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There
is currently 8 policies under review by the Board of Trustees.
They are the Financial Management Policy, Special Character
BOT, Staff Dress Code, Food and Nutrition, Hazard
Identification, HIV and Aids, Internet Use, Animal Welfare,
Library Book Purchasing, Barriers to Learning, Community
Consultation, Custody Arrangements, and Complaints Procedures
Policy. If you have any concerns or suggestions with respect to
this policy, please contact Marian Millar who is in
charge of the policy portfolio on the Board. Her email
address is alfandmarian@value.net.nz
Richmond
View School
Financial
Management Policy
Proverbs
21:3
“To do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord
rather than sacrifice”
Proverbs
21:5
“The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage”
Luke
16:10 “He who is faithful in a very
little is also faithful in much”
RATIONALE:
All
our dealings including Financial Management must be above
reproach and the Board of Trustees must show honesty and
integrity in all areas.
According
to NAG 4 the Board of Trustees is required to allocate funds to
reflect Richmond View School’s Charter priorities to monitor
and control school expenditure.
PURPOSE:
To
ensure accountability for the control of school finances
To
report to all interested parties and present accounts for
audit
To
ensure efficient use of funds
GUIDELINES:
The
Board of Trustees will each year prepare a budget based on the
aims of the Charter and present the budget to the full Board of
Trustees for approval.
1.
The school will establish clear guidelines, including
delegations and accountabilities, for the efficient management
of each section of the budget.
2.
Appropriate financial management procedures and practices are
followed in line with Public Sector Finance requirements and
guidelines set out by the Ministry of Education.
3.
Accounts for payment summaries will be presented at each Board
of Trustees meeting for ratification, and a statement of
financial position will accompany this.
4.
At the Board of Trustees’ Annual meeting a full report on the
school’s financial position will be presented.
5.
All accounts held within the school will be monitored.
6.
Each financial year a set of accounts will be prepared in a
timely and appropriate fashion.
7.
An auditor will be appointed for the school.
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
…………………………………
………………………………..
Chairperson
Principal
Dated
…………………………………..
Policy
Review Date ……………………
Special
Character Policy of Board of Trustees
Amos
3:3
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Can
two walk together, unless they are agreed?
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Cor
6:14
Do
not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers.
RATIONALE:
To
retain the special character of our school, the members of the
Board of Trustees will uphold and advance the Christian
character, purpose, and mission of Richmond View School and
will agree with the aims and philosophies of the school and
curriculum. They will also agree with the statement of
faith of the Blenheim Elim Church.
PURPOSE:
The
purpose of this policy statement is to ensure that the Board of
Trustees is a Christian board in its philosophies, actions, and
decisions.
GENERAL
GUIDELINES:
A.
Board Members
1.
Will uphold and advance the special character, purpose, mission
and good governance of the school
2.
Agree with the aims and philosophies of the school and
curriculum,
3.
Complete a process of training as a BOT member as required
4.
The Education Act 1989, part 9, section 103, defines certain
people to be ineligible to be Board members. See attached.
B.
Make-up of Board
¨
5 parent elected representatives
¨
4 proprietor representatives
¨
Principal
¨
Staff Representative
C.
Roles
1.
Proprietor representatives
¨
full
member of the board
¨
appointed
by the proprietor to uphold and advance the
special
character, purpose,
mission and governance of the school
¨
report
regularly to the proprietor
¨
carry out
the work of the board
¨
be
responsible for the portfolio to which they have been
appointed
2.
Parent representative
¨
Full
members of the board
¨
Will
uphold and advance the special character, purpose, mission and
good governance of the school
¨
carry out
the work of the board
¨
be
responsible for the portfolio to which they have been
appointed
D.
Implementation
At
BOT election time each nominee will sign a statement reflecting
agreement with this policy as part of their nomination form.
