minutes, Receiving Resignations.
It is a legal requirement that the Headteacher produces a report for the School Board every year.
The Headteacher is required, by law, to take account of any comments made by the School Board and to reply to them.
What might be included in your Annual Report:
Names, addresses and telephone numbers of members of the School Board.
Committees of the School Board.
Chairman’s thanks to Board members, staff, PTA, etc.
The dates of meetings for the coming year.
A brief report on the main business of the year - e.g. school development plan, approval of the school budgets, appointment of senior staff, other major issues discussed and decisions taken.
Main aim and priority for the year ahead (Board may be using response from a questionnaire).
Board members training and attendance at conferences.
Fund raising activities and social events (may be in partnership with the PTA).
Financial statement of the School Board.
Summary of Headteacher’s annual report to the School Board.
School Board view of progress made by the school during the year.
The Headteacher is required to take account of any representations made by the School Board and is also required to respond to these representations.
Simple Example of School Board representation on School Policy:
The School Board wants the Headteacher to make the wearing of school uniform compulsory.
"Unfortunately, perhaps, it is illegal to make the wearing of school uniform a requirement. However, I will do all that I can to help the School Board to encourage parents to send their children to school wearing school uniform."
Headteacher advice to the School Board
The School Board is required to consider any advice which it is given by the Headteacher. Remember that the Headteacher is the formal advisor to the School Board.
The School Board must give a formal response to the advice it is given by the Headteacher, particularly if it decides not to follow the advice it is given.
If a School Board decides to go against the advice it is given by the Headteacher, this fact should be recorded in the minutes of that meeting of the School Board.
A representative of the Director of Education has the right to attend meetings of School Boards and speak to any item on the agenda, but has no right to vote. Regular attendance can make a real contribution towards a positive partnership.
If a representative does not normally attend, ask for one to be present when you think it would be helpful, i.e. when you have questions to ask.
Your local Councillor(s) has/have the right to attend meetings of School Boards and to speak to any item on the agenda, but has no right to vote.
Remember always to invite your local Councillor(s) to meetings of your School Board. They are the people who make the decisions which affect your school!
Give your Councillor plenty of notice of School Board meetings (several weeks, if you can) as they have a great number of calls on their time.
The Education Authority is required to provide information which is reasonably requested by a School Board.
- It will be reasonable if it directly affects the school.
- It will be reasonable if you give the Education Authority sufficient time to provide the information.
The Education Authority must provide advice when it is reasonably requested by a School Board.
- It will be reasonable if it directly affects the school.
- It will be reasonable if you give the Education Authority sufficient time to provide the information.
Representations from the School Board
The Education Authority is required to consider any representations it receives from a School Board and must also respond to the representations.
A School Board is required to consider any advice it receives from the Education Authority. If you decide not to take the advice ensure that the decision is minuted and be prepared to be held accountable if anything goes wrong.
Make sure that you can differentiate between advice and an instruction. Even if you don’t like it, an instruction must be obeyed.
School Board, PTA and the Community
The School Board is required to promote contact between the school and parents and to encourage the formation of some kind of parents association.
The School Board is required to promote contact between the school and the local community.
The School Board is required to promote contact with parents.
It is a legal requirement that the School Board regularly consults parents on matters which the School Board is considering.
The School Board is required to report to parents every year on its activities. This may be in the form of a written report sent to all parents, or in the form of a public meeting.
School consultation with parents
The Headteacher is required to inform the School Board about arrangements that have been made for consultation between teachers and parents. The Headteacher must take account of any comments the School Board makes about these arrangements.
Questions for consideration by the School Board
Does your Board have a clearly defined role?
Have you shared these aims with parents?
How representative is your Board?
What is your relationship with the school?
Is the Board represented on the PTA and does the PTA report at the meetings of the School Board?
Do you liaise on matters of mutual interest such as fund-raising, social events and communications?
Who has responsibility for communication with parents?
How successful have you been communicating with parents?
How often do you attempt to reach parents?
How often do you talk with the teachers?
Do parents know about Board meetings and minutes?
Do parents attend meetings?
Are meetings advertised in advance?
