ADMINISTRATION POLICIES and PROCEDURES MANUAL

ADMINISTRATION POLICIES and PROCEDURES MANUAL 2015

[For the Principal’s and Teachers’ management of the school and our Parent Community’s awareness.]

FOREWORD to this Manual:

This Administration Manual is designed for the Principal and Teachers of Opua School. If you wish to examine the school’s Governance Policies and Procedures, these are contained in the BOARD of TRUSTEES POLICIES and PROCEDURES MANUAL.

Opua School Page 1 INTRODUCTION

Thank you for choosing to work at Opua School.

Opua School is a highly rated, successful, full primary school. The roll remains relatively stable around 100 students. We aim to have all children achieving at high levels after attending this school. Each student enrolling here deserves to receive impressive education from the moment they enter the school grounds. We depend on all staff to deliver a friendly, courteous, professional experience to all students. We believe that if the children are learning they will want to come to school.

Opua School is one of New Zealand’s oldest educational institutions. The school was opened in 1886. The centennial was held over Labour weekend in 1996.

The school’s mission statement is:

“Our school will provide a caring environment that will help educate and equip the child for life.”

The school motto is “Manaakitanga me te Awhina” which translates as “Caring and Sharing.”

Opua School is all about teaching and learning. Our primary function is the education of Years One through to Eight in the New Zealand Primary School system. We follow the New Zealand Curriculum. Our emphases are literacy and numeracy. We make no apologies for insisting on success in these areas as a priority. We cover other areas of the NZC but because of time constraints we integrate Social Studies, Technology, Health and Science in broad-based, multi-disciplinary units. The aim is not to make less of these other areas but to do what we do well as opposed to covering everything at a minimum level. The expert teachers at this school know how to create integrated studies and a child being educated at this school receives a fully- rounded and well-balanced educational experience from creative teachers.

We believe strongly that it is important to foster and develop the children’s creative talents and this includes all of the arts. (Music creating, reading, singing, moving and the visual arts)

There is also much importance placed on developing self-confidence, self-discipline, leadership and relating well with others.

Here are some of the duties required of all staff members:

• Greeting all students and parents with a smile;

• Treating all students and parents in a courteous, friendly and helpful manner;

• Following all Opua School’s policies and procedures;

• Making sure that the school is clean and tidy and well presented.

Staff must also: 2 • Treat co-workers with courtesy and respect;

• Support each other and want to work as a school team;

• Work as a team with people of all ages and from different races and ethnic backgrounds;

• Report to work on time and occasionally work extra hours as needed;

• Report to work in appropriate dress/uniform;

• Maintain an enthusiasm and motivated style when working;

• Go the extra mile to ensure that the students enjoy their learning experiences;

• Look for ways to achieve things as opposed to finding reasons why something should not be done;

• Keep confidences. Staffroom talk/discussions/conversations and information concerning students should not be repeated outside of school. (It is an offence under the Privacy Act to disclose any personal information).

Staff meetings are 3:15 p.m. Tuesday afternoons

All staff are invited but meetings are mainly focused on teaching matters

CONTENTS

Policy / Procedure Page No. Policy / Procedure Page No.

THE CHARTER: Our No. 1 Policy 6 Sports Uniforms 52 1. RESPONSIBILITIES OF 9 Student Houses 54 PRINCIPAL 2. DISCIPLINARY OF 11 Student Special Certificates and 55 PRINCIPAL PROCESS Awards Student Stationery Requirements 56 3.PRINCIPAL PROF. EXPENSES 12 Swimming Pool and Swimming 57 4. REPORTING TO THE BOARD 13 Lessons 5. CURRICULUM DELIVERY 15 Treaty of Waitangi 58 Admissions and Withdrawals of Students 17 Uniforms 59 Attendance 19 6. PERSONNEL 60 Assemblies 21 Beginning Teachers 61 Behaviour Management 22 Caretakers and Cleaners 62 Bells 23 Classroom Release Time / Non- 63 Opua School Page 3 Bring Your Own Device Procedure 24 Contact Time Classification of Children 26 Communication with Parents 64 Classroom Environment 27 Communication with Staff 65 Classroom / Team Treats 28 Consultation with our Maori Community 29 Complaints 67 Education Outside the Classroom [EOTC] Confidentiality 70 30 Discretionary Leave 71 Exemption of Students from Class 31 Gifts and Acknowledgements 72 Hours of Work 73 Homework 32 Kaumatua 74 International Students 34 M. U. [s] Allocation 75 Internet Use 36 NZEI Code of Ethics 76 Learning at Opua School 39 Performance Management and 78 Maori Language and Culture 40 Appraisal On-Line and Media Publication of 41 Personnel Files 79 Students’ Work Registered Teachers’ Code of Ethics 80 Parent Helpers 42 Relief Teachers 83 Promotion of Students 43 School Administration / Main Office 84 Planning and Preparation of Work 46 Staff Record Keeping 47 Staff Private Property 85 Report Writing 49 Staff Professional Learning and 86 School Mission, Values and Tone 50 Development Special Education 51 Staff Trustee 87

Policy / Procedure Page No. Policy / Procedure Page No.

Teacher’s Leaving / Exiting 88 Crossing Supervision 132 Telephones and Cellphones 89 Custody Cases, Access to Students and 133 7. APPOINTMENTS 90 Matrimonial Disputes Equal Employment Opportunities 93 Duty Roster and Playground Supervision 136 Electrical Appliances Safety 137 8. FINANCIAL PLANNING 94 Emergency Management 138 Accounting for Money 95 Food Healthiness 145 Financial Controls 96 Harassment Prevention 146 Financial Responsibilities and 98 Hazards 148 Delegations Head lice 149 9. FINANCIAL CONDITION 100 Health at School 150 Banking Staffing 101 Helmets for Cycles etc. 151 Theft and Fraud 102 HIV / Blood-borne Diseases 152 10. ASSET PROTECTION 105 Interviewing Child Offenders 154 Classroom Inventories 106 Security of School 155 Classroom Supplies 107 Smoking 156 Computers 108 Sun Protection / Sun Hats 157 Photocopier 110 Transportation of Students using Private 158 End of the School Day 111 Cars End of School Term 112 Visitors to the School 159 Furniture 113 Waste 160 Lost Property 114 161

4 Staff Use of School Equipment 115 12. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES 162 Police Vetting Vandalism 116 Privacy Act Compliance 164 11. HEALTH and SAFETY 117 Protected Disclosures 166 Abuse 118 Videos, television and Film Copyright 168 Access to Children by External Agencies 120 13. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION 169 [such as Lawyers] Building Effective Whanau Relationships 170 Access to Children by the Police 121 Accidents and Sick Children 122 Animal Welfare 124 Arrival at school by children 125 Bicycles 126 Boundaries of the School 127 Carpet Cleaning 128 Child Protection 129 Children Coming to and from School 130 Children Inside the School Buildings 131

Part 1 The Charter

Our number 1 policy

Our Charter outlines this school’s Mission, Vision, Values, Strategic Goals and Annual Targets. Everything we do and decide upon should have direction from this document. Also, we should be aware of all of its contents when we plan lessons and engage with our students, parents and community and with each other as employees of the Board of Trustees of this school. The Charter is updated annually.

Opua School Page 5 The Charter is reproduced in the Board of Trustees Policy and Procedures manual. Copies are also reproduced and made available in the Staffroom and Main Office areas.

Any new employee should receive a copy of the latest Charter. If you have not, it is an oversight. Please ask for one as soon as possible after your employment is confirmed. If you have any questions related to the latest Charter, please feel free to discuss these with the Principal and / or the Board of Trustees Chairperson.

The Charter, especially its Annual Targets, will form a central part of staff discussions at staff meetings and be integral to any planning for and decisions made about Professional Leaning and Development each year.

6 Part 2 Operational Policies

and related Procedures

Opua School Page 7 FOREWORD to this SECTION:

The principal is the professional leader of the school and works in partnership with the Board of Trustees. As the Board’s chief executive the principal shall not cause or allow any practice, activity or decision that is unethical, unlawful, and imprudent or which violates the Board’s Charter or expressed values or commonly held professional ethic.

The principal’s key contribution is day-to-day management of the school as per the management definition in the introduction to the Board of Trustees Policies and Procedures Manual.

The following points must be noted:

 All Policy reviews are conducted at Board level and are not the responsibility of the staff of Opua School;

 All staff members will be involved in a review of all the Procedures on any operational or procedural matters via cyclical review at Staff Meetings;

 All staff members are expected to abide by the policies laid down in the Board of Trustees Policy and Procedures Manual and by the Operational Policies and Procedures as outlined below.

Below, the appropriate policy, as reviewed and sanctioned at Board level, is given a main number of between 1 and 12. Following the particular policy comes any related operational procedures which, in alphabetical sequence, are given the same main number and a sub-ordinate number to illustrate its relationship to the main policy.

Opua School Page 8 1. RESPONSIBILITIES of the PRINCIPAL POLICY

Rationale: The principal is responsible for overseeing the implementation of Board policy including the Charter. Reference in documentation to the school, management and staff is to be read as “principal” for responsibility for implementation. From time to time the chairperson of the Board, acting within delegated authority, may issue discretions in policies of the school, in minutes of the Board or by written delegation.

Purpose: Therefore, the responsibilities of the principal are to:

1. Meet the requirements of the current job description;

2. Meet the requirements of the Principals’ Professional Standards;

3. Act as the educational leader and day to day manager of the school within the law and in line with Board policies;

4. Develop an Annual Plan that is aligned with the Board’s Strategic Plan and meets both legislative requirements and any MoE expectations;

5. Seek approval from the Board each year for the Annual Plan so that MoE expected dates can be met;

6. Implement the Annual Plan and give priority to the school’s annual targets;

7. Use resources efficiently and effectively;

8. Implement the school’s Curriculum as per the Curriculum Delivery Policy and the New Zealand Curriculum document;

9. Ensure that all Health and Safety procedures are compliant and support the Board’s role in affirming safeguards for staff and students whilst at their place of employment and work;

10. Put good employer policies in to effect and ensure that there are effective procedures/guidelines in place as per Personnel and Appointments Policies;

11. Approve staff attestation for salary increments;

12. Allocate pay units for management positions;

13. Oversee staff appraisals and staff professional learning and development;

14. Hire, deploy and terminate relieving and auxiliary staff positions;

15. Hire teaching staff as per the Appointments Policy;

Opua School Page 9 16. Manage the school’s finances, in conjunction with the Board’s Finance Committee, in an efficient, honest, open and prudent manner as per the Financial Planning, Financial Condition and Professional Expenses Policies;

17. Preserve assets (financial and property) as per Asset Protection Policy;

18. Communicate with the community on operational matters where appropriate;

19. Limit public statements about the official position of the Board on controversial social, political, and/or educational issues to what the Board has formally adopted as positions of record;

20. Keep the Board informed of information important to its role;

21. Report to the board on the compliance or lack of with their policies as per Reporting to the Board policy;

22. Organise operations within the boundaries of prudence and ethics established in Board policies on operations and the Charter;

23. Act as Protected Disclosures Officer and ensure procedures are in place to meet the requirements of the Protected Disclosures Act 2000.” [see STA Link 2001/01] as per Protected Disclosures Procedure;

24. Appoint, on behalf of the board, the Privacy Officer and EEO Officer and ensure that all the school’s legal responsibilities are met as per the Legal Responsibilities policy.

Note: Only decisions made by the Board acting as a Board are binding on the principal. Decisions or instructions by individual Board members, committee chairs, or committees are not binding on the principal except in rare circumstances when the Board has specifically authorised it.

The relationship is one of trust and support with expectations documented in the Relationship between the Board and the Principal policy. Both parties work to ensure “no-surprises”.

The principal is not restricted from using the expert knowledge of individual Board members acting as volunteers.

Review schedule: Triennially by the Board of Trustees

Opua School Page 10 2. DISCIPLINARY PROCESS in RELATION to the PRINCIPAL POLICY

Rationale: In the event the Board receives a complaint regarding the principal or determines that policy violation(s) has (have) occurred and the Board judges the degree and seriousness of the concern or violation(s) to warrant initiating a disciplinary process, the Board shall seek free advice, in the first instance, from an NZSTA industrial adviser and follow due process.

Purpose: Therefore, the Board shall not fail to:

1. Follow due process and the advice given by NZSTA at all times ;

2. Inform the Principal and his / her representatives of the proceedings;

3. Be sensitive to the rights of the Principal as an employee of the school at all times;

4. Be focussed on finding a constructive, positive and workable solution that all parties find acceptable and fair.

Opua School Page 11 3. PRINCIPAL PROFESSIONAL EXPENSES POLICY

Rationale: A budget for professional expenses and for professional development will be established annually and be included in the budget. All overseas trips for professional learning and development must be approved first by the Board of Trustees at least one term in advance of the event.

Purpose: Therefore, the Principal may not fail to:

1. Spend within the allocated budget at his / her own discretion;

2. Seek approval of the Board if considering overseas professional learning and development.

Further Guidelines:

1. Professional learning and development expenses may include but are not confined to: continuing education, books and periodicals, mentoring and attendance at professional conferences.

2. The Principal will also, as a staff member, be able to access the costs of these from normal budget areas specified as such.

3. It is also recognised by the Board that, due to the nature of the role of Principal, there will occur at times other costs with regards to hospitality, etc. These costs will be covered via expense claim procedures in the usual manner and require ‘signing off’ by the Deputy Principal and Finance Administrator, as a minimum.

Opua School Page 12 4. REPORTING to the BOARD POLICY

Rationale: The principal reports to the Board as a whole and keeps it informed of the true and accurate position of the outcomes of curriculum; teaching and learning; financial position; and all matters having real or potential legal considerations and risk for Opua School. Thus the Board is supported in its strategic decision-making and risk management.

Purpose: Therefore, the principal may not fail to:

1. inform the Board of significant trends, implications of board decisions, issues arising from policy matters or changes in the basic assumptions upon which the board’s strategic aims are based;

2. submit written reports at Board meetings covering the following management areas and following the Board’s triennial self-review plan:

i. Strategic Aims and Annual Plan Progress Reports, when required;

ii. Personnel Report;

iii. Finance Report;

iv. Variance Report, when required;

v. Student Progress and Achievement Report;

vi. Curriculum Report;

3. inform the Board in a timely manner of any significant changes in staffing, programmes, plans or processes that are under consideration;

4. seek board approval for any requests for discretionary staff leave of longer than 5 days;

5. advise the board of any staff absences longer than 5 school days;

6. submit any monitoring data required in a timely, accurate and understandable fashion;

7. report and explain financial variance against the budget [usually of 10%+] in line with the board’s expectations;

8. report on the number of stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions on a per meeting basis;

9. report and explain roll variance against year levels and reasons on a per meeting basis;

10. inform the board when, for any reason, there is non-compliance of a board policy;

Opua School Page 13 11. recommend changes in board policies when the need for them becomes known;

12. highlight areas of possible bad publicity or community dissatisfaction;

13. regularly report on the implementation of the annual plan and progress towards meeting student achievement targets;

14. report on any matter requested by the Board and within the specified timeframe.

Opua School Page 14 5. CURRICULUM DELIVERY POLICY

Rationale: Delivery of the curriculum shall foster student progress and achievement and meet all legislative requirements and Ministry and Board expectations.

Purpose: Therefore the principal may not fail to:

1. provide opportunities for success for all students (in years 1-8) in all essential learning areas and skill areas of the New Zealand Curriculum;

2. give priority to student achievement in literacy and numeracy;

3. give priority to regular quality physical activity that develops movement skills for all students;

4. report on progress and achievement of all students, including information in relation to National Standards, as per the Board’s agreed reporting schedule;

5. identify students at risk of not achieving, including those gifted and talented students, and implement teaching and learning strategies to address needs;

6. ensure there is a focus on the national priority groups of Maori, Pasifika and students with special learning needs in school planning and reporting;

7. consult with the school’s Maori community about the policies/plans for improving the achievement of Maori students;

8. provide career information and guidance for year 7 students and above;

9. seek Board approval before changes to the school curriculum requiring increased expenditure or significant changes to programmes or staffing are made;

10. focus on the achievement of the Charter aims and targets;

11. create curriculum balance. Within the school week of 25 hours it is expected that each class will experience a reasonable balance across the curriculum. A very general guide to an approximate analysis would be:

Language 8 hours

Mathematics 5 hours

Social Studies / Values 2 hours

Science 2 hours

Music / Kapahaka / Drama 1.5 hours

Opua School Page 15 Art 2 hours

Health 1.5 hours

Physical Ed 1 hour

Technology 1 hour

Fitness / Values 1 hour

Total 25 hours

Opua School Page 16 5.1 Admissions and Withdrawals of Students Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy.

General Procedures on Admissions:

 All MoE policies and Procedures will be followed when considering the enrolment of a child to Opua School;

 The Principal has the discretion to consider whether a student who has been excluded from another school can enrol at Opua School. Commonly, the Principal will consider all documentation provided which, as a minimum, should include all a pupil’s previous school behavioural records including previous BoT Disciplinary Meeting records, any MoE support services offered and the potential impact on students and teachers and on teaching and learning at Opua School.

Specific Procedures on Admissions:

 The latest Enrolment Form is to be used for all enrolments;

 The Principal must sign the Enrolment form indicating acceptance of the enrolment;

 No child under the age of 5 is to be enrolled;

 No pupil will be enrolled in the year that they turn 14.

 Just prior to a child’s 5th birthday, after liaison with the New Entrant Teacher, a Parent or Guardian, who must remain with the child, may bring his/her child to school at a pre-arranged time(s) for the purpose of giving the child introductory experiences. The child remains the responsibility of the parent at all times and, before the age of 5, is left at school unsupervised by the parent only with the approval of the Principal and teacher and on the understanding that the school is not legally responsible should accidents occur;

 When a child is enrolled at school the Office Manager will ensure that a file is created and given to the Principal, all enrolment data is entered onto the school’s SMS and ENROL data is processed efficiently;

 Data from the enrolment form will also be transferred by the Office Manager to our enrolment book and our ‘Contacts’ List’ hard copy held in the office is updated and easily accessible for emergency and other purposes;

 International students must meet the requirements of the school International student procedures document and government regulations. Fees are payable in advance. New Zealand and Australian citizens are eligible for free tuition.

Opua School Page 17  If the Principal agrees to the enrolment of a student stood down or suspended from other New Zealand schools [See ‘General Procedures Point 2 above], the student must agree to a behaviour contract supported by parents as written up by the Principal;

 MoE Database ‘ENROL’ will be used from 2007.

General Procedures on Withdrawals:

 All MoE policies and Procedures will be followed when considering the withdrawal of a child from Opua School.

Specific Procedures on Withdrawals:

 The Principal must be advised when a teacher or the Office Manager has positive knowledge that a student has left;

 No child is to be withdrawn from the Attendance Register unless confirmation from another school has been received of their enrolment at that different school or 20 school days have elapsed [see below].

 Where a child has been absent for 20 consecutive school days (unless absence is temporary through illness, etc.), he/she must be withdrawn from our school roll after liaison with the Truancy Service.

Signed: ______Date:______

Review schedule: Triennially in

Opua School Page 18 5.2 Attendance Procedure

General Procedures:

 The Principal is responsible to the BOT for ensuring that all students are punctual and regularly attend school. To achieve this Teachers and Clerical Staff have a responsibility to carry out specific attendance monitoring and reporting procedures. In cases that warrant it, the Principal will involve relevant agencies. When necessary the BOT will use its powers of Prosecution.

 Our Attendance target is 95% or better;

 Attendance at school for all enrolled students is important. There are indications from research which shows that attendance at school results in higher achievement.

Specific Procedures:

 All medical and/or absence notes are to be kept for the duration of that year in the student’s file or by the classroom teacher;

 Student attendance will be recorded on the school’s SMS (eTAP) by class teachers twice daily at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.;

 Any late arrivals should similarly be recorded with the appropriate code. Commonly, this should be done by the Office Manager where a late student should first go. Teachers receiving late students to class should check, at their first opportunity, that the correct ‘Lateness’ code has been entered;

 Absences will be initially recorded as “?” unless the school has received prior notification of the absence. The code then used will be from the latest MoE Attendance codes;

Opua School Page 19  Where a student is marked absent and the absence is not explained the office will attempt to contact the parent/caregiver by phone. If an explanation is received the office will update the SMS. This should be by 9:30 a.m.;

 If the teacher or office is unable to find a reason for the absence, the teacher or Office Manager will subsequently record the absence using the latest MoE Attendance Codes;

 Wherever possible parents/caregivers will be encouraged to advise the school of impending absence ahead of time. When this is not possible the parents/caregivers will be asked to inform the school of the reasons for the absence as soon as possible after the event. Where possible a code will be recorded within 5 days of the absence;

 If parents/caregivers advise the school of impending absence of five days or more and request work to be provided for the student, the teacher may arrange for work to be sent to the child. This work is issued at the discretion of the teacher after dialogue with the Principal;

 For any international trip the parent needs to discuss this with the principal who will decide whether it is justifiable [and approve it as such] or not. The principal will base his judgement particularly on the impact on the student’s learning, whether discussion has occurred, the reasons for the trip and how many recent such trips have been made.

 Information regarding absences will be accepted through phone calls, face to face interview, notes from parents, text message, email or medical certificates;

 If no explanation of absences is received after three consecutive days and no contact has been made nor any satisfactory explanation received, the student will be recorded as truant;

 Truancy will be dealt with by the Principal / district truancy services. The process will commonly be:

a. The parent/caregiver is contacted by phone or text every day a student is absent without acceptable explanation;

b. After 10 school days of absence [ either consecutive or within a period of 4 school weeks ] a letter will be sent to the parents advising them of the child’s days of absence, reminding them of their legal responsibilities and requesting a Principal – parent/caregiver meeting;

c. After 15 school days of absence [ either consecutive or within a period of 5 school weeks ] a referral will be made to the appropriate local truancy service;

d. After 20 school days of absence [ which must be consecutive ] a final letter will be sent as an imminent warning that the student will be removed from the school roll if the child does not return to school the day following the date of the letter.

 Each term the principal will review the attendance statistics. Where there is a concern identified, the principal will discuss the matter with the class teacher and agree on a strategy to deal with the

Opua School Page 20 concern. The principal will look at the attendance by room, year level, gender and ethnicity. (This will include concerns relating to repeated late arrival at school);

 Parents are notified of attendance rates formally in each school report and informally via the teacher or Principal as appropriate;

 Information on attendance requirements and protocols is sent in newsletters at least once per year and in all enrolment packs;

 In the case of a student who is engaged in learning that is taking place, but not under the direct supervision of the school, the principal will use his/her discretion to decide on whether the student should be marked as present or absent. Each case will be taken on its merits;

 It is important that attendance is recorded accurately and regularly;

 Each class will keep a weekly roll of absences on the whiteboard roll check. This is to be used in any emergency as a record of the children at school. It is also to be used when the computers or network facilities are down. Note: Emergency procedures require that the teacher take the whiteboard roll check list to the assembly point in any emergency;

 Examples of justified or unjustified absences:

Justified: Cultural or Sporting representative, bereavement, acceptable and specific family circumstances, illness, medical appointment, internal school trips, international trips following discussion with and approval from the principal; etc.;

Unjustified: No explanation, White-baiting/Lambing, Holiday in NZ, Holiday abroad without Principal discussion and approval; Sleeping in, Cat run over, Baby-sitting, Rock Concert, etc..

