Work of the Board

Do you know your Proprietor?

The Bishop or religious institute or Trust Board, as Proprietor, holds the school in trust for the Catholic community that originally established the school, and the Proprietor continues to be the legal owner of the property that constitutes the integrated school.

Boards need to understand and stay within the legal framework set out in the Education and Training Act 2020. Your board must meet these and all the other legislative requirements.  For example:

• Education and Training Act 2020
  • Schedule 6 State Integrated Schools.
  • Schedule 6, pdf for download
  • Powers and Functions of Board

Every Catholic state integrated school has an integration agreement. Take time to read over your schools integration agreement, especially your special character definition. Read more about Integration agreements here

You can find your integration agreement on the Ministry of Education website.

The Proprietor can appoint up to four members of the Board. These appointees are full members of the Board, with all the rights and obligations of other members, including the right to be elected as Chairperson of the Board.

For more information about the role of the Proprietor’s Appointee please read the factsheet which includes the job description.

The board’s role is one of strategic oversight, leadership, direction, and policy setting.  The board develops a governance policy framework and processes for decision making, ensures compliance with legal requirements, and puts in place structures for the principal to effectively manage day to day operations.

The board needs to know who they need to consult and communicate with, how often and for what. When developing future goals the board needs to consult and ask questions to help guide future development. The board needs to provide the school community with regular updates on how the school is performing in relation to the strategic goals. The board is also required to communicate any issues and report annually to the proprietor.

When the Board consults or reports to its community, it must recognise that this community includes the diocese, the deanery or pastoral area, diocesan pastoral councils and parish organisations such as parish councils.  The school’s most obvious link is to the parish or parishes from which it draws its students. Boards need to know their community and those likely to enrol at their school.  As enrolment is the responsibility of the Board (normally carried out by the principal in accordance with Board policy) it is important for the board to understand the enrolment process for their Catholic school.

Catholic Schools are communities of partnership, the partners being the Proprietor of the school, the Ministry of Education and the Board of Trustees. Each of these partners has a legal responsibility to maintain the school’s Special Character.  It is important to know who is there to support and guide you in your role as a school board member.  For example:

• Vicar for Education or Education Manager at the Diocese or proprietor trust board
• Ministry of Education
• New Zealand Catholic Education Office
• New Zealand School Trustees Association

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