Are there photographs of the School Board alongside the management team in the entrance hall?
The local Education Authority receives a settlement from the Government every year which includes an allowance for the operation of the School Boards within their area. This allowance will include money for training of all School Board members, travelling expenses and costs incurred by the School Board in carrying out their legislative duties, e.g. communicating with parents, attending meetings, administration of the Board and involvement in appointments.
The Education Authority is required by the Act of Parliament, before the start of a new financial year, to consult School Boards about the amount of money it intends to allocate to each School Board. You should prepare your proposed budget for the forthcoming year and if the local authority present you with any less than you have requested then you should write formally to the Director of Education thanking him/her for the budget allocated to you school but reserving the right to ask for more. You should enclose a copy of your budget forecast for the year and ask him/her to attend a meeting of the Board to discuss the matter.
How much money do you require to run a successful School Board?
You need money to :-
a) Pay your clerk/clerkess. (research suggests £5-£6 per hour, 6 hours maximum per meeting for preparation, minute taking and circulation.
b) Pay the travel expenses of your School Board members. (local authorities will supply details of travelling expenses for officials and councillors to use as a comparison).
c) Meet the cost of paper, postage and telephones. (buying stationery through your local authority may be the cheapest).
d) Communicate with parents. (one newsletter at least once per year, many schools use SSBA newsletter "Grapevine" as an additional communication for parents).
e) Pay for any training needs the School Board may have. (all members of the Board plus the Headteacher and Councillor should be offered and attend training sessions). SSBA provide training for all of these personnel - this training is recommended by COSLA, ADES and the Scottish Executive.
NB - If at the end of a financial year you have not spent all your money, the Education Authority should make available any excess to be applied by the School Board taking account of the views of the Headteacher, for the benefit of the school.
Advertising meetings of your School Board
All meetings of a School Board must be open to the public. You are expected to advertise, in some way, every meeting of your School Board in order to ensure that parents and members of the local community know when, where and at what time a meeting will take place and so allow them to attend, if they so wish. If confidential items are on the agenda, e.g. short leets for staff appointments, or discussion involving individual pupils, you can require the public to leave for those items alone and take the matters in private.
NB - It is advisable to inform both the Director of Education and your local Councillor(s) of meetings in order that they have the opportunity to attend, if they so wish.
Inviting speakers to your School Board
Your School Board has the right to invite anyone they wish to attend and address a meeting of the School board.
Your school will operate its budget through "devolved school management". The Headteacher must set out for the School Board his/her proposals for spending the money the Education Authority has allocated to the school for the purchase of materials and equipment (usually called the "per capita"). The Headteacher cannot spend any of this money until such time as he/she has the approval of the School Board.
The Headteacher must consult the School Board about the proposed total expenditure under "devolved school management". However, unless the Education Authority states in its DSM scheme that the School Board has to approve the total expenditure, it is only the "per capita" expenditure which the School Board has to control.
NB - Whichever of the above two positions apply, it is worthwhile remembering at least two important points:-
a) Proposed expenditure should be considered before the beginning of a financial year, i.e. during the month of March at the latest. If consideration is delayed beyond this date the Headteacher is limited in what can be spent until the School Board has approved the expenditure for "per capita". Battles between the School Board and Headteacher are to be avoided - breakdown of a partnership affects the children!
b) It is a wise School Board which allows a Headteacher some leeway in expenditure, e.g:
Expenditure of up to, say £250 without prior approval of the School Board.
Appointment of Senior Staff - School Board involvement
When a Headteacher, Depute Headteacher or Assistant Headteacher is leaving a school (or a new post of Depute Headteacher or Assistant Headteacher is to be created), the School Board should be informed of this by both the Headteacher and the Director of Education. The Director of Education should, at the same time, tell the School Board of its involvement in the forthcoming appointment and give them some idea of the time scale involved in filling the post. The following is the minimum the School Board should expect:
a) Sight of the information being issued to all applicants for the post, if not an opportunity to make suggestions about what should be included in this information.
b) If it is the post of Headteacher which is to be filled then a meeting of the School Board, less the teacher representatives, should take place with a representative of the Director of Education present to consider all the applicants for the post. Under normal circumstances the School Board will have a say in who is to be interviewed for the post.
c) For those members of the School Board who will actually take part in the interviews to fill the vacant post, the equivalent of a whole days training exercise should be provided.