5.3 Assemblies Procedure

General Procedures:

 School Assemblies are considered to be a very significant feature of Opua School;

 General school assemblies are held after our Fitness Programme [which ends at approximately 9.30am] and run until approximately 9.50am every day from Monday to Thursday;

 Unless specified differently, assemblies will be held in the school hall/whare.

Opua School Page 21  Assemblies are run by the Principal, or, in his or her absence, by the Deputy Principal but are to be considered more of a shared, school community activity with a major focus on sharing, caring, values education, the celebration of success and learning together;

 Assemblies are an integral part of our teaching and learning programme and go a long way towards creating a sense of school unity, shared goals and togetherness. School assemblies are where everyone gathers to celebrate each other’s success and where younger students learn to try to emulate older students’ successes. They are where we reinforce our whakatauki and our school vision;

 The prefects will, in learning about leadership, be trained to supervise the classes whilst they are in assemblies;

 Assemblies are child-centred and, as much as possible, are to be child driven. Child participation should be a feature of assemblies at Opua School;

 At every Assembly there should be some messages of praise or thanks to individuals, groups, teams, classes or the whole school;

 There should be oral reports from sports’ fixtures, outside interests such as Scouts, St. John’s etc and special events such as holidays. Birthdays should also be celebrated on the day in assemblies or, if the birthday was at the weekend, on the Monday following;

 Some positive aspects of our bi-cultural society should feature at each Assembly;

 When necessary, such things as safety rules and anti-bullying messages should be reinforced along with reminders about the consequences of breaking these rules. Whole school messages on such topics are always to be considered more effective to ensure school-wide consistency;

 School Sharing Assemblies occur on Fridays at 9.45 to 11.00am. The children present work done that week and these assemblies are another important feature of Opua School. Parents are welcome.

5.4 Behaviour Management Procedure

General Procedures:

Opua School Page 22  Children at Opua School are taught how to be and are expected to be well mannered and work and play together in a positive manner. Our Whakatauki, Manaakitanga me te Awhina, sets the platform for all behaviour and rules at this school;

 The Principal and staff are responsible for implementing this positive Behaviour Management programme to ensure effective teaching and learning can occur. Restorative practices are used.

 Force or corporal punishment will never be used as a consequence for unacceptable behaviour. The use of ‘appropriate physical restraint’ will only ever be used to ensure a child’s or children’s safety.

 A positive behaviour programme exists in the school. Children are given “Commendations” for good, positive behaviour. We celebrate children in many ways but, most obviously, there is a House Points system, we hand out weekly a ‘Caring and Sharing’ Cup, a ‘Thinking’ Cup and ‘Star Student’ badges at Junior and Senior levels for academic success and work is promoted on our website / in newsletters;

 Behaviour standards are a school – wide system, taking into account cross-cultural sensitivities. All staff clarify and reinforce these standards and they are often emphasised at whole school gatherings;

 Students, especially senior leaders, are empowered to advise each other about appropriate conduct.

 Consequences of inappropriate behaviour:

A student’s unacceptable conduct is identified and a more appropriate behaviour advised;

A warning is given with an explanation, if needed;

If the warning fails, a Time Out is given [commonly, either isolation or a reflection activity];

If the warnings and consequences are not heeded, a child may be sent temporarily to another class and a note put on eTAP;

If a child is consistently disruptive, the incident may be reported to the principal. The principal will record all referrals as a ‘Behaviour Referral’ in the Guidance section on eTAP;

A child who deliberately causes harm to another child must be reported to the Principal;

If a student is referred to the principal three times, the parents/caregivers will be notified. An appointment will be organised. A record of the interview will be kept on eTAP.

 With parental consent and, if appropriate, guidance counselling / support services will be contacted;

 Stand downs will only be considered if the principal feels there is a threat to child or staff safety or if he/she feels that the student is negatively and continuously affecting teaching and learning;

 Before returning to school a contract will be arranged between home and school.

Opua School Page 23 Signed: ______Date:______

5.5 Bells Procedure

General Procedures:

 Bells will be rung to indicate the efficient beginning and ending of teaching and learning session during the school day.

 Bells will be rung at the following times, normally by designated Year 8 monitors:

8.55 Children move to Classes for roll call and then Fitness / Assembly before the first morning session;

11:00 Morning Interval;

11:25 End of morning interval and start of second morning session;

13:00 Start of Lunch Break. Children move to lunch areas;

13:15 Children may be dismissed for play;

13:55 Children into classrooms for the afternoon session;

3.00 School dismissed.

 Children are not to be released early from classrooms without the specific approval of the Principal or Deputy Principal.

 There will be a ‘Rain Bell’ rung [ 4 short quick blasts ] if it is raining too hard to play outside. This bell indicates for children to remain inside to eat and play and for senior students to attend the other 4 classrooms to supervise the students.

Opua School Page 24 5.6 Bring Your Own Device Procedure

General Procedures:

 Any student who requests permission to bring their own electronic device to school must have the explicit permission of both their parent / caregiver and their classroom teacher via a signed, permission slip [See Below];

 The decision to grant any student such permission is on the understanding by all concerned that the device is to be used only for teaching and learning purposes and not for ‘gaming’ or other such electronic leisure pursuits.

 No device is brought to the school in advance of teacher and parent permission having been granted.

 Parents/caregivers and the student concerned must realise that the school takes no responsibility for any loss of or damage to the device. The device is brought to the school at the owner’s own risk.

 The device must never be used in the child’s classroom for any activity unless the teacher has given explicit permission for the child to use the device.

 The device will be brought to school fully charged. It should not be an expectation that the device can be charged at the school.

 During playtimes and lunchtimes and during times when the students are outside the classroom, the device must be left in the safest place, following dialogue with the classroom teacher. Whatever the chosen location, it must be remembered that the device is left at the owner’s own risk.

 The device must be taken home by the child at the end of every school day. It must never be left on school premises overnight or over any holiday period.

 Suitable time and understanding must be shown to the member of Opua School’s staff who assists with ‘setting up’ the device onto the Opua system for effective usage. This member of staff has many other jobs and responsibilities and setting up children’s BYODs is not to be considered a priority for them and they must never experience pressure to do so to the detriment of completing tasks on their main Job Description.

 Technical issues that arise with any BYOD during lesson times are not the responsible of the teacher or other staff. Teacher’s time and the time of other staff must not be spent on solving technical issues. These issues need solving at home.

I have read this procedure and accept all the conditions.

______[Student]; ______[Parent];

Opua School Page 25 ______[Teacher]; ______[Date].

Please return this signed form to the Principal for filing at school.

5.7 Classification of Children Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy. Reference should also be made to the Promotion of Students Procedure.

General Procedures:

 The responsibility for classifying children ultimately lies with the Principal, although, in normal circumstances, there will be consultation between classroom teachers and the Principal (or his/her delegated staff member) before classifications are published. Each classification decision should rest on carefully considered judgement of what will serve the personal and educational welfare of the individual child. Flexibility is essential.

 Factors to be considered when making classifications:

Age on school entry; Age Now;

Time in the Junior Classes;

Academic progress, level of achievement and apparent potential;

Health and attendance;

Physical development;

Possibility of providing special conditions to meet specific needs (Part time component, integrated programmes, etc.);

Class composition (composite class);

Peer group and sibling relationships;

Class sizes and manageability;

Probable benefits likely to accrue from proposed placement;

Possible disadvantages if no change is made, or if a change is made;

Opua School Page 26 In difficult cases it will sometimes be desirable to consult with parents and Special Education Service.

 Generally children should progress with others of about the same age.

Juniors - 1 ½ - 2 ½ years

Seniors - 4 years

(This will give an entry age to Intermediate of 10 ½ to 11 ½ years).

A major checkpoint will be age at entry to Year 3.

 Class acceleration is a solution only in very special cases.

 Special Abilities (See also Promotion of Students Procedure)

1. These pupils are to be catered for within the normal class situation, through suitable extension activities of a horizontal rather than vertical nature. If we teach to individual needs and assess these needs accurately then we will be catering for these needs;

2. As resources allow, additional assistance will be provided, such as:

Use of Part Time teacher. (withdrawal groups, cross class groupings);

Use of Senior Teachers and Resource Teachers;

Parent or ‘friend of the school’ help;

Specialist equipment.

 Delayed Development

1. Children with low abilities, and others who may be mainstreamed [ e.g. ORS funded ] are to be catered for within the normal class organisation;

2. Additional assistance will be provided as resources allow and could include:

Input from Part Time component, which might allow for individual or small group withdrawal or for cross class groupings within a Team;

Assistance from Senior and Resource Teachers. (eg. Reading Recovery Teacher);

S.E.S. assistance;

Assistance from Advisory Services (e.g. child Health Clinic);

Specific resources, e.g. SEG grant;

Opua School Page 27 The selection of programmes of work is critical. Teachers may seek help in endeavouring to establish expectancy levels for these children, e.g. from ORS or RTLB teacher;

Teachers should share their concerns with the Principal early and full documentation kept so that moves are made to assist the child at the earliest possible time.

5.8 Classroom Environment Procedure

General Procedures:

 We place considerable importance on the physical environment of each room believing it to be an integral part of the total learning environment within a classroom. It is really important;

 Individual teachers, in liaison with the principal and caretaker, are responsible for ensuring that their classrooms are effective, exciting and stimulating learning environments.

 When arranging furniture the needs of the children as well as the needs of the programme to be undertaken must be considered. As these needs change so too should the arrangements;

 Displays should be thoughtfully and attractively arranged and should contain a high proportion of children’s material. In an exciting, dynamic room they will be changing as programmes develop and change. Where possible, children should assist in arranging and erecting displays;

Opua School Page 28  Do not use staples or tacks on varnished, painted woodwork or plaster board. Discuss your desire to use nails or hooks with the caretaker before proceeding;

 The Caretaker will erect tensioned wire in approved places;

 Teachers are encourage to grow indoor plants particularly where the children can take some responsibility for their care;

 A stimulating environment is essential in developing learning habits. It also reflects the tone and attitude of the class;

 Teachers should make every effort to display children’s work, charts, etc. Work done by the teachers should always set good examples;

 The room should be kept tidy at all times and left in reasonable condition for the cleaners each day. If not, cleaners, after discussion with the Caretaker, may leave the room in the state they found it in.

5.9 Classroom / Team Treats Procedure

General Procedures:

 It is important to be clear what a ‘special treat’ is. Our Definition is: ‘A function or activity held with the express purpose of giving the group a special treat.’

 Treats are to be reserved for very special times such as when a teacher leaves or at the end of a school year. The departure of one child would not normally be a sufficient reason for a function, though it might be appropriate to welcome back a child who has had prolonged hospitalisation;

Opua School Page 29  End of year treats will be held early in the last week. Treats must not be a major expense to parents, so that caution would be needed where travel was involved or entertainment was to be bought. They must be self supporting;

 Teacher / Parent supervision ratios ( commonly of 1 : 8 or 1 : 4 if swimming or near water ) are required for out of school treats.

 Suggested activities could include:

Class/Team party-lunch;

Class/Team lunch-party in the school grounds;

Picnic lunch in a nearby park;

Picnic or BBQ;

Picnic at a handy beach;

Visit the College Pool.

 Catering for a party would normally be of the “finger food” variety;

 Teachers are required to fill in the information required as for any EOTC excursion such as RAMs forms and get approval from the principal for day trips.

5.10 Consultation with our Maori Community Procedure

General Procedures:

 Opua School’s consultation with its Maori community will promote the values of:

Opua School Page 30 Whanaungatanga – Family Relationship

Tiakitanga – Taking care of

Manaakitanga – Respect

Tautoko – Support

 Consultation will occur with our immediate:

Whanau parents/caregivers of students;

and any other relevant Maori organizations, as appropriate.

 Consultation with the community will acknowledge and recognize the tangata whenua of Aotearoa and it will:

Embrace and promote Te Reo and Tikanga Maori;

Promote values, beliefs and aspirations of the Tangata Whenua;

Develop strategies to enhance learning opportunities for Maori students and all students;

Ensure Maori contexts for learning in every curriculum area planned and implemented;

Provide a greater understanding and appreciation for individual students learning styles;

Provide direction and perspectives on a preferred Maori pedagogy, i.e. learning styles;

Provide the opportunity to develop relationships between the school and parents.

 Consultation shall include:

Strategic planning;

Health programme review;

Curriculum review and implementation;

Reporting on Student achievement and learning;

Areas where the school can assist parents/community.

Opua School Page 31 Review schedule: Triennially in

5.11 Education Outside the Classroom [EOTC] Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy but also takes guidance from the Health and Safety Policy.

General Procedures:

 A RAMS Report or similar that identifies all risks, must be given to, and approved by, the Principal for all EOTC Activities involving leaving the school grounds or where a substantial departure from the “normal” programme is involved, within a reasonable time frame prior to the activity taking place.

 A ‘generic’ RAMs document can be prepared / used for repeat events [e.g. trip to Opua Marina].

 Trips involving overnight stays or risk must be planned in the following manner

a. An outline report covering expected costs, expected income, objectives, number of parents etc must be given to the principal in writing at least 6 weeks prior to the trip so that the Principal and Board can give initial approval or not. No fund raising etc. should take place before this approval has been gained;

b. Once approval has been given, a more detailed report involving full costs, parents helpers, all risks and their analysis, objectives and all organizational details must be submitted to the principal at least 1 week prior to the trip;

c. The Principal and Board retain the right at any stage to halt any EOTC Programme;

d. The following adult pupil ratios must be adhered to:

i. 1 to 4 Involving water and or bush;

ii. 1 to 8 for Rooms 1 and 2 on bus trips or as advised by company;

iii. 1 to 10 for Rooms 3, 4 and 5 on bus trips or as advised by company.

 There are no Ministry regulations regarding ratios so the principal will determine the most suitable ratio when weighing up all factors and having discussed these with the TICs / organisations involved.

 Under current legislation, the ultimate responsibility for the Health and Safety of all involved in such programmes rests with the principal, not the Board. If procedures have been approved by the principal and you carry them out, then you are covered.

Opua School Page 32  Reference must be made to other policy and procedures that relate to EOTC as well.

5.12 Exemption of Students from Class Procedure

General Procedures:

 Unless there are special circumstances, all students are expected to participate in all curriculum activities.

 The student’s teacher may exempt a student from particular lessons for temporary medical reasons where the parent/caregiver has made a request;

 The Principal may exempt a student from particular curriculum activities where there are good physical, religious or cultural reasons. In all cases the Parent/Caregiver of the student must have made a formal application to the Principal;

 The Education Act basically allows the Principal; if he is satisfied there are good educational reasons, to allow a student to leave school early, or to be in non-attendance for short periods of time

This provision is to be used sparingly and is intended to allow student to attend dental appointments and the like;

In the last resort it is the Principal who will make the decision.

Opua School Page 33 5.13 Homework Procedure

General Procedures:

 Homework may be a good indication to parents of the level of work their child is doing. Most parents expect their children to have some regular homework.

 Teachers are to ensure that the children are capable of doing whatever homework has been set;

 Parents should not be put in a position of having to try to teach their children the homework at home;

 Hence, homework must be an extension of work that the children are working on in class or have done and the homework is to reinforce what has been taught / learnt;

 Mindless, repetitive work sheets that bear little relationship to on-going class learning are not to be used.

Opua School Page 34 5.14 International Students Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy and also takes guidance from the Health and Safety Policy and the Legal Responsibilities Policy.

General Procedures:

 Opua School has a policy of enrolling all students who wish to attend Opua School and who meet the criteria set down by the Ministry of Education. This is always providing there are spaces available in the school classrooms. All students must be at least 5 years of age and no more than 13 years of age;

 Opua School will conduct an annual review of all procedures and policies related to compliance with the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International students in order to ensure that Opua School is up to date with current code requirements.

 International students cannot be enrolled if their enrolment would conflict with the Opua School Enrolment policy;

 International students must agree to the tuition fees as set out by the school;

 Students must have a minimum English language speaking ability to enable interaction with other students;

 A reading age of not more than two years below chronological age is used as a guideline for English Language skill level;

 Opua School does not organize nor arrange accommodation;

 All international students must reside with their parents;

 Opua School does not have representatives or agents involved in marketing or recruiting programmes;

 Policies are subject to annual review. The principal reports each year to the Board on International Students programmes and makes recommendations for changes /updates to the policies concerned;

 International Students must provide:

Opua School Page 35 Current student visa or permit;

Passport;

Current appropriate medical insurance;

All fees paid in advance;

A tuition agreement.

 The Principal will ensure that there is a coordinated record kept of :

Academic progress;

Student grievances;

Accommodation issues;

Student welfare.

 The review will be carried out as:

Feedback from staff and students involved in the programme;

An evaluation of performances against goals and objectives;

Analysis of international academic progress at the end of each term;

All code compliance information is reported to the Board of Trustees annually usually at the November meeting.

 The principal is responsible for changes to policies and procedures;

 The principal will ensure that staff are appropriately informed of their obligations under the code;

 Review checklist:

Booklet/Prospectus;

Tuition fees;

Application requirements and procedures;

Conditions of acceptance;

Refund conditions;

English language proficiency/information on facilities, equipment and staffing;

Information on courses and qualifications;

Opua School Page 36 Information on medical and travel insurance.

 International fees must be handled in a way that ensures those funds are accessed in a way that is consistent with normal accounting processes. This means that those funds are secure from misappropriation and only made available to school in accordance with the Refunds Procedure should the school not be able to continue tuition;

 Funds from international students are accounted for separately and in such a way that individual student’s fees can be monitored;

 Opua School must ensure that each student pays in full the tuition fees as set;

 International fees are to be paid to the school’s general account under a separate code ‘Foreign fees’ and drawn down in arrears each term;

 The money will be available for approved refunds resulting from students’ withdrawal from Opua School or in the event of the school not being able to provide the tuition.

5.15 Internet Use Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy but is also guided by the Health and Safety Policy and the Personnel Policy.

General Procedures:

All Internet Use for Staff and Students must have an educational basis and be suitable to our school environment and our school’s teaching and learning programmes;

Opua School will take all possible precautions to maintain the safety of all users and these guidelines are written and enforced in the interest of all users safety and effective use of the Internet.

Opua School Page 37  Staff All staff, whether part time, full time, teaching staff or non-teaching staff, are allowed access to the Internet in accordance with the following provisions:

 All Internet use shall be for the purpose of:

Providing information for students or for the teachers of students such that they may have a better understanding of subject matter; For the up-skilling of staff through research, professional development and procurement of appropriate information via the Internet; The use of E-mail for contact with other teaching staff on school business or to request information to the benefit of the school; To develop their skills through usage.

 Personal use is permitted during normal school hours, although access to any adult sites/email lists or such like with objectionable material is prohibited at any time.

 Students All students shall be able to use the Internet under the following conditions:

 An application to use the Internet shall be sent home and returned signed by the relevant caregivers; The policy statement and a code of conduct will form the basis of the documentation that the caregiver and the students agree to;

 This application enables the student to receive instruction in the use of the Internet including E-mail and World Wide Web access;

 All students who use the Internet within the school will adhere to the following code of conduct:

Guideline 1: General statement The Internet is provided for the education of and the improved delivery of curriculum material. No student is to use either email or the Internet without an adult being close enough to keep an eye on what they are doing.

Guideline 2: E-mail E-mail is provided for students to make contact with other students in the interest of education; All E-mail material is written off line; All mail will make use of customary and suitable greetings and salutations; The only email address to be used by students is their room one; Information sent via E-mail shall be constructive, informative or inquiring in the interest of both the sender and receiver.

Guideline 3 Use of service

Opua School Page 38 No swearing or rudeness is to be used in any E-mail messages; Private information such as phone numbers, private addresses, and the like must not be given out in emails;

Deliberate attempts to gain access to the Internet sites containing material of pornographic, racially or religiously offensive, illegal or offensive nature will be dealt with as a serious breach of school rules; All copyright, privacy and international laws are to be abided by at all times.

Guideline 4: Accounts At no time are students to place orders for goods or services over the Internet using the school name, title or funds;

Abuse any of the guidelines:

Infringement of these guidelines will be dealt with as for other breeches of behaviour at this school. This could include temporary or permanent loss of access to the internet and computers at the school.

Members of the Community: Members of the public, in a controlled situation with a staff member, may use the Internet;

Members of the public will be expected to conform to the same guidelines as expressed above although a formal signing of an agreement is not necessary.

5.16 Learning at Opua School Procedure

General Procedures:

 Children should be challenged and encouraged to be learning ‘risk takers’ within a safe environment. They should be actively involved in their own learning. All children are special and have their own strengths and weaknesses. It is our role as teachers to emphasize the strengths and help develop the weaknesses.

Opua School Page 39 Specific Procedures:

Implementation

 All lessons should have clear Learning Intentions and Success Criteria displayed;

 Allow pupil choice from a wide menu of activities in the learning environment;

 Provide open-ended activities at times (to develop awareness that there is not always a single correct answer);

 Provide investigational activities at suitable times;

 Provide a range of activities at different levels;

 Use a variety of equipment and resources;

 Pose problems and encourage students to investigate solutions;

 Be prepared to question pupils to higher levels;

 Encourage an atmosphere of acceptance and tolerance of other pupil’s ideas;

 Plan co-operatively with pupils frequently. Allow for personal goal setting and self-evaluation;

 Formative assessment should be part of all teaching programmes;

Pupils should be provided with a balanced coverage of the curriculum

 Syndicates will plan an overview for the period of a term or year that indicates the new learning coverage of all the strands of the curriculum;

 Overviews may be flexible in approach by using any combination of cyclic, topic or thematic structures;

 Teachers will develop a maintenance plan to ensure new learning is revisited at regular intervals.

Effective assessment techniques will be implemented

 Use pre-assessment strategies to ensure that all new learning is built upon prior knowledge. These strategies could include tests, brainstorming sessions, “what I know about” oral or written statements, previous records made by teachers, home sample books, and the like;

 Use on-going monitoring techniques to assess learning, evaluate progress and re-plan the programme;

 Use post-assessment techniques as necessary to confirm learning achievements. The same strategies used for pre-assessment can apply;

Opua School Page 40  Assessments should be dated and evaluations should be based on data;

 Information from parents and other agencies should be evaluated;

 Planning should be based on evaluation of previous learning;

Learning experiences should be meaningful and relevant

 Requirements and outcomes for pupil tasks need to be clearly defined. (Learning Intentions);

 The teacher needs to be aware of the skills and knowledge required for the learning tasks and ensure the students are clear about these (Success criteria);

 Supportive resources for the learning activities need to be readily available;

 Sufficient time for activities should be provided. Give children responsibility for class routines;

 Introduce new ideas through the use of contextual problems.