Board of Trustees
Special Character Policy Approved by the Board of Trustees and
Principal
……………………………………………………………………………………
Chairperson
Principal
Richmond
View School
Staff
Dress Code
(Including
all volunteer staff)
I
Timothy:2:9
in
like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest
apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair
or gold or pearls or costly clothing,
Luke
17: 1
One
day Jesus said to his disciples, "There will always be
temptations to sin, but how terrible it will be for the person
who does the tempting.
RATIONALE:
Staff
set a dress standard within the school.
GUIDELINES:
1.
Staff should dress neatly and tidily at all times
2.
Appropriate dress should be worn for differing circumstances
(i.e. Physical Education)
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
.................................................................
......................................................
Chairperson
Principal
Dated
......................................................
Review
date ............................................
Food
and Nutrition Policy
“..for
you have been bought with a price, therefore glorify God in
your body.”
1
Corinthians 7:20
RATIONALE:
Healthy
eating patterns are necessary for students to achieve their
full potential academically, physically, mentally and
spiritually. This is a life long process, which begins in
childhood.
PURPOSE:
to
encourage healthy eating habits
to
offer healthy food choices through the bought lunch service
consistent with National food and nutrition guidelines
to
coordinate classroom health and nutrition lessons with other
aspects of the school health programme and bough t lunch
service
to
integrate the idea of healthy eating across the curriculum
where possible
GUIDELINES:
Parents
will be encouraged to have their children bring healthy food
from home and ideas for healthy lunches will be put in the
school newsletter periodically
Regular
classroom nutrition lessons will be part of Richmond View
School’s health programme and may be integrated into
curriculum areas such as social studies, technology, science,
Taha Maori
Food
sold through the schools bought lunch service will offer
healthy choices and encourage healthy eating habits consistent
with National food and nutrition guidelines
Any
food prepared at school will be prepared in a hygienic, smoke
free environment and will be stored hygienically.
Staff
will be encouraged to model healthy eating habits
All
sweets including chocolate and chewing gum and soft drinks are
not permitted as part of school lunches
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
.......................................................
........................................................
Chairperson
Principal
Date
..............................................
Richmond
View School
Hazard
Identification Policy
Proverbs
1:33 “But if you listen to me, you will be safe and secure
without fear of disaster.”
RATIONALE:
To
define the procedures to be taken to identify any hazards
within the school environment to ensure that the school is a
safe place for students and staff.
OBJECTIVE:
To
inspect the school environment to identify possible hazards and
to take action to make these safe.
PROCEDURES:
The
school environment is to be inspected at the beginning of every
Term to identify any hazards.
Where
hazards are identified, action to ensure that these are made
safe is to be undertaken immediately.
Hazards
to be looked for include:
Broken
or damaged electrical fittings
Broken
or cracked glass
Damaged
office panels
Faulty
chairs
Damaged
floor coverings
Fallen
trees
Faulty
playground equipment
Leaking
taps
That
there are no items that would fall and cause injury in the
event of an earthquake (i.e. that items such as filing cabinets
and computers are anchored down)
That
all rooms (including toilets/hallway etc.) have fire and
earthquake safety signs displayed
That
all exits are clear
Any
other potentially dangerous features
Hazards
identified are to be recorded in the "Emergency Drill and
Hazard Inspection" Book located in the First Aid cupboard
in the school office, and signed off when problem is rectified.
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
.......................................................
........................................................
Chairperson
Principal
Internet
Use Policy
“Whatever
is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is
excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.”
Philipians 4:8
PURPOSE:
Richmond
View School uses a range of learning technologies to enhance
student learning. These include e-mail and the Internet.
Management
needs to take appropriate actions to ensure that students are
kept safe.
RATIONALE:
Protection
of students privacy with regard to publication of
students work and images is vital
Protecting
students, while using the internet and e-mail, from accessing
sites unsuitable for minors, and from making or being
approached by unsuitable contacts, is also vital
Staff
(paid and voluntary) will only have access to the internet for
providing information for students, upskilling of staff, and
use of e-mail for school business
GUIDELINES:
Management
will develop procedures to ensure that the rationale is
carried out appropriately
Richmond
View School will have a net guard installed to prevent
unsuitable websites from being accessed.
