Board of Trustees
Poari Whakahaere
The board is entrusted to work on behalf of all stakeholders and is accountable for the school’s performance. It emphasises strategic leadership, sets the vision for the school, and ensures that it complies with legal and policy requirements. Policies are at a governance level and outline clear delegations to the principal.
The board and principal form the leadership team, with the role of each documented and understood. The principal reports to the board as a whole with committees used sparingly and only when a need is identified in order to contribute to board work. The board is proactive rather than reactive in its operations and decision making and does not involve itself in the administrative details of the day-to-day running of the school. The board is encouraged to ask the right questions. Enhancing student achievement is its focus.
All of New Zealand's state and state-integrated schools have a board of trustees. The board of trustees is the Crown entity responsible for the governance and the control of the management of the school. The board is the employer of all staff in the school, is responsible for setting the school's strategic direction in consultation with parents, staff, and students, and ensuring that its school provides a safe environment and quality education for all its students. Boards are also responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance, and administration.
Board of Trustees
Mrs Ursula Buckingham – Chairperson, Parent Trustee
Mrs Bastienne Johnson – Principal
Mrs Sarah Williamson – Deputy Chairperson, Parent Trustee
Mr Jared Going – Parent Trustee
Mr Chris Shaw – Staff Trustee
Mrs Siobhan Pukeroa – Parent Trustee
Mrs Grace Henty - Parent Trustee
Mrs Helen Hayes – Minutes Secretary
Meetings are normally held at our school on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 5p.m. All are welcome to attend. Copies of the minutes and financial statements are held in the school office for parents to read.
The next school board election year is 2025
What sort of skills do board members need?
Every board member brings their own unique set of skills and experiences to the board.
As a member of your school's board, you will need to work well in a team and have good communication skills. It can help to have an understanding of the education sector. You may have financial skills and experience in managing people, knowledge and understanding of particular communities within your school, or experience working within your school and wider communities.
Every school board member can access NZSTA online professional development to learn about governance and upskill in areas of interest.
Kōrari is a set of introduction courses that provide an overview of school governance for people who’ve never been on a school board.