Equitable learning opportunities should be provided for all pupils

 Teachers should be aware of cultural differences when choosing or designing learning activities;

 Consideration should be given to the use of language in instruction and assessment, cultural expectations and methods of learning;

 Points for consideration to ensure equity of access to learning include:

Variety of resources and equipment;

Behaviour management;

Social intervention to ensure time and attention is given to all;

Planning should show activities/learning opportunities designed to extend able students;

For mainstreamed children, the school will provide an effective environment and sufficient support in time, personnel and equipment.

The learning programme will provide a balance of learning activities

 Within a series of lessons, time will be planned so that every pupil experiences:

New learning;

Practice of new learning;

Maintenance of previous learning;

Opua School Page 41 Problem solving;

Enrichment activities;

Student choice activities.

 Within the learning activities children should have the opportunity to:

Record their learning in a variety of ways;

Work co-operatively at times;

Develop and use appropriate language;

Develop basic facts and skills;

Experience a variety of teaching approaches;

Be encouraged to take risks in their learning.

 A rich learning environment should be organized. Features of this environment include:

Opportunities for communication of findings;

Pupil opportunities for asking questions;

Justification and sharing of findings.

Opua School Page 42 5.17 Maori Language and Culture Procedure

General Procedures:

 All students at Opua School will be given tuition in Maori Language and Maori Culture as befits its status in Aotearoa New Zealand.

 All children will receive basic language instruction from the class teacher as part of our integrated approach to learning;

 As resources allow, the Principal will attempt to engage a Reo specialist to add depth to this Reo instruction;

 All children will have the opportunity to learn and engage in kapahaka and sing a variety of Waiata;

 Children should be given the opportunity to be involved in all things Maori and made aware of different cultural customs and values;

 Children, who wish to, will be given the opportunity to perform at one of the local festivals;

 The school will recognise Maori values in provision of resources and facilities within the school;

 A Maori resources budget will be available annually to be spent on resources to enhance learning and giving children Tikanga Maori experiences.

5.18 On-Line and Media Publication of Students’ Work Procedure

General Procedures:

 Opua School has the right to publish work produced by students at the school;

 Work published will be for the intention f promoting the success of the student and/or the school;

 The school will endeavour to safeguard the interests of the student, parents/caregivers, teachers and school when publishing ay student work.

 Opua School will publish the material only on its own website http://www.opua.school.nz and New Zealand based websites endorsed by the Ministry of Education, such as the Ministry of Education's website Te Kete Ipurangi - The Online Learning Centre (http://www.tki.org.nz/), in our school newsletter and in recognized newspapers;

 The school may also recommend that student work, or the whole school website, be available through Te Kete Ipurangi. Opua School publishes student material online or in publications such as local newspapers, for the following three main purposes:

To educate the student in accordance with the national curriculum, including on the role and use of technology in society;

Opua School Page 44 To encourage the student to be part of and participate in the school community;

To promote the school in the wider community.

 Opua School acknowledges that it cannot control who accesses the websites on which students' images or material are published or the copying of the work by visitors to these websites or who views images of the students and their work in local newspapers;

 Opua School will identify students on the websites only by their first name, year at school and room. Students' surnames, home addresses and telephone numbers will not be available by the school on these websites unless parents and students have given their permission to do so;

 Opua School will immediately remove all material relating to a student from its website if requested by a legal guardian of the student;

 Opua School will not publish material online that may defame anyone, be objectionable from a human rights point of view, be obscene or infringe the copyright of third parties;

 All the student material published online will be subject to an editing process;

 The Principal is available to answer any enquiries from parents or students about the operation of the school's policy for the online or media publication of student images and work.

5.19 Parent Helpers Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy but is also guided by the Personnel Policy.

General Procedures:

 We want to encourage teachers to make use of Parent Helpers in as many facets of their class and school programmes as possible;

 The students, teacher and parent helper[s] must all be kept ‘safe’ during this relationship;

 To this end, all policies and procedures of the school must be adhered to by the teacher and the parent helper.

 Opportunities to volunteer to help are to be given through school and class newsletters;

 While some parents may be able to help regularly over a long period, others need to know the duration of the help;

Opua School Page 45  It is important that when you start a parent helper you clearly define the duration of the time they will be needed (e.g .till the end of the term) and the hours the help is needed. Do not be over generous in this allocation as it can at times be very difficult not to use a parent helper who has proven to be unsatisfactory if they have a global timeframe such as “all year”;

 Teachers need to give guidance to parents so they know:

Their specific duties;

The management routines and rules of the class;

 Parents need to be made aware of keeping confidential information, which they may obtain about children and their families;

 Parent helpers are to be welcomed into the Staffroom and be made to feel at ease with the Staff;

 It is not appropriate for parent helpers to be left alone with individual students or with groups of students;

 Parent helpers must never be asked to ‘look after’ a teacher’s class for any length of time however short.

5.20 Promotion of Students Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy. Reference should also be made to the Classification of Children Procedure.

General Procedures:

 Generally students are promoted to the next year level following the completion of each school year.

 For the first year at school students are Year 1. The same for Year 2. The end of the third year is rounded to the end of the school year. The way the rounding is moved will depend on the progress of

Opua School Page 46 the individual student. Rounding up will occur when the student has higher than expected Reading Age, Writing Level and Maths Stages.

 Students will not miss a year level unless they have achieved very high levels and parents are comfortable with the promotion.

 It is not generally a good idea to promote students to the extent that they graduate to high school whilst too young.

 Students with special abilities or talents are generally to be catered for in each classroom’s planning programme. These pupils are to be catered for within the normal class situation, through suitable extension activities of a horizontal rather than vertical nature. If we teach to individual needs and assess these needs accurately then we will be catering for these needs. There might be very special circumstances when class moves are considered for reasons of ‘Gifted and Talented’ education or ‘Special’ education needs. This will only ever be a teaching staff decision in liaison with the principal;

 As resources allow, additional assistance will be provided, such as:

Use of Part Time teacher (withdrawal groups; cross class groupings; etc.);

Use of Senior Teachers and Resource Teachers;

Parent or ‘friend of the school’ help;

Specialist equipment.

5.21 Planning and Preparation of Work Procedure

General Procedures:

 It is a vital part of your teacher’s role to plan your programme and lessons effectively;

Opua School Page 47  Planning can take many forms and its effectiveness is measured by the outcomes seen in the children’s achievement. If the children are reaching the standards set out in the objectives then the planning is sufficient;

 Planning should be shared and discussed regularly with other staff and, when required, with the Principal;

 It is expected that as much planning as possible will be done on a cooperative basis as part of a Teaching Team. Teacher talk about how lessons are going is important evaluation for the teacher;

 Programme plans must show the termly overviews and weekly, more comprehensive areas/topics/themes covered;

Work / Programme Plan

 The work plan is principally for the teachers' own use. It describes the composition of the class, or classes, states the problems teachers consider lie before them and gives some indication of how they intend to deal with them. Evaluation is carried out in terms of the general and specific goals laid down in the work plan, covering: -

The content learned;

Skills mastered;

Interest developed;

Attitudes formed;

Individual progress made.

 Written evaluation of a programme should be no more than is necessary to guide teachers in forward planning or to remind them of the changes they should make in future presentations of the topic. The term "work plan" refers to the summary or outline notes that represent teachers' basic ideas about specific classroom programmes, methods or organisation to be used in that classroom. The plan should be a concise working document. The test of sound preparations is the quality of the classroom programme in action;

 Each teacher is encouraged to develop their own style of preparation to provide a well-balanced, high quality and appropriate programme. Unwritten planning can be included in: -

Background reading and study;

Considering programme intentions and development;

Whiteboard or online preparation;

Opua School Page 48 Organising reference material and equipment;

Considering general classroom environment.

 Suggested Work Plan Pattern:

a. Description of the class

Comments on its strengths, behaviour and attitude patterns;

Remember that it is a cumulative record and should not be completed in the first month.

b. Teaching Problems

Problems of teaching various subjects;

Individual problems of development;

The needs of individuals, including the gifted and slow pupils;

An appraisal of the state of the class (from time to time) in the various fields of learning.

Please spend some time going over each pupil’s profile and previous reports to parents. They are available on the system and also in paper format. Your planning must reflect individual pupil needs identified previously in these documents.

c. Class Organisation

A brief statement of what is to be attempted under each subject heading;

Specify when the unit is to begin/end;

A unit of work should include the following: -

Pupil Outcome Goals (Knowledge and Skills) with clear Learning Intentions and their Success Criteria;

Experience Goals (Class and Individual Experiences)

Resources to be used

Link to the Rest of the Curriculum

Methods of Evaluation

d. Resources

If planning is thorough, preparation for lessons will take place sometime before resources are required. Children should therefore not be needed to be sent to teacher resource areas.

5.22 Record Keeping Procedure

General Procedures:

 Students’ Cumulative Records are kept in Room files in the Principal’s office. These should be accessed by teachers when required.

Opua School Page 50  There are 2 files per class: one a Current file [with all the records for the current year on each child] and one an Archive file [with all the records from all previous years on each child].

 Cumulative Record files are to be updated at the end of each term or more often, if required.

 Sample folders need updating at least once per term.

 Lists of student needs should be completed each year during term one.

 As a member of a profession, record keeping is a normal facet of your job. You are obliged to keep all such administrative records accurate, neat and up to date. You are expected to be prompt in responding to returns for information by meeting any deadlines set by the requested date and time. Important records for teachers to keep and update include:

Absenteeism

Accounting for Money

Assessment Data and Achievement Monitoring

Attendance Register

Classification

Classroom Inventories

Individual Student Needs [IEPs; Health needs; etc.]

Parent contacts [e.g. records of important conversations]

Planning & Preparation

Reporting

Opua School Page 51 5.23 Report Writing Procedure

General Procedures:

 All reports are to be written on the computer and teachers are encouraged to make on- going comments as they mark work or see children attaining learning. In that way, most of the report is completed when it is time to issue;

 The report is to be based on professional observations and records of achievement made in classroom evaluations. You need to be able to justify any comments or marks given, based on work children have actually done;

 The Principal must approve the report. They may request evidence of formative evaluations made in the classroom. The Principal must also sign the report form before it is issued;

 A high standard of presentation is required, as is spelling and grammatical accuracy;

 Positive, constructive, honest remarks relating to progress made, particular pieces of work and special attributes (academic, cultural, physical, social and emotional), are more helpful than negative remarks;

 The report is a summative evaluation. If the child is to participate in his education he should be aware of the content of his report and how he can improve his standing. This implies child owned goals and collaboration between the teacher and the student;

 Mid-Year written progress reports, in conjunction with a Teacher-Parent- Student Conference Meeting, will occur once a year, commonly in July;

 End-of-Year, full, summative written reports will be issued once a year, commonly in December.

 Reporting and conferencing with parents

Term 1

 The first conference will be in the first term. This is a less formal meeting and is commonly combined with a ‘Meet the Teacher’ Evening;

Term 2

 Following the mid-year sample folders release is the student- led conference time which coincides with the mid-year report. This written document will report on progress made, next

Opua School Page 52 learning steps and advice about what caregivers can do to help at home. Included is an attendance percentage for the term. Any progress data will be shared at the conferences.

Term 3

 There will be an informal opportunity for reporting on progress in this term commonly coinciding with ‘Clubs Night’ which is an open night at school. Parents are shown displays of the activities during Clubs Activities and children are asked to show parents around the classrooms and to discuss their work with them;

Term 4

 The full, summative written report is issued. This will include work samples and comments. Included is an attendance percentage for the year;

 Written reports issued in December, will show the main features of their child’s progress and achievement. The December is report to be sent out at least a few days before the end of term.

 However, at any time, within reason, parents or teachers may request an appointment to discuss the child;

 Parents can expect to be notified if their child is experiencing difficulty in any social or academic area and, where possible, follow up should occur as this is happening rather than waiting for formal written reports or formal conferences;

 If a child is having problems academically, socially or with regards behaviour, the parent should be informed of this as soon as possible. It is not acceptable for parents to have had no communication from the school about such problems and then to find them in the child’s written report;

 Parents are encouraged to notify the school of any changes in personal or home circumstances which may affect the child’s behaviour or progress;

 Parents are encouraged to talk to the class teacher at any time during the school year to discuss student achievement and progress.

5.25 School Mission, Values and Tone Procedure

General Procedures:

 The overriding theme and mission that the learning, behaviour and general tone of Opua School is based around is that this school is a place “Where we look after each other and care for each other” and is a place where we share our experiences, learn from and with each other and grow together in a happy, respectful and supportive environment.

 ‘ Manaakitanga Me Te Awhina’ is our motto which gives life to this mission: “Opua School will provide a caring and sharing environment that will educate and equip the child for life.”

 Our scheme expresses most rules and boundaries but, where not expressed, a code of “common sense” in relation to our theme, should apply;

 As a staff we must work as a supportive team applying these codes equally to all;

 We aim to be as positive as we possibly can be by praising and rewarding acceptable behaviour rather than being negative. This applies not only in class work but also in all aspects of school life;

 An Assertive Discipline programme operates;

 Where children display an on-going positive attitude and/or excellence in work, they should be praised to encourage their enthusiasm. They require continual encouragement to sustain their positive behaviour as much as those who require encouragement for behaviour modification;

 Staff aim, at all times, to be sensitive to cultural, religious and individual differences;

 Opua School aims to be a school where:

honesty, trust, loyalty and compassion are developed;

Opua School Page 54 respect for others, their culture and opinions are valued and nurtured;

caring for the environment is expected;

self esteem, a positive attitude to learning and the development of the whole child are fostered

5.26 Special Education Procedure

General Procedures:

 The aim of the Opua School’s special education procedure is to improve learning outcomes for all children and young people with special education needs at our school.

 We recognise and accept the definition of special education in the MoE’s Special Education Policy Guidelines is "the provision of extra assistance, adapted programmes or learning environments, specialised equipment or materials to support children and young people with accessing the curriculum in a range of settings."

 Children and young people with special education needs include learners with disabilities, learning difficulties, communication or behaviour difficulties and sensory or physical impairments. Resources provided include specialist support, therapy, staffing, equipment and other materials, property modification and transport, as well as advice and specialist support;

 Our School’s special education procedure affirms the right of every student to learn in accordance with the principles and values of the Education Act 1989, the National Education Guidelines, as well as the Special Education Policy Guidelines. The New Zealand Disability Strategy is also relevant to special education, with its aim of removing the barriers which prevent disabled people from participating fully in society;

 The Special Education Policy Guidelines are for all those involved with young children and school students with special education needs. They fit within the context of relevant government legislation, education regulations and policies.

 Staff at Opua School will do everything practical to ensure the principles of Special Education Policy are followed through on. These are:

1. Learners with special education needs have the same rights, freedoms and responsibilities as people of the same age who do not have special education needs;

2. The primary focus of special education is to meet the individual learning and developmental needs of the learner;

3. All learners with identified special education needs have access to a fair share of the available special education resources;

4. Partnership between parents and education providers is essential in overcoming barriers to learning;

5. All special education resources are used in the most effective and efficient way possible, taking into account parent choice and the needs of the learner;

6. A learner's language and culture comprise a vital context for learning and development and must be taken into consideration in planning programmes;

7. Learners with special education needs will have access to a seamless education from the time that their needs are identified through to post-school options;

 We aim to ensure the following objectives are met:

Objective 1 - encourage and educate for a non-disabling society;

Objective 2 - ensure rights for disabled people;

Objective 3 - provide the best education for disabled people;

Objective 10 - collect and use relevant information about disabled people and disability issues;

Objective 11 - promote participation of disabled Māori;

Objective 12 - promote participation of disabled Pacific peoples;

Objective 13 - enable disabled children and youth to lead full and active lives;

Objective 15 - value families, whānau and people providing on-going support.

5.27 Sports Uniforms Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy but is also guided by the Assets Protection Policy.

General Procedures:

 Students representing Opua School will commonly be expected to wear the school sports uniforms.

 The school colours Red, White and Green;

 The school has sets of netball/miniball skirts, netball bibs, school T Shirts and rugby jerseys for lending to children involved with school sport;

 They are to be worn for that purpose only and returned in the same condition as when they were lent;

 School netball and miniball players will borrow their uniforms for a whole season;

 The teacher or parent helper responsible for loaning uniforms must ensure that :

a record is kept of loans;

this is marked off on return;

non return is vigorously pursued (report to the Principal, if necessary).

5.28 Student Houses Procedure

General Procedures:

 The children are teamed up into four houses for sports and competitions, assemblies etc.;

 This system is meant to foster healthy, constructive inter-house competition for the benefit of all students.

 The houses are named after four native trees: Kowhai, Titoki, Rimu and Totara ;

 The lines are always in the order listed above and children line in their house lines in order of height;

 Points may be awarded to houses for rewards or positive reinforcement.

Opua School Page 58 5.29 Student Special Certificates and Awards Procedure

General Procedures:

 Opua School will actively reward high or special achievements with specific awards.

 Awards available are:

Caring and Sharing Cup;

Thinking Cup;

Star Student of the Week / Principal’s Awards;

Certificate of Merit;

Certificate of Excellence.

 These rewards, certificates and cups are to be the highest valued tokens issued by the school and are commonly to be presented at full School Assemblies. They will, therefore, be issued sparingly;

Opua School Page 59  Caring and Sharing Cup: To be issued to children who have shown a caring and or sharing behaviour during the week. Someone who has helped another student; particularly, a younger student;

 Thinking Cup: To be issued for displaying evidence of deeper thinking. This may be academic or just simply using one’s initiative. Awarded where someone has thought something through and is aware of the outcomes or consequences;

 Start Student of the Week / Principal’s Awards: To be awarded for an example of high quality academic work during that week. 2 to be awarded – one to a Junior [Rms 1, 2 and 3] and one to a senior [Rms 4 and 5];

 Certificates of Merit: To be issued to children who have stood out through outstanding efforts in social, cultural and community activities. Four to Five only to be issued at the End of the Year Assembly;

 Certificates of Excellence: To be issued for outstanding achievement, commensurate with age (or handicap), in any Curriculum area be it academic, sporting , artistic and cultural. The achievement may have been obtained during school, interschool or community activities. Four to Five only to be issued at the End of the Year Assembly;

5.30 Student Stationery Requirements Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy and is guided by the Asset Protection Policy.

General Procedures:

 Opua School will manage the provision of student stationery. An annual fee will be charged to all parents/caregivers to cover all a child’s stationery requirements for the year. This charge will be set by the Principal each year.

 Towards the end of the year, teachers will be asked to submit the stationery needs for their classes for the following year;

 Stocks will be ordered to meet needs;

 Stationery lists are issued in February;

 Parents have no obligation to buy from the school;

Opua School Page 60  Each class set of required stationery will be sold to the students as a set at the start of each year. This will include the complete set of stationery including pencils, erasers and folders etc. Prices will be set each year for the set, depending on set lists and prices charged to the school;

 Sales will be made each day before 9.00 am. Children are not to be sent to the office after 9.10am for stationery as they will be refused service from the office. Stationery sales are cash only;

 If you are aware that some children need stationery and there appears to be a problem with getting it, talk to the Principal or administration staff.

5.31 Swimming Pool and Swimming Lessons Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Curriculum Delivery Policy and is also guided by the Health and Safety Policy.

General Procedures:

 The Swimming Pool is to be used primarily for the education of students in ‘Water Safe’ practices;

 The Swimming Pool will be maintained according to the latest standards and to ensure it is a safe learning environment;

 Swimming Lessons will, whenever possible, be taught by properly trained experts or by teachers who have been given instructions by those experts;

Opua School Page 61  Anyone using the pool outside normal school hours must have signed the appropriate contract and do so at their own risk on the understanding that they will provide for a safe environment for any children under their care and supervision.

 All children are to take part in swimming unless they are excused for medical reasons by a note;

 Children to use toilets before entering pool area;

 Any children the teacher notices to have discharging or insufficiently covered sores are to be excluded;

 Excluded children must sit under the shade area by the pool, where teachers can supervise them, and carry out an appropriate activity such as reading;

 Swimming lessons should be well organised and managed. Their main purpose is swimming tuition;

 Teachers are to expect instant obedience to their instructions and rules;

 Children moving to and from pool and classrooms are to do so quietly;

 Teachers are to keep to the agreed timetables;

 Teachers are to check sheds after all children have left them to ensure they are clean and tidy with nothing left in them;

 Teachers are to supervise students’ pool entry and exit as there is a danger element at these times;

 Teachers must be conscious of students’ exposure to sun and take any appropriate steps;

 Procedures for taking swimming lessons must take into account Health and Safety Aspects for all concerned;

 Staff should exercise extreme care always to cover themselves by having witnesses if they have to assist any child with changing or whilst they are in the water

5.32 Treaty of Waitangi Procedure

General Procedures:

Opua School Page 62  Opua School affirms the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi.

 The school will affirm the Treaty of Waitangi through the following:

1) That Maori Language and Maori culture be included in the school curriculum for all classes and that it is taught on a regular basis;

2) That a Maori resource teacher or teachers be utilized to cater for the implementation and on- going requirements of the Maori curriculum, if funding and appropriate personnel are available;

3) That a Programme of Work is developed for use in all classrooms;

4) That staff training be given in this programme, if funding and appropriate personnel are available;

5) That the school consults regularly and genuinely with its Maori parents and community

6) That the school works in partnership with its Kaumatua;

7) Where sufficient need arises for students to be taught in Maori language, within a bilingual context, and suitable qualified staff are available, that provision be made within the school to meet this requirement;

8) That equitable provision for resources and facilities is made to cater for the instructional needs of Maori curriculum;

9) That Maori values be recognised in the provision of resources and facilities within the school;

10) That equitable provision is made within the teaching staff to reflect the Maori roll at the school.

5.33 Uniforms Procedure

General Procedures:

 The wearing of the Opua School uniform gives students pride in and identity with their school.

 After a parent–led initiative and consultation with the school community, the implementation of the Opua School Uniform was decided upon and formally adopted by the Board in July 2007;

 This uniform became compulsory from February 2008 and must be worn for all activities;

 The reasons for establishing a uniform were:

For identification purposes;

To avoid inappropriate clothing;

To include clothing that does not hinder or limit learning e.g. in physical education lessons;

 The uniform is:

Approved red tee-shirt with Opua School monogram;

Black shorts/culottes/skorts (length – just above the knee or longer) or long black pants – no labels, no patterns, no colours, no white;

Black vest or sweatshirt with Opua School monogram;

 The correct uniform is to be worn and must be in good condition (Clean and in good repair);

 Jewellery and/or make-up is not permitted;

 Exemptions to the wearing of any or all of the uniform will be considered at the Board’s discretion. Applications for exemptions must be made in writing to the Board Chair stating the reasons why an exemption is requested;

 Consistent failure to wear the correct uniform will be a breach of this policy and will be dealt with according to the school’s disciplinary procedures;

 In cooler weather children may wear a red tee-shirt or long sleeved red skivvy under their red Opua Tee-shirt. Generally clothing worn under uniform must not be visible;

 The sports uniform is:

White Opua School tee-shirt;

Black shorts – no labels, no patterns, no white, no colours;

Suitable footwear must be worn for school performances and when appropriate;

Sun hats must be worn outdoors during terms 1 and 4;

Bathing caps must be worn in the school pool.