Misuse
protocols will be developed to ensure a procedure is in place
to deal with staff or student misuse of the Internet.
This will include accessing inappropriate sites, especially
child pornography and pornographic sites, storing
inappropriate information, reporting of accidental access to
inappropriate sites.
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
…………………………………………..
………………………………………
Chairperson
Principal
Animal
Welfare Policy
Proverbs12:10
“A
good man is concerned for the welfare of his animals”
(LB)
RATIONALE:
Richmond
View School recognises that under the Animal Protection Act,
1987 it is required to have a code of ethical conduct relating
to the welfare and treatment of any animals under its care.
PURPOSE:
1.
To encourage, through example, the proper care of living things
within the school.
2.
To provide experience for children to observe, handle and care
for a range of animals in a humane way.
3.
To ensure that the care and welfare of animals must have the
highest priority in any activity involving the keeping of an
animal or its study on a field trip.
4.
To educate children through example and discussion on the
importance of animal care and welfare and the responsibilities
involved.
GUIDELINES:
·
“Animal” is defined as any living creature with a backbone,
including land-based and aquatic mammals, birds, fish and
reptiles.
·
It is generally accepted that other living creatures such as
snails, worms, and insects must also be treated with care and
kindness.
·
If the appropriate care cannot be provided, the animals should
not be kept in the school. Creatures kept in classrooms
for observation must be housed and fed properly, and returned
to their natural habitat on completion of the study.
·
Creatures captured on field trips must be returned to their
habitat prior to leaving the area unless their proper care in
school can be guaranteed.
Responsibility
for the welfare of animals rests with the teacher/staff member
involved, but ultimately with the Principal and Board of
Trustees.
The
following freedoms apply:
1.
Animals must have appropriate diet, including access to water.
Provision must be made for care at weekends and holidays.
2.
Animals must have cages/containers of an appropriate size, be
ventilated and hygienic. Animals must not be subjected to
extremes of noise, draught or sunlight.
3.
Animals should be free from injury or disease. Diseased
or injured animals should be treated and should not be kept at
school.
4.
Animals must be handled/kept in such a way that they are not
subjected to stress or fear.
5.
Animals should be able to express normal behaviour.
Where
any activity is planned which may cause distress or suffering
to the animal approval must be obtained from an Animal Ethics
Committee. A record must be kept of procedures followed
as set out in the act (see ERO Handbook 1994 p A72 R5).
Animal Ethics Committees may be contacted through the Science
Adviser or MAF (Ph 04 4744 129, fax 04 4744 133)
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
……………………………………………….
………………………………………
Chairperson
Principal
Barriers
to Learning Policy
Train
up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will
not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
8Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,
think on these things. 9Those
things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard,
and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
(Philippians 4:8-9)
Rationale:
Within
any learning institution there will always be barriers which
can cause some students to learn at a lesser rate than would be
the case without those barriers. The aim of Richmond View
School is to annually assess barriers to learning, and to
minimise or eliminate them if at all possible.
It
is recognised that there are many and varied situations which
can be a barrier to good learning. Some of these are
beyond the scope of the school, but even in these situations,
the review should consider all areas.
Purpose:
1
To identify all barriers to learning applicable in this school.
2
To eliminate all of these barriers if at all possible
3
To minimise all identified barriers if unable to eliminate them
4
To ensure all staff annually review barriers identified and
take appropriate action.
Guidelines:
1
Staff to annually identify possible barriers and the children
they are likely to effect.
2
Staff to update barrier lists previously identified if new
barriers become apparent.
3
The list of barriers is to be attached to this policy for
reference.
4
This policy is to be reviewed on a three yearly cycle.
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal.
………………………………….
……………………………………
Chairman
Principal
Richmond
View School Community Consultation Policy
“So
we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually
members
of
one another” – Romans 12:5
RATIONALE:
Richmond
View School has a commitment to making consultation with the
community realistic and meaningful for all parties (parents,
staff and Board of Trustees). That is, consultation
should focus on real issues which are important to all parties
with the view of achieving successful outcomes.