It is extremely important that School Board members respect the confidentiality required when selecting a new member of staff. No details of those applying for, or getting the job should be divulged under any circumstances. The announcement of ‘who got the job’ will be made by the local education authority and should not be made in advance by the interviewing panel, namely the School Board members and the Councillors.
All correspondence should be sent directly to the School Board Chairman. School Board Clerks should not hold all correspondence until the next meeting. Important opportunities can be missed by doing this.
The School Board Chairman should be authorised to deal with all correspondence in consultation with the Headteacher.
Ensure that you send a copy of all correspondence to the Headteacher. Details of all correspondence should be available at the next meeting of the School Board.
Your School Board is required to decide which applications for school lets should be granted. However, this must be carried out within the policy laid down by the Education authority.
A School Board is required to encourage the community use of the school outwith normal school hours. However, this must be done within the policy laid down by the Education Authority.
If an Education Authority operates a system where schools in different parts of the Council’s area have different holidays, then a School Board has the right to be consulted about such casual holidays before the decision is made.
Delegating Powers to the School Board
A School Board can ask an Education Authority to delegate additional powers to it and to be provided with appropriate finance to operate the delegated functions. If the Education authority refuses, the School Board can require them to carry out a ballot of parents. If a majority of the parents voting agree with the proposals for delegation and the Education Authority continue to refuse to grant the request for additional delegated powers, the School Board has the right of appeal to the Secretary of State for Scotland.
Example :- Delegation of the power to appoint all staff in the school. This is only likely to succeed if the application proposes a partnership between the School Board and the Education Authority. If the proposed delegation suggests that appointments should be made by the School Board alone, it is likely to fail.
Keeping in touch with what the Education Authority is doing
It is very important for a School Board to keep up to date with what an Education Authority is doing and thinking of doing. It is advisable to :-
a) Arrange to have the agenda and papers for meetings of the Education Committee and any Sub-Committees to be sent to the Chairman of the School Board at the same time as they are issued to Councillors.
b) It is advisable to keep in close touch with your local Councillor.
Education Authority Policy set by the Education Committee
If your School Board is not happy with what an Education Authority is doing, you should :-
i) Ask the Director of Education what is happening and why. It might be a good idea to ask him/her to come and speak to a meeting of your School Board.
ii) If you are still not satisfied, ask the Chairman of the Education Committee what is happening and why.
iii) If you are still not satisfied write to the Director of Education (copy to the Chairman) asking that your concern is raised at the next meeting of the Education Committee.
Throughout all of this remember to keep your local Councillor fully informed.
Is there something which is happening, or not happening, in the school which the School Board is concerned about?
If you are not happy about something in the school, talk to the Headteacher first. Only take the matter to a meeting of the School Board if the Headteacher is in agreement with this being done. If the Headteacher is not happy, raise the problem with the Director of Education, informing the Headteacher that you are doing this.
Parent(s) might raise concerns about a member of staff with the School Board. If some parents are unhappy with one particular teacher, ask the parent to first raise the matter with the Headteacher. If the parent(s) are not satisfied with the reply they receive approach the Director of Education, informing the Headteacher that you are doing this. Under no circumstances do you discuss the matter at a meeting of the School Board.
The Scottish School Board Association have a leaflet describing the procedures for dealing with complaints. This has been agreed with the teacher unions and the local authorities.
It is recommended that all School Boards regularly attend training courses. SSBA currently delivers courses on - Powers, Responsibilities and Partnerships, Effective Communications, Effective Meetings, Appointment of Senior Staff, Headteachers and their School Boards, Teacher Members of School Boards and a Briefing for Councillors. These are currently being arranged both through your local authority and individually with School Boards themselves.
Scottish School Board Association
Newall Terrace
Dumfries
DG1 1LW
Telephone: (01387) 260 428
Fax: (01387) 260 488
email: ssba@schoolboard-scotland.com