6. PERSONNEL POLICY

Rationale: The Board delegates responsibility to the principal on all matters relating to the management of staff in the expectation that they will be managed in a sound, fair, and respectful manner in accordance with the current terms of employment documents and identified good practice.

1. ensure that employees are not discriminated against and use clear, job-related criteria and be mindful of individual performance or qualifications in decision making;

2. ensure all employees receive their rights to personal dignity, safety and access to an approved and fair internal grievance process;

3. ensure that all required staff are registered or have a current Limited Authority to Teach;

4. provide a smoke free environment;

5. provide for all staff a contract based on either a collective or individual employment agreement;

6. provide a suitable professional learning and development programme which takes into consideration the requirements of Opua School’s Strategic and Annual plans;

7. carry out annual performance appraisals;

8. meet current employment legislation;

9. take reasonable steps to protect staff from unsafe or unhealthy working conditions;

10. meet the requirements of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;

11. provide Protected Disclosure protection;

12. help ensure that the school’s Board operates as a good employer.

Opua School Page 65 6.1 Beginning Teachers Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Personnel Policy.

General Procedures:

 Beginning Teachers need the help and support of all staff. A Tutor Teacher will be appointed to guide Beginning Teachers and provide professional leadership.

 The Principal is responsible for applying for any staffing allowance available for Beginning Teachers and ensuring this allowance is used appropriately;

 The Principal is responsible for organising for a suitable Tutor Teacher and Advice and Guidance programme to be established.

 The 0.2FTTE staffing allocation available for the first year and the 0.1FTTE allocation for the second year can be used in a number of ways:

To release BT to observe in other classes;

To attend BT service or agreed courses for professional learning and development;

To release the tutor teacher to observe, prepare or work alongside the BT;

To release the Tutor teacher to review planning records or view pupils’ work from the BT’s room;

 Under no circumstances is the 0.1 or 0.2 time to be used by the BT for what would be considered normal class teacher responsibilities such as planning, unless the particular session is being used to teach the BT aspects involved;

 The Tutor Teacher who allocates the programme to the BT must keep a record of all the occasions the 0.1 or 0.2 time is used and for what purposes. Tutor Teachers need to contact the College of Education or TRB to find out the requirements and paperwork needed for carrying out the responsibility of ensuring BT’s eventually become fully registered teachers.

6.2 Caretakers and Cleaners Procedure

General Procedures:

 The Caretaker and Cleaners are full employees of the school and, as for all other staff, their day-to- day supervision is the responsibility of the Principal;

 The Caretaker is responsible to the Principal for the cleaning of the school and the maintenance of buildings and grounds.

 If any teacher feels caretaking and/or cleaning duties are being neglected or are not up to standard, they must address their concerns to the Caretaker / Cleaner first;

 Direct contact with the caretaker or cleaner is advised for such matters as:

when vomit needs to be cleaned up;

when a teacher wishes to depart from the usual way of leaving the classroom at the close of school [e.g. Wet paintings over the floor, etc.];

when a ladder is required.

 Please remember that the Caretaker carries out a host of responsibilities in this school. As a result of that, and in reference to the “Team Approach” (cf. start of this document), he/she may not be immediately available. If, for instance, a child vomits and you find the caretaker is involved in another activity that precludes his/her immediate response to your needs, you may have to wait or clean it up yourself. Common sense and a desire to ensure the safest practices should always prevail.

6.3 Classroom Release Time / Non-Contact Time Procedure

General Procedures:

 The Principal will ensure all full-time classroom teachers at Opua School have available to them classroom release time in accordance with the provisions of the current Primary School Teachers’ Collective Agreement;

 In providing this release time, the Principal will also consult with the full-time teaching staff of Opua School and be mindful of the most effective allocation of human resources for the benefit of the students and teachers of Opua School.

 Commonly, this will mean the principal will roster 1 hour per week to each teacher entitled to CRT;

 The Principal will organise different, appropriate classroom release time for any full-time teachers of Opua School who are either Provisionally Registered [PR1 [0.2FTTE] or PR2 [0.1FTTE]] or who have extra, specific duties for which a time allowance is identified as appropriate either within the latest Collective Agreement or by a decision of the Board of Trustees.

 Classroom release time will involve some of the following tasks to be worked on:

Lesson planning; Assessment and evaluation; Reporting; Observing other staff; Syndicate/staff meetings; and any other use agreed to from time to time between the teacher and the principal.

 Where, for genuine reasons, during term planning or at short notice, it is not possible to provide CRT to an individual or group of teachers the school will:

Record the reason for non-delivery;

Opua School Page 68 Endeavour to reallocate the CRT at a later date/time;

Review the CRT procedure, if required.

6.4 Communication with Parents Procedure

General Procedures:

 All staff communications delivered to and received from parents will, whether verbal or non-verbal, be clear, effective and professional;

 Commonly, all written communications to parents will be shared with and sanctioned by the Principal;

 If there is any doubt about how a written message might be received by parents or how a meeting with parents might go, the Principal should always be informed of a staff member’s concerns in advance of the communication being sent or the meeting occurring. The Principal may consider it appropriate to re-write the message or attend any particular meeting.

 New Parents to School: New parents are to be provided with an information booklet that contains basic information required when enrolling their child/children;

 Concerns: Teachers are to maintain a written record (dated) of any contacts with parents where issues of concern or specific requests are involved. Where conflict or contention is likely to occur, teachers are asked to discuss the matter with the Principal before making any contact with home.

 General Contact: Teachers are encouraged to communicate with parents. Positive exchanges of knowledge and information are of benefit to all. Please remember not to air “dirty linen” in public;

 Written Notes Home: A copy of all class circulars, notices and the like are to be approved by the principal prior to them being sent home. Please get the Principal or Deputy Principal to proof read

Opua School Page 69 these first for accuracy and content. The principal must also clear individual notes relating to problems and other issues.

 Newsletters: Our general communication system with all our parents is through School Newsletters which are issued on a weekly basis, commonly Thursdays. These are to be given to the eldest or only child of a family at this school. Please ensure they are given out on the day. Again, the Principal must review and approve the processing of all Newsletters before they are printed and issued;

 Letters/notes from Parents: Letters/Notes from parents are to be filed carefully.

 Letters of complaint: Letters/notes involving a complaint/concern must be discussed with the principal. A summary of any telephone or oral discussions where complaint/concerns are raised by a parent/guardian needs to be filed and treated as for a complaint by letter or note. Copies of all such concerns/complaints must be given to the principal as soon as possible.

6.5 Communication with Staff Procedure

General Procedures:

 The importance of sound communication networks within the Opua School cannot be overstated as they are amongst the key factors in bringing the staff together as a team who are promoting together the Philosophy and Aims of our school;

 The overriding theme of this school, “We look after each other”, applies just as much to staff as to children and parents;

 The Principal’s intention is to have an “Open Door” to any staff member at any time. Confidentiality can be assured.

 Our Communication network includes this Staff Board Manual;

Employment Contracts: There is one for each staff member to review and sign at the commencement of employment or, again, if their circumstances of employment alter;

Opua School Page 70 Job Descriptions: There is one for each staff member that is reviewed and re-signed on an annual basis;

Consultation: Regular consultation is to be part of the supervision cycle between Principal and Teachers and other staff. Teachers are encouraged to consult with their principal on matters pertaining to their management and teaching whenever there is a need. Likewise consultation with colleagues in charge of a particular curriculum is encouraged;

Daily Communication Meeting: Held each school day starting promptly at 8.30am. Unless you are on duty you are required to be in the staffroom at this time. These meetings are of a short duration [average time 10 minutes]. They are not designed as a discussion meeting rather to relay information on things that are needed or occurring that day within the school;

Staff Meetings: These will be regular and last for 1 to 1 and a 1/2 hours from start time. Infrequently, they will be all staff but, on most occasions, only the teaching staff will meet. Staff are expected to be in attendance. From time to time, extra meetings will be required for various reasons. Adequate warning will be given of these meetings when they are required. An agenda will be posted near the whiteboard in the staffroom. All staff are entitled to contribute to this prior to the meeting. The Minutes of Staff Meetings will be kept by staff on a rotating basis, posted the day after the meeting and filed by the Principal;

Staff Room Notice Board and Whiteboard: All teachers are expected to check the Whiteboard by morning tea time as notices of immediate importance will be published without necessarily any oral announcements;

Announcements/Messages: These will be done using the staff whiteboard. Teachers are required to check for these regularly through the day. Urgent messages will be relayed personally.

Opua School Page 71 6.6 Complaints Procedure

General Procedures:

 Most complaints can be resolved with communication and a willingness to resolve from all parties.

 At Opua School the processes to be used are as follows:

Complaints from Parents received by Staff

 In general, refer to our Communication with Parents Procedure under Operational Policies and Procedures;

Opua School Page 72  Parents/caregivers are advised in the first instance to approach the class teacher. If the parent is not confident in doing so, there is the option available of the parent meeting the teacher with the Principal present as observer / mediator;

 If not satisfied with the response from the teacher, parents should then contact the principal;

 If the matter remains unresolved, the complaint should be made in writing to the Board of Trustees Chairperson.

Matters of a serious nature will be handled under NZEI Guidelines.

Complaints received by the Principal from Parents about Staff

 The Principal will take written notes if the complaint is verbal;

 The Principal will let the staff member concerned know about the complaint and give a copy of any written notes or letters to the staff member;

 The Principal will investigate the matter in the most appropriate manner;

 The Principal will take appropriate actions to resolve the matter;

 The Principal will inform both parties of the resolution;

 Matters of a serious nature will be handled under NZEI Guidelines;

 Confidentiality is important at all stages.

Complaints from Staff about Staff (Non disciplinary)

 In the first instance staff members should be honest and open with each other and attempt resolution themselves;

 If this does not resolve matters, the staff member aggrieved should discuss the matter with a senior teacher or the Principal and request their assistance to resolve matters;

 They may be requested to put their complaint in writing.

Matters of a serious or disciplinary nature will be handled under NZEI Guidelines. Confidentiality is important at all stages.

Complaints from Parents about the Principal

 When a parent or guardian of a pupil desires to make a complaint against the Principal, they should first address this to the principal;

Opua School Page 73  If no resolution is made, the parent must make the complaint in writing to the Board through the Board chair;

 The written complaint must be given directly to the Chairperson of the Board, who shall investigate and use his/her best endeavours to reconcile the differences involved;

 If this is not possible, the Chairperson shall bring the complaint to the Full Board for a decision.

Matters of a serious nature will be handled under NZEI Guidelines.

Confidentiality is important at all stages.

Staff Complaints

 These should be discussed with the Principal;

 If not resolved, the staff member should ask to contact the Board Chairperson;

 If a staff member considers they have a Personal Grievance, firstly be mindful that Personal Grievances cover aspects such as:

Unjustifiable dismissal;

Unjustifiable action by employer which disadvantages the employee’s work or conditions of work;

Worker discrimination;

Sexual harassment;

Duress;

 If you feel that you have grounds for a Personal Grievance contact your Union Organiser;

 Staff are reminded that they also have access to the Procedures under the Whistle Blowers Legislation for serious matters of impropriety by management and or other staff. The contact persons for these aspects are the principal or the chairperson if the principal is involved in the complaint.

Opua School Page 74 6.7 Confidentiality Procedure

Opua School Page 75 This procedure is governed by the Personnel Policy and also takes guidance from the Legal Responsibilities Policy [12.0] and the Privacy Act Compliance Procedure [12.2] and the Trustee’s Code of Behaviour Policy [2.0 in the BoT Policies and Procedures manual].

General Procedures:

 BOT members and staff are required to respect the confidentiality of information, which comes to them in the course of their work. Included in this would be written records kept on children (which should be kept in a secure place.)

 Teachers have an obligation to stress to parent and other helpers the need to keep any sensitive information about children they might acquire confidential.

 The school is required to abide by the Privacy Act 1993.

 Staff are asked to remember that in any organisation, from time to time, debate and disagreements will occur. Do not discuss such issues with parents or community;

 Please keep any such disagreements within our own “family” unless it is of such a serious matter as to require further steps to be taken to resolve the issue. In such cases you are strongly advised to contact the NZEI, or your particular chosen union if different from NZEI, for advice prior to action.

Opua School Page 76 6.8 Discretionary Leave Procedure

General Procedures:

 All applications for discretionary leave must come to the principal in the first instance

 All applications for discretionary leave of more than one day must be in writing detailing:

Length of leave applied for;

Reasons for leave;

 The principal may approve leave of less than 5 working days;

 The Board of Trustees must approve leave of 5 or more working days;

 When deciding whether to grant leave or whether this leave should be with or without pay, the following factors will be taken into account:

Length of leave applied for;

Nature of leave applied for;

School organisational and operational factors;

Availability of suitable relieving staff;

School funding arrangements and financial position;

Ministry of Education funding arrangements;

Length and nature of leave taken by the employee in the previous 12 months;

The need to be a good employer.

Opua School Page 77 6.9 Gifts and Acknowledgements Procedure

General Procedures:

 In keeping with our school’s motto, we will care for and share in the leaving of any staff member by organising a suitable farewell event, inclusive of an appropriate gift or other form of acknowledgement.

 Long serving staff may be acknowledged in an appropriate manner when leaving the school and a function may be organised with a farewell gift. This may be a community affair or in the school hall;

 Special occasions or events such as a bereavement or an addition to the family may be acknowledged appropriately;

 Small gifts must be recorded and signed off by the Principal for audit purposes and to ensure all financial details and receipts and ledgers are accurate. If the small gift is received by the Principal, the chair of the BoT must sign this off.

Opua School Page 78 6.10 Hours of Work Procedure

General Procedures:

 No amount of experiences, flair or expertise can be a substitute for total time given to the job. All teachers are expected to adopt a professional approach to their work, and, if teaching, full time effort is required.

 All teachers are to be at school and ‘on the job’ by 8.25 am at the latest. If on duty, there may be a requirement to report at an earlier time;

 Unless on duty, teachers may use their lunch period as they wish;

 Teachers are to remain after school until they have completed their classroom or school duties. Only in exceptional circumstances should teachers need to leave school prior to or during the time children are leaving. One exception would be required attendance at a professional meeting. In every instance, the approval of the Principal must be sought;

 Teachers are to avoid making appointments on scheduled duty or staff meeting days;

 Teachers leaving school during breaks must indicate this on white board in school staffroom;

 Under the Collective Agreement, the Board is able to call back teachers for up to 10 days in any one- year, be they during weekends or term breaks.

Opua School Page 79 6.11 Kaumatua Procedure

General Procedures:

 The position of Kaumatua of Opua School is one of significance and deserves the mana associated with it.

 The role of our Kaumatua is not just to be a ‘figurehead’ to be brought out on “special occasions”;

 It is a role which is a combination of adviser on Maori Issues, on children’s issues, a spiritual leader and a respected person who is trusted within our community;

 The kaumatua is available for school, personal or class matters but we must all realise that adequate notice has to be given, as these people tend to be elderly and often very busy.

Our Kaumatua is Mr. Joseph Tipene.

Opua School Page 80 6.12 Management Unit[s] Allocation Procedure

General Procedures:

 The board delegates responsibility to the principal all matters relating to the management of staff in the expectation that they will be managed in a sound, fair, and respectful manner in accordance with the current terms of employment documents.

 The principal will manage the allocation of salary units;

 These will be issued to positions/staff where there is considered to be additional responsibilities over and above classroom teaching;

 The position of Deputy Principal should carry with it at least one management unit;

 Two units would be considered appropriate for the position as Deputy Principal;

 Other responsibilities would be teacher librarian or any staff member who has planning and management control over the whole school;

 This would apply to the teacher in charge of school sharing or school sports;

 The work would have to be carried out by the personnel earning the unit as opposed to delegating the tasks;

 The principal will allocate units after consultation with staff. The Principal will ensure that a proper process will be followed which might include receiving applications from more than one staff member for the available unit[s] and conducting an interview process, if required;

 Depending on the allocation of units given to the school in an operations grant, management units might be offered as either ‘permanent’ units or ‘Fixed Term’ units;

 There should be a proper process of appraising a staff member’s performance in justifying the management unit from year to year whether or not the units are identified as Permanent or Fixed Term;

 The Principal will report to the Board of Management Unit allocations made.

6.13 NZEI Code of Ethics Procedure

General Procedures:

 Members of the New Zealand Educational Institute accept a commitment to the following ideals as embodying what is best in the profession of teaching and in education.

 Personal service to others through concern for and responsible promotion of, the education and welfare of children, students, support staff and teachers;

 Members accept that realisation of the goals implicit in this ideal depends upon:

The attainment of high qualifications, expert knowledge and specialised skills;

The continuing inquiry into and evaluation of the teaching task itself;

An understanding of Maori and Tauiwi values;

Maori and Tauiwi being equal parties thus giving honour and effect to the Treaty of Waitangi;

A proper understanding not only of human development but also the values which are fundamental to worthwhile living in a multi-cultural society.

 In determining our conduct we should recognise:

Our obligation to advance the causes of education;

That we should act in a manner which maintains the honour and dignity of the education service;

That individuals can make significant contributions to the community in many varied ways;

That we should recognise and respect the dignity and rights of all persons without prejudice to colour, race, ethnic or national origins, age, family responsibilities, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religious or ethical belief;

That we have an obligation to assist all children to develop to their fullest extent;

Opua School Page 82 That we should respect the professional integrity of our colleagues and help them to maintain the best possible standard of professional competence;

That we should co-operate with caregivers to promote the education and welfare of children;

That we have a responsibility for our actions and judgements;

Our obligations to enhance the standing of the education service within the community.

 In carrying out our responsibilities we agree:

To accept personal responsibility for maintaining and improving our professional standards;

To use the Institute’s established procedures for reporting unprofessional conduct;

To advance and support the professional welfare of our colleagues both individually and collectively;

To meet our obligations and accept that service to the Institute is a professional responsibility;

To respect the confidentiality of information;

To support the objectives and policies of the Institute actively.

 A guide to ethical practices:

Members as individuals or as groups will not attempt to influence the Minister of Education or other government agencies or boards of trustees in a manner contrary to the policies and objectives of the Institute;

A member will not wilfully ignore a lawful resolution of the Institute;

Members will not criticize students to those not directly concerned with their welfare or education;

Members will not harass their colleagues in any way;

A member shall not carry out any action that is in breach of the above sections or detrimental to the interests of the teaching profession, education service or the Institute;

Such actions shall be deemed to be unethical.

Opua School Page 83 6.14 Performance Management and Appraisal Procedure

General Procedures:

 All staff will be subject to a Performance Management and Appraisal process which is clear, constructive and fair;

 All performance appraisals are confidential to the person being appraised and his/her Appraiser and the Principal or in the case of the principal, the Board Chairperson. A summary of the Principal’s Appraisal will be given to the full Board as per the Principal’s Appraisal Policy.

 Every member of staff, including the Principal, will have a job description, which will, with the relevant Professional Standards, form the basis for their performance appraisal;

 Performance is to be appraised against an individual’s Job Description and in the form of mutually negotiated goals for the next period which will be established between the appraisee and the appraiser;

Opua School Page 84  The appraisal of all staff other than the Principal is the responsibility of the Principal who may delegate some responsibility, if appropriate;

 The cycle of appraisal will be negotiation regarding Job Description and Goals, contract, performance and review;

 The Principal, through team leaders, is responsible for ensuring that the outcomes of the performance appraisal are acted upon;

 The Board of Trustees responsibilities are to ensure that the procedure is effective, that the procedure is carried out and that there is a training budget;

 Appraisal will be sensitive of the requirements of our E.E.O. Procedure [See Appointments Policy section].

6.15 Personnel Files Procedure

General Procedures:

 Personnel Files are kept on each staff member in accordance with common employment and educational practice.

 Individual staff files are kept locked in the Principal’s office;

 Access to Personnel files is via the principal only;

 Individual staff members may request access to their file to read its content;

 The contents of the file are confidential to the employee and the Principal;

 The file’s contents must be read in the Principal’s office with the Principal present;

Opua School Page 85  The file, or any contents of the file, must not be removed from the Principal’s office.

6.16 Registered Teachers’ Code of Ethics Procedure

General Procedures:

 Teachers registered to practice in New Zealand are committed to the attainment of the highest standards of professional service in the promotion of learning by those they teach, mindful of the learner's ability, cultural background, gender, age or stage of development;

 This complex professional task is undertaken in collaboration with colleagues, learners, parents/guardians and family/whānau as well as with members of the wider community;

 The professional interactions of teachers are governed by four fundamental principles:

Autonomy to treat people with rights that are to be honoured and defended;

Opua School Page 86 Justice to share power and prevent the abuse of power;

Responsible care to do good and minimise harm to others;

Truth to be honest with others and self.

 Application of the Code of Ethics shall take account of the requirements of the law as well as the obligation of teachers to honour the Treaty of Waitangi by paying particular attention to the rights and aspirations of Māori as tangata whenua.

1. Commitment to learners

 The primary professional obligation of registered teachers is to those they teach. Teachers nurture the capacities of all learners to think and act with developing independence and strive to encourage an informed appreciation of the fundamental values of a democratic society;

 Teachers will strive to:

a) develop and maintain professional relationships with learners based upon the best interests of those learners;

b) base their professional practice on continuous professional learning, the best knowledge available about curriculum content and pedagogy, together with their knowledge about those they teach;

c) present subject matter from an informed and balanced viewpoint; d) encourage learners to think critically about significant social issues; e) cater for the varied learning needs of diverse learners; f) promote the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual wellbeing of learners;

g) protect the confidentiality of information about learners obtained in the course of professional service, consistent with legal requirements.

2. Commitment to parents/guardians and family/whānau

 Teachers recognise that they work in collaboration with the parents/guardians and family/whānau of learners, encouraging their active involvement in the education of their children;

 They acknowledge the rights of caregivers to consultation on the welfare and progress of their children and respect lawful parental authority, although professional decisions must always be weighted towards what is judged to be the best interests of learners;

 In relation to parents/guardians, and the family/whānau of learners, teachers will strive to:

Opua School Page 87 a) involve them in decision-making about the care and education of their children; b) establish open, honest and respectful relationships; c) respect their privacy; d) respect their rights to information about their children, unless that is judged to be not in the best interests of the children.

3. Commitment to Society

 Teachers are vested by the public with trust and responsibility together with an expectation that they will help prepare students for life in society in the broadest sense;

 In fulfilment of their obligations to society, teachers will strive to:

a) actively support policies and programmes which promote equality of opportunity for all; b) work collegially to develop schools and centres which model democratic ideals; c) teach and model those positive values which are widely accepted in society and encourage learners to apply them and critically appreciate their significance.