PURPOSE:
·
To enhance partnership between school and
community.
·
To improve the learning and education of the
whole student, academic, physical and spiritual.
·
To improve the school environment.
·
To be able to respond quickly to problems or
issues that may arise.
·
To include parents in the education of their
children.
·
To have community input into the future
directions of the school.
GUIDELINES:
Richmond
View School will endeavour to:
·
Achieve a warm welcoming atmosphere for
parents which acknowledges their valuable input.
·
Provide opportunities for parents to visit
and communicate with staff and Board of Trustees.
·
Provide opportunities for parents to raise
issues of concern.
·
Make consultation an on-going part of school
life rather than isolated events.
·
Maintain a two way flow of information
between parents and school.
·
Select meaningful issues to work on.
·
Give prompt feedback.
·
Ensure all parties understand the
consultation processes.
·
Ensure that our Maori Community is involved
and included in all our school/community consultation.
METHOD:
The
following are examples of methods which can be used for
community consultation:
·
Newsletters home.
·
Informal parent-teacher conversations.
·
Formal parent-teacher evenings.
·
Questionnaires-surveys.
·
Other Board of Trustees-parent-teachers
evenings.
·
Principal-Board of Trustees-Reports.
·
Letters to Principal-Board of Trustees.
·
Establishment of committees/working groups
which draw on people's strengths and interests, etc.
CONCLUSION:
Consultation
is a continuous, long term process.
Consultation
should be responsive to changing methods of communication.
Methods
of communication used should be appropriate to the situation or
issues of concern.
The
aim is to establish a genuine, two way level of communication
between the school and community.
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
Richmond
View School
Custody
Arrangements Policy
“The
Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time
forth and for evermore”
Psalm
121:8 (Amp.)
RATIONALE:
Richmond
View School aims to provide a safe transition between the
school and home environment.
PURPOSE:
To
ensure that students are only collected from school by
custodial parents/guardians or those to whom they have granted
their permission.
Guidelines:
1
Only parents/guardians or those authorized by them may collect
students from school premises.
2
Parents should ring and inform the School Secretary or staff
member if they are unable to collect their child and inform
staff as to who it will be.
3
The teacher on duty must be informed of any changes.
4
Teachers on duty are responsible for policing this area until
3.15pm when their duty ends.
5
Where there is doubt about who a child is being collected by
staff are to use their initiative and discretion.
6
In cases where a non-custodial parent comes to school to
collect a child prior notice must have been received from the
custodial parent/guardian.
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
Richmond
View School
Complaints
Procedure Policy
“For
if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged”
1
Corinthians 11:31
RATIONALE:
Richmond
View School is committed to continuous improvement.
Complaints provide us with vital information that enables us to
effect improvements.
GUIDELINES:
Procedure:
The correct procedure for complaints is that:
(1)
In the first instance, complaints should be directed to the
staff member concerned. (2) If the matter is not
satisfactorily resolved, the issue should then be taken to
the
Principal.
(3)
If the matter remains still unresolved after (1) and (2) above,
then it should be presented to the Chairperson of the Board of
Trustees.
Method:
Complaints are to be received either by:
Telephone
In
writing: A letter to the Principal outlining the
complaint
In
Person: Via the School Office during office hours
(9:30am - 12noon Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). If
office staff are unable to solve the problem, they will make an
appointment with the person who can. At no time are
complaints to be taken to directly to teaching staff while they
are teaching or supervising activities.
By
using the 'Continuous Improvement Report' form: To be
completed and handed to the school Office or posted to 26
Burleigh Road, Blenheim 7201.
Policy
approved by Board of Trustees and Principal:
Signature:
_____________________________ Date:
___________________
Principal:
_____________________________ Date:
____________________
Report
back date: _____________
Report
back details(attach any written correspondence to this form):
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