4. Commitment to the profession

 In the belief that the quality of the services of the teaching profession influences the nation and its citizens, teachers shall exert every effort to maintain and raise professional standards, to promote a climate that encourages the exercise of professional judgement and to achieve conditions which attract persons worthy of trust to careers in education;

 In fulfilment of their obligations to the teaching profession, teachers will strive to:

a) advance the interests of the teaching profession through responsible ethical practice; b) regard themselves as learners and engage in continuing professional development; c) be truthful when making statements about their qualifications and competencies; d) contribute to the development and promotion of sound educational policy; e) contribute to the development of an open and reflective professional culture; f) treat colleagues and associates with respect, working with them co-operatively and collegially to promote students' learning; g) assist newcomers to the profession; h) respect confidential information on colleagues unless disclosure is required by the law or serves a compelling professional purpose; i) speak out if the behaviour of a colleague is seriously in breach of this Code.

For all staff there will be times that there are decisions or events with which you will have some difficulties. It is important that you keep to the collective decision no matter how difficult you find it. If there are people or activities that you have a personal issue with you must not let that personal feeling interfere with the

Opua School Page 88 roles and tasks of the school and your professional duties. This is especially important with children. While you might not like or enjoy an activity you must not let these personal opinions prevent any child from an experience that they might learn from, enjoy or even follow as a life-long interest.

6.17 Relief Teachers Procedure

General Procedures:

 Teachers who, because of illness or other reasons, are unable to attend school are to notify the Principal preferably the day / night prior to absence or between 6.30 a.m. and 7.15 a.m. on the day of absence.

Opua School Page 89  Leave requirements for non-professional activities must have prior Principal approval. Exceptions would be immediate family crises;

 Teachers are to leave work in their room that can be carried on with during their absence if necessary along with a list of any unusual things due to happen (e.g. Visit from?) and any regular routines (e.g. marking attendance, interval and lunchtime procedures, etc.);

 In the event of our relief teacher funding running out, or in circumstances where a relief teacher cannot be obtained, Opua School will cover the class (es) by using its own resources through the sharing of classes or dispersing children amongst rooms with available teachers.

6.18 School Administration / Main Office Staff Procedure

General Procedures:

 The office staff’s primary functions are concerned with school administration and management; however, they are able to do some teacher initiated tasks occasionally;

 This work can only be done if time permits and all staff are asked to respect the fact that the office is always working to capacity.

 All staff are requested to respect the fact that teacher-initiated work is not the main work of the Administration Staff and give several days in advance of the due date, as school secretarial work has priority over teachers’ work;

 Generally, teacher-initiated tasks should be given to the Teacher Aide as a first ‘port-of-call’;

 Staff are asked not to use the administration computers. Downloads of emails etc. is permitted but please try to not disrupt the secretary’s work routines;

 Routine information (e.g. Attendance returns on eTAP from teachers and Attendance information on specific students from the Office staff) is to be shared in a timely fashion so follow up tasks can also be done in a timely fashion.

6.19 Staff Private Property Procedure

General Procedures:

 The Board of Trustees takes no responsibility for the care and security of private property including money bought to school for any purpose by teachers or any other employees.

Opua School Page 91  All staff are advised to carry their own insurance should they wish to use private property of value at school;

 Staff are advised not to bring expensive personal items to school or use any such personal items for classroom and student activities;

 Staff are advised not to bring in and hand over or loan out any personal items to students for whatever reason;

 Staff are advised not to leave any items, especially ones of value or of personal importance, unattended in classrooms or elsewhere around the school.

6.20 Staff Professional Learning and Development Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Personnel Policy and is also guided by the Curriculum Delivery Policy.

General Procedures:

 This school places a high emphasis on the need for continued professional learning and development.

Opua School Page 92  All staff are entitled to professional development;

 Allocations will be made based upon Budget restraints;

 Collective and collegial Professional Learning and Development areas should be discussed, outlined and agreed upon by the Principal with the staff. These Professional Learning and Development goals should commonly have clear alignment with the school’s Charter, Strategic Goals and Annual Targets.

 Individual professional development focus points should be discussed, outlined and agreed upon through the appraisal process by the Principal with each staff member.

6.21 Staff Trustee Procedure

General Procedures:

 The Staff Trustee can be any member of staff;

Opua School Page 93  If 2 or more members of staff are nominated for the role, then there needs to be a properly conducted election using a secret ballot method;

 A minimum of 3 staff members should oversee the counting of votes. None of these members of staff should be nominees.

 The Staff Trustee is elected under the Requirements of the Education Act.. They are a full board member;

 The role is to reflect the feelings and needs of staff in board meetings;

 They should report back to staff publicly on Board decisions and directions;

 They are only a board member (as are all board members) when the board is meeting or carrying out a specific board function. They are subject to the principal and board, in their role as an employee, as for any other employee;

 Their role is not to take concerns or complaints from staff to the board. These are dealt with under the Complaints policy

6.22 Teacher’s Leaving / Exiting Procedure

General Procedures:

Opua School Page 94  Teachers who leave Opua School need to complete ‘exit procedures’ to ensure all requirements are completed and their leaving is smooth, efficient and in keeping with our school’s motto and spirit.

 Teachers, when leaving, are requested to:

Engage constructively in an ‘Exit Interview’ with either the Principal or the Board Chairperson so that the school can learn from colleagues’ experiences and, via self-review, continue to improve;

Update their classroom inventory and return it to the Principal;

Discuss missing items with the Principal;

Return all equipment, including books, not currently in use, to their normal storage place;

Hand their keys to Principal;

Hand any teacher laptop to the Principal with all personal data removed from it;

Pay any debts owing to the school; e.g. telephone toll calls and the like;

Leave in the classroom any school data that has been collected or distributed;

Leave classroom cupboards, shelves, etc. neat and tidy - just as you would like it if you were the new teacher;

Leave on the Teachers desk:

1. Attendance register;

2. Work Plan;

3. Absence Notes.

Opua School Page 95 6.23 Telephones and Cellphones Procedure

General Procedures:

 Telephones and Cellphones can be a distraction to teaching and learning and, therefore, the following specific procedures and information should be noted:

 The school telephone number is 09 402 7840;

 Telephone enquiries about the progress or welfare of pupils are welcome at all times but teachers are generally not available to answer calls during class time. The office will arrange for teachers to call back when they are free;

 Cellphones are not to be brought to or used at school by children. If children require phones for contact after school these phones must be handed to their teacher at the start of the school day and collected by them at home time;

 If a cellphone or mobile device is required for a specific learning purpose then it will be used under the strict supervision of the teacher. When not being used, the other procedures apply;

 Personal Toll Calls made by teachers, if possible, should be made with the charge transferred to the teachers own home number. Other toll calls with details must be entered in the toll book in the office;

 Children are not encouraged to use the telephone except in an urgent need. They must have permission from a teacher or staff member, who will then supervise the call. Children are not to use the office phones, but a phone is provided on the counter in the administration area as well as in the staffroom.

Opua School Page 96 7. APPOINTMENTS POLICY

Rationale: To assist in the appointment of quality staff to any vacancy which may arise, appointment committees with expertise relevant to the vacancy will be selected to carry out the appropriate appointment procedures.

1. meet legal requirements;

2. act as a good employer;

3. be mindful of any current collective agreement responsibilities;

4. appoint the best person for the job with the most suitable qualifications and/or experience;

5. determine the composition of the various appointment committees according to the schedule outlined below:

a Appointment of the principal is the responsibility of the Board which will determine the process;

b Appointment of the deputy-principal will involve an appointment committee consisting of the principal, the Board chairperson and a further trustee (should the BOT feel the need to include one);

c Unless determined otherwise by the Board as indicated below, the appointment of all other teachers, part-time teachers, long-term relieving teachers, and non-teaching staff will be the responsibility of the principal in consultation with the Board Chairperson or delegate where deemed necessary or if there is an identified conflict of interest. An appointments committee, if practical, is always to be considered the most effective methodology.

Further Guidelines:

1. All positions of at least one year’s duration should be advertised nationally;

2. The State Sector Act requires that the person best suited shall be appointed;

3. Other legislation to be mindful of includes the Human Rights Act, Race Relations Act, Education Act, Official Information Act, Privacy Act and School Charter;

4. Teacher Registration is a legal prerequisite for teaching positions. The Board must abide by the ‘Good Employer’ principles and must follow Equal Employment Opportunity principles;

5. The Board must minute its approval of all appointments;

Opua School Page 97 6. Each appointment must be in keeping with the School Charter and Mission Statement, its goals and objectives;

7. Each appointment is to be considered of great significance and the involved committee must be mindful of the following advice and guidelines:

Appointment Committee and Interview Panel.

Permanent appointments can be selected by a sub-committee. This would make the selection manageable and less threatening for applicants. The size and composition should be agreed on by the Board. It is suggested that for major appointments the Appointments committee could ask for advice from Principal advisors or other principals. The committee should include the Board Chair, another Board representative and the Staff Representative plus invited advisors. The role of the advisor is clear and is a non-voting role.

General protocols:

 All, information regarding appointments must be kept confidential including after the decision has been made.

 ALL papers should be kept secure and returned or destroyed.

 Papers relating to the successful applicant must be kept secure at school.

A summary of the process for appointments:

• Resignations are received by the Board of Trustees. The required period of notice is as set out in the employment agreement. This can be varied by mutual agreement of all parties;

• All Board members are to be informed of the process and the timeline to be followed;

• Everything about the appointment should be kept confidential;

• A job description should be checked. Is it up to date? Is it ready to send? Who is responsible for this?

• Advertising will be nationally for all positions one year or longer;

• Contractual requirements must be adhered to;

• An information pack should be sent to all applicants. The closing date and appointment date must be clear.

Shortlisting

• The appointments committee selects the shortlisted applicants. An outline of how the decisions were made is presented to the full Board;

Opua School Page 98 • The Appointments committee will prepare core questions to assist with the interview process;

• The make-up of the interview panel is to be decided by the appointments committee. A panel of more than four is regarded as too large;

• The interviewee may have support personnel at the interview if they wish;

• All expenses are to be met by the interviewee unless otherwise agreed upon;

• The interview schedule should be adhered to. Applicants should be made to feel at ease.

Referees

• Referees should be contacted to seek specific comment about strengths and weaknesses in relation to the duties of the position advertised;

• Confidentiality must be adhered to at all times;

The appointment

• The decision should be first a recommendation from the selection committee to the full Board. The decision should be ‘owned’ by all Board members.

• A starting date and induction programme started. All these should be confirmed in writing;

• All unsuccessful applicants should be informed as soon as possible.

Opua School Page 99 7.1 Equal Employment Opportunities Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Appointments Policy and is guided by the Personnel Policy.

General Procedures:

 The Appointments Policy and all related procedures will ensure that there will be no discrimination in the areas of recruiting and selection or in promotion and career development.

 The Board of Trustees as employer, through the Principal, will ensure that all employees maintain proper standards of integrity, conduct, and concern for the community's interest;

 The school will develop guidelines for handling sexual harassment grievances and discrimination;

 The school will develop and implement the EEO programme in consultation with staff members;

 The school will implement ongoing staff appraisals in a positive and supportive way that leads to the development of the abilities of individual teachers;

 An Equal Employment Opportunity Person (which will also act as a support person) will be elected by the staff;

 At all times the best applicant for any position at Opua School will be selected.

Opua School Page 100 8. FINANCIAL PLANNING POLICY

Rationale: The Board of Trustees has overall responsibility for the financial management of the school but delegates the day-to-day management of the school’s finance and budget to the principal. The principal, in association with the Finance Committee, is responsible for recommending an annual operating and capital budget to the Board within the timelines specified in the Finance Committee terms of reference. This budget will include a professional learning and development budget allocation for the principal and the staff.

Purpose: Budgeting shall not fail to reflect the Board’s Strategic Goals, the annual plan, risk financial jeopardy or fail to show a generally acceptable level of foresight. Thus the budget should not neglect to:

1. reflect the results sought by the Board;

2. reflect the priorities as established by the Board;

3. comply with the Board’s requirement of a balanced budget;

4. ensure adequate working capital;

5. demonstrate an appropriate degree of conservatism in all estimates.

Opua School Page 101 8.1 Accounting for Money Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Financial Planning Policy.

General Procedures:

 The Principal has overall responsibility for accounting for all money spent;

 The Principal can delegate aspects of these roles to External Agencies [ e.g. Educational Services] and staff within the school [e.g. the School Secretary];

 During a year a considerable sum of public money will be handled by each class teacher, who has a responsibility to administer it in an efficient and accountable manner.

 Every room will hold a class cashbook into which all moneys received will be recorded.

 This record must include:

the purpose for receiving the money;

the date of the transaction;

who brought it;

how much;

any other specific information;

 Money is not to be held by teachers, but sent daily to the office for banking as soon as possible after receiving it;

 The amount of cash sent must reconcile with the total recorded in the cashbook. If not, cashbook and money will be returned intact;

 Office staff will receipt all monies received;

Opua School Page 102  Our policy is generally that “the user pays,” so that all bus trips, etc. must be self supporting. In doing costing teachers must over- budget to allow for absenteeism and other aspects. A good rule of thumb is 10%. If there are children involved who the teacher feels would warrant financial assistance for genuine reasons, please discuss each case with the Principal, as in some cases the school may assist specific children requiring assistance.

8.2 Financial Controls Procedure

General Procedures:

 Only authorised and designated staff at Opua School will carry out financial processes.

 The following procedures are in place at Opua School:

Banking of Receipts

All cheques received are to be stamped with a not negotiable stamp;

All monies are to be banked intact as soon as possible after receipt;

All banking are to be classified appropriately; e.g. Stationery, donations, and the like.

Payment of Accounts

Each week all invoices and statements are to be collated;

Each statement is to be checked to ensure:

 Account rendered has not been paid:

During the previous month and not credited. If this is the case check with Education Services to ascertain what has happened to our cheque and where it has been credited, and check with our bank to establish who has banked our cheque;

Or if it has been paid late (i.e. after statement close off date for the previous month), then alter the statement balance to ensure it is not paid twice;

Opua School Page 103  For each invoice listed on the statement, there is an invoice which has been approved for payment. If there is any invoice missing, ask the creditor for a copy if no one at school has the invoice. Invoices should be marked as goods having been received;

 that the amount paid represents an amount for which approved invoices are held. In this instance, the statement balance must be adjusted;

 There is a prepared schedule of creditors to be paid with all relevant invoices and this has been forwarded to Education Services monthly. Each schedule of accounts requires two signatures of two authorised personnel.

Petty Cash

Petty cash is to be recorded separately and a breakdown of how it is spent together with vouchers or receipts is to be presented when reimbursement is required.

Purchases

A separate computer accounts record is to be kept at Education Services to keep a running total of balances at point of order in the curriculum budget.

Teachers are to record purchases made along with order number and cost if known in folder made for the purpose. When goods have been received, the purchase order is to be attached to the invoice by the person ordering the goods or office staff.

Schedule of account and relevant invoices to be forwarded to Education Services monthly.

Opua School Page 104 8.3 Financial Responsibilities and Delegations Procedure

General Procedures:

 The BOT will employ a qualified person(s) to manage all financial matters as required. This would include the payment of accounts, preparation of monthly financial reports, advice on cash flow and the preparation and publication for Audit of the Annual Financial Statements to Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAC)

 The school accounting service will be Education Services of Whangarei;

 The School Administration shall manage the Imprest Account. It will prepare a journal of invoices paid and receipts to be tabled for ratification at the monthly meeting;

 The Treasurer shall liaise closely with both the Principal and Support Services regarding financial matters; keep all records of financial transactions and matters in good order; and collate and deliver all data required by the Audit Office appointed Auditor;

 Other matters include:

Budget Preparation

 The Principal shall prepare the annual budget and present it to the BOT by, at the latest, the February meeting of the Board. This Budget should reflect the Charter, the Strategic Goals and the Annual Targets;

 During preparation of the Budget the Principal shall liaise closely with staff and Board on needs and their priority;

Opua School Page 105  The Budget will include not only Operations Funding but also all moneys expected from other sources, e.g. Levies, donations, rents, stationery profits, Home and School donations, and the like;

 During the year Budget changes may be made only on presentation at a Board meeting by either the Treasurer or Principal;

 The Board will prepare a ten-year maintenance plan and ensure that sufficient money is soundly invested each year to meet future maintenance requirements.

Spending Guidelines

 Once the budget has been approved, the Principal, or his delegated staff, have powers of purchase;

 Assets are defined as items costing over $1000.00;

 The principal is expected to keep within the set budget limits for each Budget Category e.g. Curriculum as a whole, not each individual sub-heading contained within Curriculum. He/she will report to the Board if problems have or are likely to occur with this aspect of budget control;

 This Policy must be read in relation to other Governance and Operational Policies related to Finance.

Asset Register

 The asset register will be maintained by Education Services. Opua School has delegated asset register maintenance to Education Services Ltd, a company specializing in education reporting. Education Services Ltd. complies with all financial reporting standards.

Opua School Page 106 9. FINANCIAL CONDITION POLICY

Rationale: The financial viability of the school must be protected at all times. The board understands that the possibility of theft or fraud cannot be entirely eliminated however the principal is required to show there are in place safeguards and robust, clear procedures to minimise the risk of either event. Reference should be made to 5.4 of the Financial Information for Schools Handbook (FISH).

Purpose: Therefore, the principal shall not:

1. incur unauthorised debt;

2. violate generally accepted accounting practices or principles;

3. use tagged funds for purposes other than those approved;

4. spend more funds than have been allocated in the fiscal year without prior Board approval;

5. fail to ensure all money owed to the school is collected in a timely manner;

6. fail to make timely payment to staff and other creditors;

7. sell or purchase unauthorised property;

8. fail to ensure that all relevant government returns are completed on time;

9. fail to ensure that no one person has complete authority over the school’s financial transactions;

Opua School Page 107 10. make any purchase:

 of over $1,000 without having obtained comparative prices and quality. In the unusual event of this not being feasible, the principal shall report this to the Board as soon as possible and give reason[s] for it not being feasible;

 of over $5,000 without an adequate review on ongoing costs, value and reliability;

 of over $1,000 on a single item without first seeking board approval, unless it is designated within the approved budget.

9.1 Banking Staffing Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Financial Condition Policy.

General Procedures:

 The Principal will manage staff expenditure in a financially prudent manner ensuring the school remains in a solid financial condition

 All staff including relievers will be charged to ‘TS’ and any overuse which cannot be managed within banking staffing entitlement will be managed by charging our cheapest salary to ‘BG’ with sufficient time to clear or reduce the overuse by pp22 or pp26 at the latest;

 Where there is no suitable salary we will use the current MOE recovery rate for this purpose.

Opua School Page 108 9.2 Theft and Fraud Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Financial Condition Policy.

General Procedures:

 The Board accepts that it has a responsibility to protect the physical and financial resources of the School;

 The Board has agreed that, through its chief executive, the Principal, the School has a responsibility to prevent and detect theft and fraudulent actions by persons who are employed or contracted by the School or who are service recipients of the School;

 The Board accepts that any investigation into any theft or fraudulent actions will be conducted in a manner that conforms to the principles of natural justice and is procedurally just and fair.

 The Board, therefore, requires the Principal to establish systems and procedures to guard against the actions of theft and fraud. The Principal is to report such actions to the Board Chairperson as prescribed in the procedures set out below.

A. As preventative measures against theft and fraud the Board requires the Principal to ensure that:

 The School's physical resources are kept secure and accounted for;

 The School's financial systems are designed to prevent and detect the occurrence of fraud. All such systems must meet the requirements and standards as set out in the Crown Entities Act 2004 and of

Opua School Page 109 generally accepted accounting practice promulgated and supported by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand;

 Staff members who are formally delegated responsibility for the custody of physical and financial resources by the Principal are proven competent to carry out such responsibilities and that such persons are held accountable for the proper execution of their responsibilities;

 All staff members are aware of their responsibility to inform the Principal immediately should they suspect or become aware of any improper or fraudulent actions by staff, suppliers, contractors, students or other persons associated with the School;

 In the event of an allegation of theft or fraud, the Principal shall act in accordance with the following procedures:

a) Decide either immediately to report the matter to the New Zealand Police or proceed as outlined below;

b) So far as it is possible, act within 24 hours by:

i) Recording the details of the allegation, the person or persons allegedly involved and the quantity and/or value of the theft or fraud;

ii) Request a written statement from the person who has informed the Principal, with details as to the nature of the theft or fraud, the time and circumstances in which this occurred and the quantity and/or value of the theft;

iii) Decide on the initial actions to be taken, including consulting with the person who provided the information and, if appropriate, confidentially consulting with other senior members of staff about the person who is the subject of the allegation;

iv) Inform the Board Chairperson of the information received and consult with them as appropriate.

c) On the basis of advice received and after consultation with the Board Chairperson, the Principal shall decide whether or not a prima facie case of theft or fraud exists, and, if not, to document this decision and record that no further action is to be taken;

d) The Principal shall then carry out the following procedures:

i) Investigate the matter further;

ii) If a prima facie case is thought to exist to continue with their investigation;

iii) Invoke any disciplinary procedures contained in the contract of employment should the person be a staff member;

Opua School Page 110 iv) Lay a complaint with the New Zealand Police;

v) If necessary, commission an independent, expert investigation;

vi) In the case of fraud, require a search for written evidence of the possible fraudulent action to determine the likelihood or not of such evidence;

vii) Seek legal advice; or

viii) Inform the Manager, National Operations, Ministry of Education local office and/or the school's auditors.

e) Once all available evidence is obtained the Principal shall consult the Board Chairperson. The Board Chairperson may, if they consider it necessary, seek legal or other advice as to what further action should be taken;

f) If a case is considered to exist the Principal, or a person designated by them, shall, unless another course of action is more appropriate:

i) Inform the person in writing of the allegation that has been received and request a meeting with them at which their representative or representatives are invited to be present;

ii) Meet with the person who is the subject of the allegation of theft or fraud and their representatives to explain the complaint against them;

iii) Obtain a verbal, or preferably a written, response. (All verbal responses must be recorded as minutes of that meeting and the accuracy of those minutes should be attested by all persons present).

iv) Advise the person in writing of the processes to be involved from this point on.

 The Board recognises that supposed or actual instances of theft or fraud can affect the rights and reputation of the person or persons implicated. All matters related to the case shall remain strictly confidential with all written information kept secure. Should any delegated staff member or any other staff member improperly disclose information, the Principal shall consider if that person or persons are in breach of confidence and if further action is required. Any action the Principal considers must be in terms of the applicable conditions contained in their contract of employment and any code of ethics or code of responsibility by which the staff member is bound;

 The Board affirms that any allegation of theft or fraud must be subject to due process, equity and fairness. Should a case be deemed to be answerable then the due process of the law shall apply to the person or persons implicated.

Opua School Page 111  Any intimation or written statement made on behalf of the School and related to any instance of supposed or actual theft or fraud shall be made by the Board Chairperson who shall do so after consultation with the Principal and, if considered appropriate, after taking expert advice;

B. Allegations Concerning the Principal or a Trustee

 Any allegation concerning the Principal should be made to the Board Chairperson. The Chairperson will then investigate in accordance with the procedures outlined above;

 Any allegation concerning a member of the Board of Trustees should be made to the Principal. The Principal will then advise the manager of the local office of the Ministry of Education and commence an investigation in accordance with the procedures outlined above;

10. ASSET PROTECTION POLICY

Rationale: Assets may not be unprotected, inadequately maintained or unnecessarily risked. The Board of Trustees is responsible for over-viewing the programming and funding of general maintenance of the school grounds, buildings, facilities and other assets to provide a clean, safe, tidy and hygienic work and learning environment for students and staff.

Purpose: Accordingly, the principal may not:

1. fail to insure assets [Opua School is in the Government Risk Management Scheme] ;

2. allow unauthorised personnel or groups to handle funds or school property;

3. subject plant and equipment to improper wear and tear or insufficient maintenance or inappropriate use;

4. fail to ensure the implementation of the 10 year property maintenance plan;

5. fail to engage sufficient property maintenance staff for the school within budget limitations

6. fail to receive Board approval for maintenance contracts over $5000 for any one contract

Opua School Page 112 7. fail to conduct competitive tenders for all contracting

8. fail to protect intellectual property, information and files from loss or significant damage or unauthorised access or duplication;

9. receive, process or disburse funds under controls that are insufficient to meet the Board-appointed auditor’s standards

10. invest or hold operating capital in insecure accounts or in non-interest bearing accounts except where necessary to facilitate ease in operational transactions.

10.1 Classroom Inventories Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Asset Protection Policy.

General Procedures:

 Every teacher is expected to maintain a classroom equipment inventory form on which will be recorded the equipment issued to the teacher;

 The data on these forms will provide information on equipment deficiencies (or surpluses) and form a basis for purchasing requirements or redistribution;

 When teachers leave, or change rooms, the principal will check the inventory with the teacher concerned.

 All teachers are expected to exercise normal care in the use and security of such equipment and to report losses or breakages, as appropriate, immediately;

Opua School Page 113  As with any equipment breakages or deficiencies, please do not wait until the last minute to tell the person responsible for these;

 From time to time teachers may be required to assist with an Inventory of Furniture.

10.2 Classroom Supplies Procedure

General Procedures:

 All classroom supplies provided by the school remain the property of the school and must be used efficient and carefully managed.

 When using equipment teachers are asked to:

Take normal care during use;

Refrain from allowing children to handle electrical equipment unless they have received specific instruction and are capable of being safe and responsible when using it;

Opua School Page 114 Report any damage or faults to the teacher in charge, on the day they occur, so that repair can be instigated quickly;

Keep a written record when loans are made to children (eg. Hockey sticks, T Shirts). Date and sign when the item is returned;

Use check out book before taking home equipment for use in work related activities [e.g. Computer];

Remember technically your employer owns items developed during your employment. Please check with the Principal to cover yourself if you want to remove items if you are leaving your employment at Opua School.

10.3 Computers Procedure

General Procedures:

 All computers and printers are to be considered expensive assets and need to be properly cared for;

 All computers need to be monitored and staff ensure appropriate usage according to contractual obligations.

 Every room will generally have a pod of networked computers that are Internet and Email operative. The computers are connected to the photocopiers for printing. Please remember the costs of printing in colour and use it only for special reasons. To save printing costs all work should be checked carefully BEFORE printing;

Opua School Page 115  Teachers need to ensure all children in their rooms have the required permission forms for usage signed and returned prior to use at the start of each year;

 When new pupils arrive through the year, these pupils will also have to get their permissions signed;

 Permissions Required:

Internet Use Permission and

Publication of Students Images and Work;

 When sending these permissions home, please ensure a copy of the relevant policy is also attached;

 No outside/privately owned programmes are to be loaded onto any classroom computer without the express permission of the Principal;

 No pirated or home copied discs are to be loaded onto school computers. Any discs brought into the school with any data on them, must be virus checked before being used;

 No children are allowed on any computer without an adult in reasonable proximity. By reasonable proximity is meant that you can ensure that the children access no pornographic or unsuitable content;

 Please feel free to use the Internet and email for your private use outside of teaching and learning time. Pornographic and objectionable material is not to be viewed or downloaded using the school system;

 Please try to ensure that the risks of downloading inappropriate/objectionable material is limited. Do not allow use of your computers, laptops etc that is not carefully controlled;

 Any inappropriate/undesirable material found on any computer must be recorded, reported to the principal and deleted ;

 All educational programmes are stored on the server and available to all rooms;

 If there are problems with your computer etc, please let the Principal, the Caretaker or the School Secretary know immediately. Keep a record of all dubious / questionable events;

 In terms of Laptops:

All teachers have been supplied with a laptop computer for their use. These will be able to be linked into the school network. They are not for children’s use;

Opua School Page 116 Each laptop will have a modem installed. However the cost of internet access other than via the school network, is a cost on the individual teacher. In most cases where an existing internet access account is held by a teacher, this can also be used on the laptop as well;

Please ensure that you have read the privacy policy in relation to computer privacy and security.

10.4 Photocopier Procedure

General Procedures:

Opua School Page 117  The photocopier is available to all staff but is a resource that needs to be well managed and used responsibly for the benefit of all staff and students.

 The costs of photocopying are published near the main copier in the Admin Block. Please be mindful of these costs when selecting what to print and the number of copies actually required and whether colour copying is really required or not;

 A spare photocopier is situated in the Reading Recovery Room near room 2;

 The Clerical Staff are available for user training;

 Children pay a levy on their stationery account to cover at least the paper cost of work sheets and assignments to the equivalent of about 110 sheets per child per year;

 Please assist the school to keep costs to a workable level. The budget for Photocopying is one of the biggest costs in the school and to keep within it, your help is needed.

10.5 End of the School Day Procedure

Opua School Page 118 General Procedures:

 A series of checks and actions need performing by staff at the end of each school day before the school day can be considered ‘over’. These checks and actions are to help ensure the care of all school equipment and property and the effective preparations for a smooth start to the next school day.

 Before the Children are dismissed, please ensure that:

All chairs have been lifted from the floor and placed on tables or desks.

The floor is cleared of all children’s property and class equipment. Eg. Pencils, rubbers, rulers, crayon cushions;

The sink is cleared for daily cleaning;

The floor is cleared of litter such as pieces of paper, oddments of art equipment, etc.;

The cloakroom floors are similarly cleared;

The windows are closed and latched.

 Before the Teacher leaves for the day, please ensure that:

The above procedures have been met;

Boxes of equipment, toys apparatus (etc) are lifted off the floor if the cleaner is expected to clean that area. (Such areas should be cleaned at least weekly.);

Vinyl areas are wet mopped and buffed as required. Find out when this is to be done and ensure such areas are cleared as above;

Secondary classroom doors are locked;

Any tabletops, shelves, benches, ledges that you wish to be cleaned are cleared of obstructions. (Cleaners are required to clean such areas weekly - but will only clean cleared surfaces.).

10.6 End of School Term Procedure

Opua School Page 119 General Procedures:

 There needs to be clear, end of term procedures to ensure that all assets are protected properly during school vacations and can be cleaned effectively by the school caretaker / cleaner.

 All assets, especially any electrical items and expensive assets, should be locked out of sight;

 All key cabinets and cupboards must be locked;

 All windows and potential ‘entry points’ must be shut and, if possible, locked;

 For cleaning purposes, the following basic requirements should be acted upon:

Term One: Leave room as for long weekend;

Term Two: Vinyl: All desks, chairs etc. off floor and onto carpet; benches cleared; leave carpet furniture alone;

Term Three: Carpet shampooed. As much furniture as possible moved onto the vinyl;

Term Four: Vinyl: All desks chairs etc. off floor and onto carpet; benches cleared; leave carpet furniture alone.

The caretaker will inform teachers of any changes to the above programme.

Opua School Page 120 10.7 Furniture Procedure

General Procedures:

 Children and teachers are expected to treat all school furniture with care and concern.

 No nails, tacks, staples etc. are to be driven into any furniture;

 No writing of any kind is to be put on furniture either on the top or underneath desk tops;

 School desks and tables, which through fair wear and tear are no longer acceptable, should be replaced;

 An input from parents would be required to fit new desktops;

 Children are not to sandpaper desks unless this is a planned exercise with the Caretaker when varnishing would follow;

 Surplus furniture will be stored or disposed of by the caretaker in liaison with the Principal;

 Advise the caretaker when furniture has broken.

Opua School Page 121 10.8 Lost Property Procedure

General Procedures:

 The school will endeavour to manage lost property to try to ensure personal property, belongings and assets are returned to their rightful owners.

 Parents are to be encouraged to mark clearly with their children’s names all markable property including togs, towels, clothing and physical education gear;

 Lost property collected during the week will be stored. These articles will be displayed at regular intervals, e.g. school assemblies;

 Unclaimed articles, after showings, will be stored in the lost property area;

 Children and parents are to be encouraged to visit the lost property bins at suitable times;

 All lost property will be displayed at the end of each term and unclaimed articles donated to a suitable charity.

Opua School Page 122 10.9 Staff Use of School Equipment Procedure

General Procedures:

 As a general rule staff are permitted to use school equipment for personal use;

 Permission must be obtained through the principal who, prior to approval, must ensure that the equipment is not required for school use at that time.

 Conditions of use:

User must ensure that all insurance is covered (personal, injury, general etc.);

User must operate on a ‘You break – You fix’ policy;

User must not pass the equipment on for use by a ‘third-party’ user;

There must be no cost to the school. User must refuel, replace batteries, etc.;

Equipment must be returned in clean and serviceable condition;

Equipment must be returned in time for the next school use;

Any breach of this procedure, the user agrees to pay full costs to the school.

Opua School Page 123 10.10 Vandalism Procedure

General Procedures:

 Vandalism is any damage to school grounds, buildings and equipment, which takes place outside normal teaching hours;

 Vandalism would also include theft;

 The Board pays for repairs and restitution from special funds.

 The school has a security system to deter vandalism;

 Damage caused during school hours which breech clear school rules is considered as (unofficial) vandalism;

 Providing staff are not negligent, parents will be contacted and expected to make restitution through donations to the Board who have to pay for repairs (e.g. A ball thrown inside classroom during interval which breaks a window);

 Our procedure is to have all damage, especially graffiti, repaired as soon as possible;

 Children, and others who use the school grounds in acceptable recreational pursuits, will be encouraged to look after our school. However, if damage is caused, they need to report the incident to the Principal who will discuss any potential reparations;

Opua School Page 124 11. HEALTH and SAFETY POLICY

Rationale: Students and staff shall have a safe physical and emotional learning environment.

Purpose: Therefore, the principal shall not fail to:

1. Take all reasonable steps to protect students, staff and visitors to the school from unsafe or unhealthy conditions or hazards;

2. Ensure there is zero tolerance to bullying;

3. Ensure there are effective processes in place for dealing with bullying;

4. Comply with the provisions of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992;

5. Provide a smoke free environment;

6. Take all reasonable steps to promote well-being in and healthy choices by staff and students;

7. Ensure a risk analysis management system (RAMS) is carried out where and when appropriate;

8. Seek approval for all overnight stays/camps attesting first to their compliance with (4) above;

9. Consult with the community every two years regarding the health programme being delivered to students;

10. Provide privacy of personal documentation held at the school;

11. Advise the board chair of any emergency situations as soon as possible;

12. Ensure all animals on site are treated humanely and properly.

Opua School Page 125 Review schedule: Triennially by the Board of Trustees [Next in March 2016]

11.1 Abuse Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Health and Safety Policy.

General Procedures:

 Information on all forms of abuse (sexual, physical, emotional) may come from a variety of sources:

The child concerned speaks directly to the teacher;

Another child speaks for or reports on a child;

The child gives indicators (e.g. in written language or art work);

Social Welfare contacts school;

The child’s behaviour changes;

The teacher observes bruising, rashes, etc.;

A neighbour or other ‘third party’ contacts the school.

Sexual Abuse

 Teachers must in the first instance discuss their concern with the Principal. (If this is not possible then the DP must be approached). Notice may be directed direct to Child, Youth and Family;

 It is most important that, if not already started, the Teacher must immediately begin recording in detail all facts, observations, reported statements and professional judgements. (Date all records made.);

 Action by the Principal (or DP when Principal is absent or implicated);

Opua School Page 126  Immediate contact with outside agencies applicable to the circumstance;

 If unavailable and urgent, contact Children Youth and Families (CYF);

(In both cases the Child Protection Team would normally have early involvement);

 Only in exceptional circumstances, such as an alleged sexual assault occurring on the way to school, would the Parents be first informed and then by the Principal or Deputy;

 Any subsequent actions taken by the school would be under the guidance of the Child Protection Team (or its agent) with reference to the advice of booklet “Sexual Abuse in School”.

Physical Abuse

 Actions are the same as paragraphs 2, 3, 4 & 5.

Emotional Abuse

 Information sources much the same as in 2.

 In many instances the Teachers of the child (class, group,) will initially begin to share their concerns.

 These teachers must immediately start detailed documentation.

 As soon as the Teachers are convinced there is apparent substantial evidence the case must be taken to the Principal (or DP in his absence).

Further Guidelines:

 The Principal will contact appropriate agencies for assistance and guidance.

 No teacher is to contact outside agencies except in exceptional circumstances. Even then they must inform and get authority from either the Principal or the Deputy Principal prior to contacting any agencies;

 Exceptional circumstances would be:

The Principal is suspected to be involved in the abuse;

They are dissatisfied with the actions already taken by the Principal with regards to their concerns.

 Suspected Abuse by Staff. If a staff member is suspected or accused of abuse then the Board/Principal/ will:

Opua School Page 127 Contact Board Chairperson at first instance and keep him/her fully informed;

Contact relevant agencies/organisations including NZSTA, NZEI, NZPF as soon as possible and preferably prior to taking any action if possible;

Ensure the staff member is made aware of the position and recommended that they take advice from either their relevant union or legal representative or both.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[16/04/2013]

Opua School Page 128 11.2 Access to Children by External Agencies [such as Lawyers] Procedure

General Procedures:

 Any External Agency calling at the school during school hours for the purpose of accessing a pupil at Opua School must first approach the Principal.

 The personnel of an External Agency wishing to access a pupil will only be granted such permission by the Principal if they present the appropriate documentation giving them authority to do so;

 If the Principal is satisfied that the documentation gives them permission and that it is essential the External Agency personnel be allowed to interview a pupil, then the following procedure must apply:

Unless there are exceptional circumstances every reasonable endeavour will be made to first contact the child’s Parents/Caregivers;

If there is any potential conflict that could occur from allowing access by the External Agency to the pupil then, before access is granted, the Principal will seek guidance from appropriate experts [MoE, CYFs, NZSTA, etc.]

The Principal, or an appropriate person, will be present during the interview;

The interview will be conducted in private;

Before any child is removed from the school, parent permission must be obtained or a Place of Safety warrant or summons provided, unless directly related to CYF Act and/or serious concerns regarding Health & Safety of the child apply.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[16/04/2013]

Opua School Page 129 11.3 Access to Children by the Police Procedure

General Procedures:

 Any Police Officer calling at school during school hours, for whatever purpose, must first approach the Principal.

 If the Principal is satisfied that it is essential the Police Officer interview a child, the following procedure must apply:

Unless there are exceptional circumstances every reasonable endeavour will be made to first contact the child’s Parents/Caregivers;

The Principal or an appropriate person will be present;

The interview will be conducted in private;

Before any child is removed by Police, parent permission must be obtained or a Place of Safety warrant or summons provided, unless directly related to CYF Act and/or serious concerns regarding Health & Safety of the child apply.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[07/05/2013]

Opua School Page 130 Opua School Page 131 11.4 Accidents and Sick Children Procedure

General Procedures:

 The Principal is ultimately responsible for medical room furnishings, first aid equipment, staff training in first aid and accident procedures and treatment;

 Initially, the first staff member who becomes aware of any accident or illness should immediately deal with it before handing on, if necessary.

 In all cases of serious injury:

Parents are to be informed as soon as possible;

The child is to be handed into the care of their Parents/Caregivers as soon as possible;

Appropriate medical assistance is to be sought as soon as is possible;

A record of all such cases is to be kept and made available to the BOT;

If parents are unavailable and outside medical help is required, then authority from the Principal must be sought.

 The teacher who receives the first report of an accident or who is first on the scene must take responsibility for administering immediate First Aid;

 Where a child is unconscious, suspected of having a spinal injury or has a suspected fracture, the first person on the scene must call for assistance and must not move the child;

 If possible, the teacher should administer appropriate First Aid in the Sick Bay;

 If you are the duty teacher, you should, at this stage, hand the incident over to any colleague designated as the First Aid colleague or to a senior teacher or other teacher in the administration area or to the Clerical Assistant.

 Aids, Hepatitis and other infectious diseases do occur. It is wise to remember this and wear plastic gloves when attending to patients who are bleeding;

 In cases of bee or wasp sting, check if the child is allergic and act accordingly. A cold pack is kept in the fridge freezer compartment found in the staffroom but do not apply directly on to the skin;

Opua School Page 132  In the case of all serious injury, ensure that the Principal (D.P. in his absence) is notified as soon as possible. Make certain that you document and sign exactly what happened, what you did, any witnesses, timeframes, etc. and hand to the Principal as soon as possible.

Further Notes:

 The following procedures should be followed if a child is to be sent home:

Ring the parents and make arrangements for the child to be collected from school;

If the parents or alternative contact, cannot be contacted by phone, the child should be put in the sick bay or, if needed to be, taken home by a staff member;

The staff member needs, for his or her own security and safety, to be accompanied by another adult;

Under no circumstances should sick children be sent home unaccompanied without parental permission or left at home by themselves;

If the child is in a very distressed condition and the parents cannot be contacted, the family doctor should be consulted;

The Principal should be informed of any action taken. If on a school trip, or similar, the teacher in charge must be kept informed.

 Medication

A Parent must bring any medication to school and collect it from school;

The amount of medication at school should be no more than is required for a fortnight’s dispensing;

An Agreement/consent form needs to be signed by a parent giving consent for staff member[s] to give medication. This commitment should last till the end of the school year [at which time it needs to be renegotiated] or until the child moves from one class to another, whichever is the earliest;

Any training required in administering the medication shall be the responsibility of the parent;

Children must be made aware of routines and expectations to turn up and take medication. It is impractical for a staff member to be hunting for a child throughout breaks to find a child;

A Register needs to be filled in by the staff member when medication is dispensed;

Medication must be stored in a safe, appropriate place;

Opua School Page 133 Medication must, by law, have the medical practitioner’s directions on it and it must be dispensed according to those directions.

It is the parent or guardian’s responsibility to inform the school of any change in the student’s medical circumstances;

If children in a teacher’s class who require medication are involved in EOTC, please ensure the EOTC staff have the child’s medicine on the trip, know how to administer it and have stored it in a safe, secure manner.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[08/05/2013]

Opua School Page 134 11.5 Animal Welfare Procedure

General Procedures:

The following points must be adhered to when keeping animals:

 Animals must be given an appropriate balanced diet, including ready access to clean drinking water;

 Animals must be kept in secure surroundings protected from vandalism;

 Any cages or containers used for housing animals must be of adequate size, and designed with safety, servicing and hygiene in mind;

 Proper provision must be made for the care of animals during weekends and school holidays;

 Environmental conditions must simulate those in the natural habitat: temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting noise level, shade;

 Regular checks must be made for disease;

 High standards of cleanliness and hygiene are necessary, in caring for animals and when handling them;

 Children must be taught how to care for and look after the animals;

 Learning about animals and learning to care for them should be part of the experience of all children. In this context animals are welcomed at school as part of the classroom programme.

 Animals and invertebrates kept at Opua School must be kept in accordance with the conditions, relevant to their species. These are outlined in Section 3 of Animal Welfare Act 1999. Staff involved must be aware of these conditions;

 All living creatures at Opua School will be treated with care and respect;

 Responsibility for the welfare of any animal/invertebrate at Opua School rests with the teacher involved, and ultimately the Principal and Board of Trustees;

 If appropriate care and facilities cannot be provided, animals will not be kept at school;

 No experiments are to be carried out on animals kept at Opua School;

Opua School Page 135  Straying animals are not welcome as they are a nuisance and a distraction, and occasionally dangerous;

 If owners cannot easily be contacted the Council Dog Ranger or the R.S.P.C.A. will be called.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[08/05/2013]

Opua School Page 136 11.6 Arrival at school by children Procedure

General Procedures:

 Children are discouraged from arriving before 8.25 am unless they have made prior arrangements with the principal.

 From 8.25 we take responsibility for supervising children through duty teachers;

 At no stage in the day are children to remain in classrooms unless the teacher is present, except in wet weather;

 Other early arrivals must remain in the area in front of the school underneath the sunshade until 8.25am and whilst these children are not our responsibility, staff at school are asked to please keep an “eye” on them and insist they stay in that area;

 Duty teacher each afternoon must check that all children have departed for home before leaving school.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[21/5/13]

Opua School Page 137 Opua School Page 138 11.7 Bicycles Procedure

General Procedures:

 Children will be permitted to ride their bikes to school when:

They are in Year 4 or eight years old

They can ride their bike safely showing they follow the road rules (at the parents’ discretion);

 Children must wear a helmet and their bike be safely maintained. (See Helmets for Cycles Procedure);

 Parents will be encouraged to look out for riders and report to school any behaviour of which they are concerned;

 The school will withdraw the children’s right to ride to school for a week if they ride in a manner which endangers their safety or the safety of others.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[21/5/13]

Opua School Page 139 11.8 Boundaries of the School Procedure

General Procedures:

 Unless accompanied by a teacher on an agreed EOTC event or by their parent / caregiver to and from school, a child must stay within the school’s boundaries during school hours.

 Areas out of bounds to children are:

The footpath along the school frontage. If you are on duty in the front of the school and on the park area, due to the fact that there is little fencing, it is very important to be vigilant with regards children’s health and safety from cars and strangers;

The school parking bays. (Children are not to play on the drive and, when crossing it, must watch for and keep clear of any moving vehicles.);

Beyond the boundary fences at the rear and south side of the school. (Children must see the see duty teacher before recovering playthings from back yards or from Kellet Street.);

Trees when being used for climbing and within shrubberies when used for hiding;

Corridors and Toilets when being used as playing areas;

Classrooms (unless with the teacher or having been given permission by the teacher);

Around the caretaker’s area unless they have been sent there by a staff member for a specific purpose;

On grass areas when they are too wet for play.A Red Disc when displayed will indicate this. No disc, or a green disc, indicates grass areas are open. The caretaker controls this.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[21/5/13]

Opua School Page 140 11.9 Carpet Cleaning Procedure

General Procedures:

 The Carpets will be professionally cleaned annually for health and hygiene;

 The organising of and supervision of this is the responsibility of the school Caretaker / Cleaner.

 This will normally occur over the spring break at the end of winter. This is to clean carpets after the muddy winter season;

 Before Spring Break all classrooms should be emptied as much as possible to facilitate cleaning;

 Heavy furniture should be moved away from walls etc.;

 Cleaning should be early in the break to allow for adequate drying and still leave time for caretaker / teachers to put furniture back ready for classes to begin in Term 4.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[ 28 / 5 / 2013 ]

Opua School Page 141 11.10 Child Protection Procedure

General Procedures:

 The Protection of the Child is paramount. The following specific steps will be taken but, at all stages, if there is significant concern for the safety of the child in question, then the case must be referred to the Principal who will seek, if necessary, advice from Child Youth and Family or other appropriate agencies with expertise.

 The steps to follow are:

Step 1 Recognition of possible abuse (signs, neglect, history, characteristics)

Step 2 Cultural consultation / Collegial consultation;

Step 3 Involve the family / whanau, as appropriate;

Step 4 Referral to statutory authorities such as Child, Youth and Family, Police;

Step 5 Ensure a safe plan for the child / youth is implemented to a suitable conclusion;

 Throughout each step / incident, thorough documentation will be kept.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[ 28 / 5 / 2013 ]

Opua School Page 142 11.11 Children Coming to and from School Procedure

General Procedures:

 The school will promote and advertise procedures that do everything possible to ensure the safety of students when they are in transit from home to school and school to home;

 A student is generally considered to be the parents’ responsibility when the student is not on school premises. However, during transit to and from school, the student is still a representative of the school from when they leave their home premises at the start of the day until they arrive back at home at the end of the day;

 A student is, therefore, considered under the jurisdiction of the school’s disciplinary procedures as their conduct reflects upon the school.

 Through Newsletters parents will be encouraged to teach their children always to use the shortest and safest route to school;

 It is NOT safe to walk through the car parks;

 The school will use local providers, such as the Police, to educate all students about safe practices when travelling to and from school;

 The school reserves the right to stop any child, who has demonstrated an inability to cycle safely or responsibly, from riding their bikes to or from school unless accompanied by an adult;

 Our Health programme incorporates those road safety rules and practices required by the children at this school;

 Children are discouraged from arriving before 8.25 am unless other arrangements have been made;

 The school expects children to go directly home to a parent / caregiver. If alternative arrangements have been made, the school would expect parents to inform the school no later than 2pm on that day.

Opua School Page 143 Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[28/5/13]

11.12 Children Inside the School Buildings Procedure

General Procedures:

 Children are not permitted in classrooms before 8.25 am or after school except under direct supervision of a teacher.

 After 8.25 am, unless it is raining or very cold, children should be out of classrooms;

 Children may bring bags inside and then go out;

 Classroom teachers are responsible for any of their students who may be inside;

 At intervals and lunchtime children are to be outdoors or in the library when it is fine;

 At all times when indoors, children are to walk.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[5/6/13]

Opua School Page 144 11.13 Crossing Supervision Procedure

General Procedures:

 Under the provisions of both the Crimes Act and the Health and Safety Act, there is a liability on those who have been designated to be on crossing duty, to carry this out. If you are there at the designated times, and carry out the provisions listed below, then you will be covered. If you are late or leave early and an accident occurs while you are not there, you will be on very shaky grounds.

 Wardens will all follow the crossing procedures as outlined in training they will receive annually from New Zealand Police staff;

 Ensure wardens have a notebook and pencil/pen. (In plastic bag for wet weather);

 In case of an alleged offence at the crossing by public:

Note vehicle Registration Number. (Wardens and Duty teacher should check each other to ensure that number is agreed);

Note any other distinguishing features - firm name, colour, damage, make, and type of vehicle. Important - Identify driver. (Colour of hair, etc.);

Continue with patrol duties;

Immediately Patrol Duty has finished, report to school patrol teacher responsible to make report;

This teacher will contact Police immediately by phone;

Opua School Page 145 Offence Report Form to be filled in by teacher and patrol and adult supervisor and posted to the Police.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[5/6/13]

11.14 Custody Cases , Access to Students and Matrimonial Disputes Procedure

General Procedures:

 Opua School staff will follow the advice and protocols as outlined in AEB circular 1984/20c Dept. of Justice, Family Law Series.

 These instructions outline the responsibilities of the Principal and Teachers where a person claiming to be parent or guardian seeks access to a child at school or wishes to have information on the progress at school of a child. They contain general guidelines, which may be helpful in cases of doubt.

 Guardianship: A husband and wife (OR BOTH NATURAL PARENTS) are the guardians of their children. Guardianship begins when the children are born and ends when they turn 20 or marry under that age. It does not matter whether the parents are living together, separated or divorced. As guardians, parents make the important decisions about their children’s lives - for example, how and where they will be educated and in what, if any, religion. If guardians cannot agree over any matter they may apply to the Family Court for a decision;

 Custody: Custody means having the day-to-day care of the children. The person who “has custody” is responsible for the everyday decisions about the children. On separation or divorce one parent will be awarded custody and the other parent will frequently be awarded the right of reasonable access;

Opua School Page 146  Access: Access allows the child to have the company of both parents. The parent who has access has the right to have contact with the children from time to time through things like visits, outings and letters or phone calls. Just what the contacts are and when they are made will be provided by the court order. The court in certain circumstances can provide for access by other relatives. The welfare of the child is the first and paramount consideration when the court makes decisions about guardianship, custody or access. The school will follow the court’s instructions;

 It is important for Principals to note that both parents, while married to each other, have both custody and access rights. These rights are retained until there is a separation order or court order which gives one parent sole custody rights and the other parent restricted access rights;

 Because of their emotional involvement parents who have decided to separate often become highly concerned about their children and highly suspicious of the actions of the other parent. Difficult situations can arise very quickly and Principals will have to rely on their own judgement in deciding what to do. They should be guided, however, by the following points:

A Court can restrict the custodial or access rights of a parent;

Both parents are entitled to make an agreement as to each one’s rights;

If such an agreement is drawn up by solicitors and properly completed, it binds both parents;

The custodial parent must agree before the non-custodial parent has any right to vary an agreement or Court order;

The non-custodial parent is entitled to access at such times as laid down in an agreement or a Court order. The custodial parent cannot prevent such access;

Principals do not enforce agreements or Court orders but act according to the wishes of that parent who has legal responsibility for the child at that time;

Unless a Court rules otherwise, both parents are entitled to a copy of their child’s reports, to discuss the educational progress of their child with the Principal and teacher (if the Principal agrees) and to participate in PTA and other parent functions at the school.

 The Right to Meet Children at School: Parents are entitled to have reasonable access to their children at school. All persons seeking access should see the Principal (through the Main Office) first;

 Teachers, if they have knowledge of Matrimonial disputes, should share such information with the Principal, so that we may be alerted should difficulties arise;

 If we have reasonable doubts about the identity, good faith or legal rights of the person wishing to make contact with a child, we will contact the person who is known to have legal custody of the child to find out if the person does have some right of access. If the person claims to have access under a Court Order he should be asked to produce it or name a Solicitor from whom inquiry can be made;

Opua School Page 147  Our responsibility is to exercise as much care and skill in looking after the welfare of children as would a reasonable parent. If we have reasonable doubts we can refuse or restrict access. The final responsibility rests on the custodial parent who has an onus to inform the Principal.

 Approval to Remove a Child from the School: Principals who have reason to doubt the legal right of a person to remove a child are entitled to refuse custody until that person satisfies them of their entitlement. A simple but effective method of doing this is for the Principal to contact one of the parents’ solicitors to ascertain if a Court order or agreement exists and the terms of such an order or agreement;

 Where a Principal becomes concerned about a child being claimed alternately by the parents, he should suggest to one or both parents that the matter be referred to their solicitors to work out an agreement until the Court hears the custody dispute;

 Where any person calls at the school with a request for access to or removal of the child and this creates a disturbance, he may be guilty of an offence under Section 195 of the Education Act 1964 which places an obligation on members of the public not to disturb the work of a school. Such a person could be asked to leave and, if the person refuses to leave or to act reasonably, the Police should be called. While waiting for the Police, the parent should not be given access to the child.

 School Involvement in Custody Hearings: Principals and teachers are sometimes asked to give information or evidence to be used in custody proceedings. It is desirable that the school should not take sides in the dispute. No information is to be given to any person involved in such situation, either verbally or in writing, prior to discussion with the Principal. The Principal or a teacher should only give a report or affidavit if requested by the Court, Department of Social Welfare or Solicitor appointed by the Court to act for the child;

 It is possible that either party may subpoena a teacher or Principal to appear at Court and give evidence. A subpoena must be complied with. In some situations advice from NZEI Counsellors may be sought;

 Teachers must check with the office, at the beginning of the term, for the names of children in their rooms who have access orders against them. The office will keep a central list of these.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[6/8/13]

Review schedule: Triennially in August 2016

Opua School Page 148 11.15 Duty Roster and Playground Supervision Procedure

General Procedures:

 A Duty Roster is organised to ensure that the health and safety of students is monitored during times when students are not formally supervised in classrooms;

 Under the provisions of both the Crimes Act and the Health and Safety Act, there is a liability on those who have been designated to be on duty to carry this out. If you are there at the designated times and carry out the responsibilities identified, then you will be covered. If you are late or leave early and an accident occurs while you are not there, you could be found negligent and/or liable.

 A duty roster is on display in the staffroom and teachers are required to be on duty at those times;

Opua School Page 149  Teachers should be seen to be around and available to the children. Lunch eating time is 1:00 - 1:15p.m. Children are to be seated. A prefect will see that children are orderly and that litter and scraps are placed in the correct bins;

 Teachers need to be mobile checking all areas of the school classrooms, library, hall, cloakrooms, toilets and play areas;

 Teachers are to keep an eye on the playground “tone” - ensuring that children are being responsible during intervals;

 Be aware of children’s safety consciousness on apparatus and your monitoring of it, ensuring that spectators and users will not be harmed;

 Teachers should patrol on a continuous basis. Don’t get involved in chatting with other adults. Children’s safety is paramount;

 Duty teachers should not be involved in taking phone calls or other tasks which take them away from duty. Other staff must be willing to assist the duty teacher as required. (e.g. when tending to sick children or accidents/injuries etc.);

 On Wet days classes should have organized activities in their rooms. Students may have to eat indoors and this should be at the desks;

 Teachers are asked to check carefully at 3:00 – 3:30 for lost property and gear left out. All staff should help with cleaning and tidying at the close of each day. This helps the caretaker/cleaner, teaches the students about tidiness and helps set the scene for the following day;

 The teacher on duty must supervise the Road Patrol group.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[6/8/13]

11.16 Electrical Appliances Safety Procedure

General Procedures:

 Opua School will attempt to ensure that electrical equipment is installed, maintained and used safely.

 Electrical equipment will be visually monitored and tagged where appropriate.

Opua School Page 150  Equipment that does not need to be tested includes:

That equipment where there is no reasonable chance of contact with it by staff and/or students such as suspended light fittings;

That which would have to be dismantled to perform the test;

That which is fixed or stationary and connected direct to the installation wiring;

Items such as LAN cabling or mains outlets.

 Testing may be conducted by the caretaker following training in the use of testing equipment;

 Any damaged or frayed wiring should be reported immediately and the equipment not used until it is repaired or replaced.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[6/8/13]

11.17 Emergency Management Procedures

These procedures are governed by the Health and Safety Policy.

General Procedures:

 The health and safety of all people on the premises of Opua School is paramount when following these procedures;

 Whatever the emergency, there must be clear, well-known and well practiced procedures;

Opua School Page 151  These procedures outline specific actions as they relate to a number of potential types of emergencies. These types of emergencies and the identified procedures are outlined below:

A. CIVIL EMERGENCIES

 In a civil emergency Opua School needs to account for its students and is responsible for their safety until they are reunited with their parents/whanau. Procedures must be in place to cover major civil emergencies which also affect the wider community and lead to the closure of Opua School;

 Opua School will have an emergency phone list so that families/whanau can be contacted;

 An evacuation plan is to be placed on the notice board in every classroom and trial evacuation drills will be held every term and a noted in Registers;

 Should an emergency occur, a designated staff member (Principal/Caretaker/ Teacher in that order) will determine if the building is to be evacuated and raise the alarm. Students will evacuate the building and assemble at the designated area(s);

 The principal/caretaker will assess the circumstances and determine if/when the students are to return to class.

B. CLOSURE of SCHOOL

 The Principal, after consultation with, and agreement from, the BOT Chairperson or their Deputy, may close the school. When considering school closure, the following will be given priority:

1. Students’ safety is always the priority;

2. All persons associated with Opua School are to be notified as soon as possible;

3. The regional Ministry of Education management office are to be notified;

4. The principal, in conjunction with the chairperson, will assess the circumstances and decide when Opua School will re-open for instruction.

 School closure may occur under the following circumstances:

Opua School Page 152 1. If the school is or is to be without water or sewage disposal for any period exceeding two hours;

2. If damage to buildings by fire, storm, vandalism, earthquake or other cause is such that occupancy is impractical and/or dangerous;

3. If, due to any occurrence such as an armed offenders squad call-out or riot, the safety of the students and staff is, or is likely, to be in jeopardy;

4. If, through failure of the heating system, the working conditions for staff and students falls below, and is likely to remain below, the comfort level of 16 C for a period greater than two hours;

5. If a Civil Defence warning is issued;

6. On the advice of the Medical Officer of Health.

 Notification to Parents and Caregivers

1. In the event of advance warning, notice is to be through the normal school newsletter and local radio stations;

2. Where the closure decision is made after the close of a school day but before the opening of the next school day, parents are to be informed through the local radio stations;

3. Where closure takes place during the school day, communication to parents will be through radio and telephone. Where there are any doubts about child safety, teachers or staff are to be used as escorts. See below [Release of Students] for further details.

 In Loco Parentis

1. The Principal and Staff are required to act as parents in any situation where health and safety of the students is of concern.

 Release of Students

1. After discussion with Civil Defence Authorities, and where it is safe, there can be an orderly and controlled collection or dispersal of students to enable them to return to their homes;

Opua School Page 153 2. If students are held on Opua School premises parents or authorized whanau can report to the office. Students will be brought to them and a record kept of all students so collected;

3. If students have been evacuated to a ‘safe area’ on the advice of Civil Defence, parents or authorized whanau will need to report to an ‘administration area’. Students will be brought to them and a record kept of all students so collected;

4. Taxi students will be allowed to leave in taxis only after Civil Defence authorities have determined it is safe for them to do so;

5. Students walking, biking or with their own vehicle transport will only be released on the advice of Civil Defence authorities to ensure they are not placed in danger when making their way home;

6. If students are unable to return to their homes they will be kept in Opua School until such time as Civil Defence authorities determine it is safe to leave. Children will be accommodated in the Whare Area overnight if required. Food will be obtained from available sources such as the school “tuckshop” resources, local shops and by helicopter drop, if necessary. Through the principal, information will be provided to the local radio station;

7. Where possible direct contact will be made with the parents of students who have to remain at Opua School;

8. Staff who have ensured their own families are safe, will remain with the students for the duration of the emergency.

C. CRISIS / TRAUMA RESPONSE

 The Trauma Team will consist of the whole staff under the leadership of the Principal or the Deputy Principal. The Board of Trustees will be consulted;

 In the case of a Traumatic event or a call is received regarding a traumatic incident, Opua School will follow the following procedure:

1. listen to what has happened;

2. record the caller’s name and phone number;

3. record the names of others involved and the name of schools and/or ECE services affected;

Opua School Page 154 4. check that appropriate emergency services have been contacted;

5. inform the caller of any actions the receiver of the call will take (such as informing the Principal, informing the Ministry of Education traumatic incident coordinator by calling the 0800 number). Give the caller your name and phone number in case they need to call back;

6. Immediately the call is over make contact with the principal/senior management and/or the Ministry traumatic incident coordinator through the 0800 service - 0800 TI TEAM (0800 848326).

 The school Principal/senior management may:

1. record and verify the facts of the event;

2. record and ascertain the individuals involved

3. ascertain the reactions of those involved and record any actions taken;

4. inform the Board of Trustees (BOT) and any other schools and / or early childhood education services that may be affected;

5. contact and establish the school -based traumatic incident team to coordinate support and further arrangements;

6. contact the Ministry of Education traumatic incident coordinator 0800 service.

 The School service-based traumatic incident team may:

1. inform all staff of the event and identify and notify other key people;

2. seek cultural assistance as appropriate (eg, Kaumatua, Māori staff);

3. prepare written statements that are factual and accurate to inform staff, children and young people, the media and community. In the case of a death, family/whānau affected consult in culturally appropriate ways and share the content of any written statements;

4. clearly assign roles and clearly communicate these to staff and other key people;

5. support the varying reactions of school and ECE service members through maintaining normal structures, gathering accurate information about reactions, positive messages, activities in classrooms and licensed spaces, support rooms as appropriate, extra staff as needed, etc.;

6. accurately record and monitor all staff and children and young people’s attendance and whereabouts;

Opua School Page 155 7. assist with planning for media attention such as the time journalists will arrive, who they see and where they go;

8. develop an at risk register;

9. plan for the collection of deceased children’s, young people’s and/or staff’s personal belongings and equipment to return to the family/whānau in culturally appropriate and sensitive ways;

10. Promote culturally appropriate ways to maintain day-to-day activities and involve children and young people in tasks that use their energies and abilities in meaningful ways;

11. plan for the next day, and future events;

12. keep written records of all actions;

13. compile a report of actions at the conclusion of the incident in consultation with all traumatic incident team members, with recommendations on future actions as needed;

14. Maintain normal structures. The resumption of familiar roles and routines as soon as possible following a traumatic event helps to reduce the intensity and duration of difficulties that children, young people and staff can experience following a crisis event. It is important to maintain day-to-day activities and involve children and young people in tasks that use their energies and abilities in meaningful ways.

15. Culturally appropriate and age appropriate responses. Differing cultures can have different perceptions about a traumatic event. Provision of culturally appropriate responses provides supportive contexts for children and young people. Similarly, age appropriate responses allow children and young people to explore the meaning of disaster events and to construct views of the disaster experience in ways that allow the trauma to be acknowledged without it being an overwhelming, defining influence on self-perceptions and interpersonal relationships.

16. Psychological first aid. Those involved during, and immediately after, acute traumatic exposure can experience confusion, disorganisation and emotional numbness. Psychological first aid focuses on providing immediate support on the ‘here and now’ and ‘what needs to happen next’ for those involved in the management of an incident in order to promote problem-solving and functioning. Interventions support and respect the protocols or ‘kawa’ of the settings involved.

17. Communication Clear, positive communication acts to reduce uncertainty and fear and prompt positive emotional and physical coping.

Opua School Page 156  The Ministry traumatic incident coordinator may:

1. contact (if the school service has not made contact) school service’s senior management/Principal to determine if they require support, and to negotiate further involvement if required;

2. contact and form a Ministry of Education Team to support the school service (size and composition depends on information received and/or cultural setting).

 The Ministry traumatic incident support team may:

1. support the formation of a school service-based traumatic incident response team if this has not already occurred where member roles and responsibilities are clearly defined (the team should involve senior management, BOT representatives and other agencies as appropriate);

2. work alongside the school/ECE service-based traumatic incident team to support the teams problem solving and organisation.

 How to seek Ministry of Education assistance:

1. In the event of a traumatic incident call 0800 TI TEAM (0800 848326). This number will put you in contact with your local Special Education traumatic incident coordinator or District Special Education Manager. If you are making a call from a mobile phone the number will put you in contact with a Traumatic Incident coordinator/District office manager who will return your call and inform you of your nearest traumatic incident coordinator. These calls will receive top priority. Previous experience shows that rapid responses from skilled teams create the best opportunities for supporting the recovery of those experiencing a traumatic incident.

D. EVACUATION of SCHOOL

 The Principal is responsible for formulating an evacuation drill for fire and earthquake. The drill will include clear alarm signals, an orderly exit of buildings over designated routes to a safe assembly area and ensure that all children and adults are accounted for;

Opua School Page 157  Teachers, other staff and children are to be familiar with the drill;

 Evacuation drill is to be practised at least once each term;

 A map of evacuation routes is to be placed on the wall of each classroom;

 The evacuation procedure will be as follows:

1. The Alarm Evacuate when the bells ring continuously.

2. Assembly Place Netball court;

3. Movement Walking only, in file.

(Don’t move if danger threatens e.g. during an earthquake or storm)

4. Take Attendance Register.

5. Roll Call. When at assembly place.

(Then report via a runner to Principal (or D.P.) There will be no further movement unless directed. Any searches will be directed by the Principal (or D.P.)

 The Evacuation Routes will be as follows:

1. by the quickest and safest route, under teacher direction, to the Assembly Place;

2. by a route which avoids any potential dangers such as building collapse or blown fires.

 Evacuation Practices will be as follows:

1. Early each term classes should start individually practising their drill. As in a school- wide evacuation drill or real evacuation, there is usually no prior warning;

2. Once a term school wide practices will occur with no warning.

 Further Notes:

1. ALL doors from rooms, including the Library, must be clear of furniture (etc) at all times, so that in an emergency they are immediately available for use;

2. Ensure cloak bays, toilets, offices etc. are all checked prior to leaving rooms.

Opua School Page 158 E. INCIDENT AFTER HOURS

 Staff, BOT and near neighbours are asked to take the following action if there is a discovery after hours of a circumstance which necessitates an immediate response:

1. FIRE

Call the Fire Brigade by phoning 111;

Advise Caretaker and BOT Chairperson and/or Principal;

Take any remedial and appropriate action, such as using a fire hose, but don't put yourself at risk;

Warn others in the vicinity, if there is a risk the fire danger could spread.

2. A BREAK-IN OR VANDALISM, in process

Call Police, Ph 111;

Observe, take descriptive notes;

Advise Caretaker and BOT Chairperson and/or Principal;

Do not put yourself in any danger.

3. BREAK-IN OR VANDALISM, has occurred

Advise Caretaker and BOT Chairperson and/or Principal.

F. PANDEMIC

 The school has a comprehensive Pandemic plan and support kit in the Medical Room. The information required is in the Pandemic Plan;

Opua School Page 159  Decisions about next steps and school closure will be made by the principal in consultation with the Board Chair, if possible;

 There are aspects of the plan which should be covered in the normal health programme;

 All staff members should take time out to read the Opua School Pandemic Plan.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[10/9/13]

Review schedule: Triennially in September 2016

11.18 Food Healthiness Procedure

General Procedures:

 Opua School is a healthy school. It is important that we consider all elements of our work to ensure that we promote health awareness in all members of the school community. We can provide a valuable role model to pupils and their families with regard to food and healthy-eating patterns;

 In our school we are committed to giving all our pupils consistent messages about all aspects of healthy food choices to help them understand the impact of particular behaviours, and encourage them to take responsibility for the choices they make;

Opua School Page 160  The school supports the '5-A-DAY' campaign to encourage children to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, which has been shown to reduce the onset of certain life-threatening conditions, as well as being helpful in tackling and preventing childhood obesity;

 Through effective leadership, the school ethos and the curriculum, all school staff can bring together all elements of the school day to create an environment which supports a healthy lifestyle;

 We do not allow the use of vending machines in our school;

 The food offered is healthy and is consistent with a healthy diet;

 We will ensure that we are giving consistent messages about food and health;

 We will give our pupils the information they need to make healthy choices;

 We will promote health awareness;

 We will contribute to the healthy physical development of all members of our school community;

 We have used the following approach to identify what areas we need to change to develop a more healthy approach to the issue of food in our school:

How well are we doing?

How well should we be doing?

What more should we aim to achieve?

What must we do to make it happen?

What action should we take and how do we review progress?

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[17/9/13]

Opua School Page 161 11.19 Harassment Prevention Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Health and Safety Policy but also takes guidance from the Personnel Policy and the Complaints and Equal Employment Opportunities Procedures.

General Procedures:

 All staff are to expect to be free of harassment whilst working at Opua School. The Principal and all staff will work together to ensure that all staff feel safe whilst working at this school.

 Staff will elect an Equal Employment Opportunities school co-ordinator. This will consist of a staff member and may include a Board of Trustees representative;

 As a school, we define Harassment in the following way:

Definition:

 A school staff member has been harassed in the school if a Board of Trustees member or another staff member:

makes a request of the staff member for any preferential treatment or favours of any nature which place undue duress upon the staff member;

Implies or overtly promises preferential treatment in the school;

Implies or overtly threatens detrimental treatment in the school;

Implies or overtly threatens the present or future status of the staff member.

The written or spoken word of a sexual/racial nature;

Physical behaviour of a sexual nature or of any racial or of personal nature.

 In the event of harassment the complainant may approach either the staff member elected, the school EEO support group, the N.Z.E.I. staff liaison officer, the NZEI Counsellor or an NZEI Field Officer to discuss, share and identify their concern / experience;

 The complainant should document the case with the assistance of the supporting person or persons;

Opua School Page 162  The person responsible for the harassment should be confronted and, if the claim is upheld, be informed that the behaviour is unacceptable and must stop immediately;

 Assurances should be sought that the behaviour will stop and that an apology will be made;

 If it is decided that further action should be taken, the harasser should be informed and decision made to lay a complaint through one of the following avenues:

The Principal and/or the Board of Trustees. (Award 2.2.3);

Personal Grievance through an Industrial Advocate or and N.Z.E.I. Field Officer. (Award 9.1, 9.3);

or Human Rights Commission through a N.Z.E.I. Field Officer.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[17/9/13]

Opua School Page 163 11.20 Hazards Procedure

General Procedures:

 It is a requirement for all hazards to be identified, the Principal to be informed of the Hazard[s], for it [them] to be recorded in the Hazards file and for this [these] hazard[s] to be dealt with as a matter of urgency.

 If you notice any hazards, be they equipment, buildings or grounds related, please immediately : -

identify and secure it if it is possible to do this safely;

inform the Principal and caretaker as soon as is possible;

 If you see children carrying out any practice that you consider is hazardous to their or others well- being, you are expected to stop this occurring immediately.

Signed: ______[SM] Date:______[17/9/13]

Opua School Page 164 11.21 Head lice Procedure

General Procedures:

• If head lice are detected in the student population then prompt action must be taken to ensure that there is minimal risk of them spreading.

 When Teachers become aware of a case of Head lice in their classroom (usually from a parent report) they are to issue a general letter to all their children. (Obtainable from our Sick Bay Room.)

 This letter advises Parents to check their children and, if lice are present, to obtain lotion/combs from their chemist;

 There must be no public identification of the carrier;

 Teachers should discourage children from sharing combs and brushes, hats or towels. Hair care will be part of our Health Scheme;

 Where a consistent problem is occurring, speak to the Public Health Nurse;

 Children with long hair are asked to keep it tied up while at school. (head bands, pony-tail, plaits, hair ties, etc. to keep hair from catching head lice).

Signed: ______SM______Date:______15/10/13______

Opua School Page 165 11.22 Health at School Procedure

General Procedures for Children’s Health:

 The health of our pupils should be of paramount importance to us as only healthy children can make the most of their learning opportunities;

 Teachers are instructed to be on the lookout for children who are unwell. They are asked to examine signs children are sick, tired, lethargic, obese, malnourished, bruised, have untreated sores or skin problems and any other such signs of children not being well.

Specific Procedures for Children’s Health:

 Teachers who see signs of children being unwell are to make reports to the Health Nurse directly, if appropriate;

 The Public Health Nurse calls regularly and will follow up any concerns;

 If the concern is recurring or of a serious nature, the procedures as outlined under the school’s “Abuse” Procedures should apply as these children are potentially at risk and the principal must be informed.

General Procedures for Staff’s Health:

 If you are not well, please take time off rather than trying to persevere and come to school;

 Health issues are not only physical. Our job does involve large amounts of stress and while little amounts are not in themselves bad, continuous and severe stress definitely is. It is important that you identify yourself, when you are starting to feel stressed, and take action. If the workload is too great at any time, please discuss this with your senior teacher or the principal and they will look at ways of alleviating this for you;

Opua School Page 166  Remember there will be often at least one staff member who, for various reasons, [home, school, family, etc.] is under stress.

Specific Procedures for Staff’s Health:

 We look after each other at this school, so, if you sense a colleague is stressed or unhealthy, see if you can help;

 Watch for unusual behaviour, tiredness, sharpness, etc. These are just some of the signs that your colleague is under pressure;

 If appropriate, refer the matter to the Principal and/or health professional.

Signed: ______SM______Date:______15/10/13______

Opua School Page 167 11.23 Helmets for Cycles [and other wheeled equipment] Procedure

General Procedures:

 Children riding bicycles, on the school grounds, or to and from school, must wear appropriate safety equipment. As a minimum, this is a helmet.

 This rule applies to all wheeled activities including unicycles.

 Skateboards, roller blades and other such equipment are not to be used as a means of transport to and from school;

 Skateboards are normally banned from the school grounds both during and after school and weekends. Every now and again permission will be given for children to bring their skateboard to school to use during lunchtime in a supervised area. Students will be made aware of these days. The school has a supply of unicycles which may be used on the school grounds;

 If they are being used on the school grounds with permission, then a helmet must be worn as well;

 In general, parents must provide helmets for scooters, skateboards, Boogie Boards, etc. if they wish their children to wear them.

Signed: ______SM______Date:______15/10/13______

Opua School Page 168 11.24 HIV / AIDS and other Blood-borne Diseases Management Procedure

General Procedures:

 The staff of Opua School will endeavour to manage effectively the difficult balance between the rights of students living with HIV/AIDS and the responsibility for providing a safe school environment;

 The staff will take its advice and guidance from Ministry of Education circular 1999/21;

 The school will be mindful of the following key principles when acting in such cases:

that a child's health status should not affect their right to an education;

that, in dealing with any injury, all children should be treated as if they have a blood-borne virus;

that children have a right to privacy;

that partnership with parents and the local community is vital.

 Staff will specifically follow these MoE Guidelines for infection control of HIV/AIDS and other blood- borne viruses in schools: Before treating a child who is bleeding, make sure you cover any cuts or abrasions with a water-proof dressing; Wear gloves for all procedures; Don't delay treatment of a child who is bleeding, under any circumstances because gloves are not immediately available. Use an absorbent barrier such as a towel, paper towel, handkerchief etc. for an actively bleeding child; Dispose of used gloves, soiled dressings, sanitary towels, tissues, etc, in a place where they will not be handled, e.g. in bags which are burnt or buried; Wipe clean and then sterilise all surfaces and instruments contaminated with blood. Make sure you use an effective disinfectant, e.g. (one volume of household bleach to nine volumes of cold water); Soak surfaces for 20 minutes and then wipe dry. Prepare a fresh solution immediately before you want to use it; Wash hands thoroughly when you have finished. Hand washing is usually adequate for non- blood secretions, but the above precautions (i.e. gloves, etc) can also be used;

Opua School Page 169 Make sure that first-aid kits include disposable gloves, disposable wipes or towels, plastic bags for contaminated waste, a skin disinfectant and a bleach solution (or hypochlorite solution/or granules) with instructions for use.

Signed: ______SM______Date:______22/10/13______

11.25 Interviewing Alleged Child Offenders Procedure

Opua School Page 170 This procedure is governed by the Health and Safety Policy.

General Procedures:

 When staff are interviewing pupils in connection with any alleged or observed offence, they are to act in a manner which is appropriate for the circumstances at all times.

 Under no circumstances are parents (either on the staff or parents who are defending their own children/property/rights) to interview alleged offenders. Please refer to the relevant teacher or senior teacher to follow up;

 Threats should not be used to extract a confession. These are children in their formative years and they require a balanced educative approach to their behaviour problem;

 If the matter is of a serious nature, then staff must take into cognisance, the Rights of the Alleged Offender under the Human Rights Act and also the fact that part of this right may be to have a parent or guardian present. Hence if the matter is serious, please discuss prior to interview with the principal.

Signed: ______SM______Date:______22/10/13______

11.26 Security of Classrooms and the School Procedure

Opua School Page 171 This procedure is governed by the Health and Safety Policy.

General Procedures:

 Technically, the security of the school is the responsibility of the Principal, any designated security firm and the school’s caretaker;

 Practically, security is the responsibility of all staff at the school.

 The scattered nature of our buildings and the openness of the school to the general public and to pupils, means that we need to be security conscious. A monitored security system operates;

 When leaving rooms after work secondary access doors and windows are to be locked;

 No teacher is to leave money overnight in a classroom. Any money or valuables held in a room during school hours should be securely locked. If in doubt, send to the office for safe keeping.

 Hand bags, wallets etc. should not be left in the classroom area. The school does not accept responsibility for personal items stolen;

 The Board takes no responsibility for the care and security of private property including money brought to school for any purpose by teachers or any other employees. All staff are advised to carry their own insurance should they wish to use private property of value at school;

 All keys not in permanent issue to Staff are to be kept in the Key Cupboard which must be locked up at the end of each school day;

 Teachers should be aware of the confidential nature of records such as Progress Cards and individual anecdotal records and keep items as secure as possible;

 If you are working in your rooms out of school hours or in holidays, you are advised to lock the door of the classroom while you are working in them;

 The school will employ a security company to patrol the buildings and grounds at night and out of school hours/days.

Opua School Page 172 11.27 Smoking Procedure

General Procedures:

 Opua School is Smoke free;

 Opua school will comply with all legislation with regards smoking.

 To the above ends, smoking within the school buildings, grounds or any school activity or trip at any time is banned;

 Any organizations or individuals using the school facilities must be advised that the policy covers their use of school property and applies to them as a condition of use;

 Contractors and others working at school or within school property are to be advised that the policy applies to them whilst they are on school property;

 Signs will be on display at the main entrances to the school;

 All applicants for positions at Opua School are advised of the conditions of this policy;

 Parents of children who are to be enrolled are advised that the school is smoke free;

 The policy will be displayed in the main foyer and staff room;

 Complaints with regard to this policy must be made in writing to the Principal;

 If any persons are smoking within the school environs staff are quite entitled to ask them to stop smoking.

We recognize that smoking within the school settings presents a mixed message and can lead to students taking up smoking in the future. We also recognize that the health and well-being of the students , staff and other users of the school may be negatively affected by smoking and we respect the right of employees and children to a smoke free environment.

This policy will be enforced as far as possible, taking into account the Health, Safety, well-being and dignity of all involved.

Opua School Page 173

11.28 Sun Protection / Sun Hats Procedure

General Procedures:

 This procedure is to be implemented during daylight saving months - October to March {Terms 1 & 4];

 As all children will be issued with a sun hat at the beginning of the year, there will be no excuse accepted for not wearing their hats;

 The class teachers will keep a check on these hats to ensure they are not damaged or lost;

 These hats remain the property of Opua School;

 Opua School encourages the use of SPF 30+ broad spectrum water resistant sun screen for skin protection;

 The school will incorporate programmes on sun safety into the curriculum (e.g. Health/science, PE);

 Staff are to act as role models by wearing appropriate hats, sunglasses and clothing for all outdoor activities;

 Regularly reinforce the Shady School Policy in a positive way through newsletters and activities.

 If programmes are organised that involve children being outside in the sun for any time [such as sports etc.] provision must be made for sun screen;

 Newsletters informing parents of such events should stress the need for them to send sun screen with their children;

 The local Health Authorities are also very good at assisting with such supplies for these events.

Opua School Page 175 11.29 Transportation of Students using Private Cars Procedure

[Revised following new Transport Agency regulations which came in to effect on 1st November, 2013]

General Procedures:

 If a teacher is planning to transport children in private cars for any reason as part of the school/class/EOTC Programme, specific rules apply for the safety of all;

 Staff are reminded the law now states that children must use an approved child restraint when travelling in a motor car or minibus until their 7th birthday. The advice is also that height is more important than age and a child should be using a booster seat if they are not 148cm tall.

 The following specific rules apply when transporting students using private motor vehicles:

All drivers must have current Driver’s Licence which is to be verified before the trip;

All vehicles must have current registration and Warrant of Fitness (To be verified before trip);

All road rules/requirements are to be applied by the driver during trips.

 Child restraints are mandatory for all children until their 7th birthday;

 Parents of children travelling in a motor car or minibus on a school activity must provide the school with an approved child’s restraint seat. If we are not provided with one, the child will not be able to go on the trip;

 We will encourage parents of children under the height of 148cm to provide us with an appropriate Booster seat for use when travelling in a motor car or minibus on a school trip;

 Buses are exempt from these rules;

 Children must travel in the back seats unless these are already occupied by other children. The tallest child should travel in the front seat, if this is the case;

 School staff will do all that is practical to ensure drivers of private cars and minibuses, in support of school trips, follow all these rules and guidelines;

 Children will remove backpacks whilst seated in vehicles. Bags will be stored safely either on the floor or in the vehicle’s boot or storage facility;

 If children are travelling in privately owned motor vehicles, completion of the school’s child passenger safety contract is part of the school trip planning procedure.

11.30 Visitors to the School Procedure

General Procedures:

 All visitors coming into school should first call at the school office;

 The exception to this is if the visitor is a caregiver and they are bringing a raincoat or lunch (etc.). In this instance, they are encouraged to go directly to the child’s classroom;

 If there is any doubt as to the suitability of the visitor for being on premises during school hours, then the Principal must immediately be informed;

 The final decision as to whether a visitor be allowed formally onto the school site rests with the Principal;

 Staff are expected to offer hospitality in the form of tea/coffee etc in the staff room to visitors, be they formal or casual. This includes parents dropping in;

 Staff are asked to introduce all visitors to those who are present in the staffroom;

 Teachers must liaise with the Principal when inviting other than qualified people into the classroom for the express purpose of implementing school subjects.

 If pupils are to be uplifted from classes before 3.00 p.m. permission must be sought directly from the classroom teacher and the Main Office must be informed / in the loop.

Opua School Page 177 11.31 Waste Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Health and Safety Policy but is also guided by the Curriculum Delivery Policy.

General Procedures:

• Opua School is to do everything possible in reducing its impact on the environment and in educating its students to nurture the planet and look after their environment.

• Opua School aims to control waste and help save the planet by:

Reducing the amount of materials brought into the school;

Re-using materials for other school projects/activities;

Recycling materials where this is possible;

Disposing off-site to an approved waste facility;

Reducing the off-site quantity to one wheelie bin per week;

Participating in any educational activity that promotes our aims with waste management and in encouraging environmentally aware behaviours;

Participating in NRC and Council waste education programmes.

Opua School Page 178 12. LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES POLICY

Rationale: Opua School is run effectively and locally but within all regulations laid down by the New Zealand Ministry of Education.

Purpose: School procedures will meet the legislative statutes and regulations as set down in the appropriate Acts, Ministry of Education circulars and the Education Gazette. Accordingly the Board and Principal shall not fail to:

1. Systematically review all policies and procedures in the school;

2. Check that all policies and procedures reflect the rules and regulations of any current act of parliament before ratifying the policy / procedure;

3. If there is any doubt about the legality of a feature of a school policy / procedure, the Board should direct the most appropriate Board member to request guidance from the appropriate agency or organisation before any ratification.

12.1 Police Vetting Procedure

Opua School Page 179 This procedure is governed by the Legal Responsibilities Policy.

General Procedures:

 When appointing a new, permanent employee to Opua School, a satisfactory police vet will need to be obtained before an appointment is confirmed.

 Contractors and their employees that regularly work at the school during the school day will need to be vetted. At Opua School we have defined “regularly” in this context to mean contractors and their employees who will be working on site for two weeks continuously.

 The Principal is designated by the Board to receive the Vets supplied by the Police;

 The Principal will ensure that strict confidentiality is observed for police vets;

 No adverse action will be taken in relation to a person who is the subject of a police vet until:

(i) The person has validated the information contained in the vet; or

(ii) The person has been given a reasonable opportunity to validate the information, but has failed to do so within a reasonable period;

 All persons required under the Act to be police vetted shall be, carrying out the procedures set by the Teachers Council;

 The main areas of possible concern showing in any vetting of prospective employees shall be under the areas of Sexual Offences, Assault on Children and/or Drugs;

 If any vets show offences under the above or of similar serious nature, the following must be taken into account:

How serious was the offence?

How long ago was the offending?

Has a sentence been served or are they still doing PD or community service?

Was it a one-off offence or is there a pattern of offending?

What is the employee's/contractor's role in the school?

How does the type of offence relate to it?

Opua School Page 180 The concerns raised by a "Red Stamp"? (A "Red Stamp" indicates police have concerns about the person working with children);

 If in the opinion of the Principal, any vet received shows concern about the person concerned working within the school, then the case will be discussed with the Chairperson;

 If either the Chairperson or the Principal believes that the person is unsuitable, then the procedures outlined in STA Link 2002/14 will apply;

 If no cause for concerns is found in the vet, then the vet will be shredded within one month of being received;

 A record will be kept of dates that vets were received.

Opua School Page 181 12.2 Privacy Act Compliance Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Legal Responsibilities Policy.

General Procedures:

 Procedures developed within the school will be designed to comply with the principles contained in the Privacy Act 1993;

 A Privacy Officer will be identified. Unless otherwise stated, this will be the Principal.

 Compliance with the Privacy Act of 1993 has specific requirements in terms of:

Purpose of collection of personal information;

Source of personal information;

Collection of information from subject;

Manner of collection of personal information;

Storage and security of personal information;

Access to personal information;

Correction of personal information;

Accuracy, etc. of personal information to be checked before use;

Agency not to keep personal information for longer than necessary;

Limits on the use of personal information;

Limits on disclosure of personal information;

Unique identifiers so that the provisions of the Privacy Act 1993, which provides controls in the handling of personal information and gives new rights to individuals, are carried out;

Opua School Page 182 Security of information.

 All the school staff must undertake, as an employee of this school, to comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act;

 It is important that personal or private details are not disclosed. All staff must ensure that they do not divulge any information without proper authority. This would breech school policy and union rules of employment;

 If any staff member is unsure as to whether to divulge information, the advice of the school’s Privacy Officer must be sought before any action is taken;

 If the Privacy Officer is unsure as to whether to divulge information, the advice of the Privacy Commission must be sought before any action is taken.

Opua School Page 183 12.3 Protected Disclosures Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Legal Responsibilities Policy.

General Procedures:

 The Board of Trustees of Opua School accepts that it has a responsibility to have in operation procedures for receiving and dealing with information about serious wrong-doing.

 A protected disclosure is defined as : “A declaration made by an employee where they believe serious wrong-doing has occurred.”

 Employees making disclosures will be protected against retaliatory or disciplinary actions and will not be liable for criminal or civil proceedings related to the disclosure.

 Serious wrong-doing includes any of the following :

Unlawful, corrupt or irregular use of funds;

An act, omission or course of conduct that could cause a serious consequence to public health or safety or the environment;

An act, omission or course of conduct that constitutes a serious risk to the maintenance of law;

An act, omission or course of conduct that constitutes an offence;

An act, omission or course of conduct by a public official that is oppressive, discriminatory or grossly negligent or that constitutes gross mismanagement.

 Before making a disclosure the employee should be sure that the following conditions are met:

The information is about serious wrong-doing in or by the school;

That there are reasonable grounds to suggest the information is true;

The employee wishes the wrong-doing to be investigated;

Opua School Page 184 The employee wishes the disclosure to be protected.

 If the above conditions are met, the disclosure should be submitted in writing to the principal.

 If the principal is believed to be involved in the wrong-doing, then the submission should be in writing to the Board chair;

 The disclosure should contain information including:

The nature of the serious wrong-doing;

The name or names of the people involved in the alleged wrong-doing;

Facts including details relating to times and place of events where relevant;

 All disclosures will be treated with utmost confidence. Every endeavour possible will be made to ensure that the person making the disclosure is not identified;

 At the conclusion of the investigation the principal or Board Chair will prepare a report with recommendations for action, if appropriate. This report is for the Board Chair;

 Where appropriate information will be forwarded to the appropriate authorities.

Opua School Page 185 12.4 Videos, television and Film Copyright Procedure

This procedure is governed by the Legal Responsibilities Policy and is also guided by the Curriculum Delivery and Health and Safety Policies.

General Procedures:

 Opua School staff will be mindful of copyright laws and will not knowing infringe any rules.

 The policy on copyright must be observed. Please check with Principal;

 Any film, video, DVD or the like which is shown to students should be for Educational study and bought for school use;

 Videos, films, DVDs etc. can be borrowed from the National Library;

 Teachers are to ensure that any television, film or other such resource is vetted for appropriate content. No presentation is to be shown to children which has a rating that is not age-appropriate.

Opua School Page 186 13. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION POLICY

Rationale: Opua School has an effective and responsive administration that meets the needs of all stakeholders.

Purpose: To ensure that Opua School procedures cover all general requirements not covered in the other twelve specific policies and that it has administrative procedures that are responsive, comprehensive and effective. Accordingly the Principal shall not fail to:

1. Systematically review all procedures in the school;

2. Check that all procedures in the school are current and ‘alive’ in the daily life of the school;

3. Respond to all new requirements that are placed upon the school;

4. Be an effective establishment that runs smoothly and responds positively to the needs of all stakeholders.

Review schedule: Annually by the Principal

Opua School Page 187 13.1 Building Effective Whanau Relationships Procedure

This procedure is governed by the General Administration Policy.

General Procedures:

 Opua School will build strong relationships with whanau and ensure the partnership is effective in advancing Maori students’ achievements at Opua School.

 The Principal will draft Annual Targets for the Board’s assessment, modification and approval, that are mindful of the achievement of Maori students in the school and are based on what the school’s data is indicating about the success of Maori Students;

 The school’s Charter will have a specific section which highlights the school’s cultural responsiveness;

 The school’s Charter will include a parent feedback section which will have a specific question related to how whanau view the Charter targets when considering their Maori children;

 The school’s annual Parent Survey will have a specific section which asks about how whanau see the school’s success in meeting the needs of its Maori students;

 The Principal will provide financially for students to receive instruction in Reo;

 The Principal will purchase resources each year that support the learning of its Maori students and improve the teaching of Maori;

 The school will involve itself in community cultural activities that promote Maori culture and the students’ involvement in it;

Opua School Page 188  At Assemblies and in classrooms, Reo will be used as much as possible to promote its significance within New Zealand society and within Opua School;

Opua School Page 189