The Applecross Primary School Board has an official role, as defined by the Department of Education, which includes reviewing school performance; developing and reviewing the school Business Plan; reviewing and approving school budgets and charges; and establishing and reviewing the school’s objectives, priorities and general policy directions. In addition to this official role, we agree to be ambassadors and advocates for the school; develop a culture of service; support our staff, and be available to other parents.
Summary of our last School Board Meeting
The School Board held its Term 1 meeting on Tuesday 28 February 2023. Being the first meeting for the year it provides the opportunity to round out activities and outcomes from the previous year and turn the focus to the year ahead.
- Key matters that were discussed at the meeting were:
- Updates from the Principal on how the school year has started and key matters for Board consideration for the year ahead
- Review of the draft Annual Report 2022
- Overview of the Department of Education financial framework, within which the school operates
- Noting the financial statement for the end of 2022 and the preliminary budget for 2023
- Approval of the updated School Dress Code taking into consideration matters discussed at the previous meeting
- Approval of the annual review of the Mobile Phones and Personal Electronic Devices Policy
- An update on the activities of the P&C for the year ahead including the new executive team
- The composition of the Board and membership terms
- Election of Ryan Keys as the Board Chairperson for the next year
With respect to the Board composition and memberships, a decision was made that Board membership terms should run with the school year cycle to better align with the timing of key matters considered by the Board throughout a year. To effectively and efficiently implement this change it was resolved to extend the expiry date of all existing parent memberships to the end of the year that they would otherwise expire. These extended terms remain within the permitted maximum length of Board memberships. As a consequence the nomination process for new potential members will occur later in the year. A further motion has been subsequently proposed by a Board member that is yet to be resolved. Once this motion has been resolved all details of the timing of the nomination process will be actively communicated by the School as soon as practicable.
Our next Board meeting, the Annual Open Meeting, will be in Week 5 of Term 2. In the meantime, if you see any of the Board members around the school and want more information on these matters, or the Board generally, please come and say hello.
Ryan Keys, School Board Chair
Annual School Board Chair Report
The 2022 year presented a time for consolidation of the School Board to coincide with the School and the community more broader moving away from the restrictions and disruptions from previous years. While we commenced with an online meeting due to social distancing requirements, it was a positive start to welcome Bea Bouska as the new Principal, and charting a path forward after a period of temporary arrangements.
Throughout the year the Board had rigorous discussions about the significant matters impacting the school with a key characteristic being the continued respectful and collaborative relationship between the staff and parents
who make up the Board. Amongst this the Board continued its significant role of regular reviews of the school’s suite of policy documents, financial position and performance against the Business Plan.
While a number of the school’s policies are seen to establish a benchmark around the network, it is pleasing to see the ongoing work to ensure they remain contemporary and relevant to the Applecross School community. The
increasing use of data to inform analysis and discussions around the school’s performance was a notable feature of Board discussion this year.
Linking back to the challenging period of recent years, the Board also had a regular focus on communication in and around the school to ensure the school community had consistent, reliable, and accessible information as well as increased avenues to raise relevant matters with the School Board.
The Board acknowledges the valued contribution of Mr Vikas Sehgal who completed his multiple terms on the Board earlier in the year. We were pleased to see strong interest from the parent community when vacancies became available and the contribution from new members Mandana Arshi and Tom Shaw throughout the year. A key strength of the Applecross Primary School Board over many years has been the dedication and commitment of all Board members to ensure our School remains a great place for children to grow and flourish.
After a stabilising year, I look forward to another interesting year ahead with a key feature being the establishment of the school’s next Business Plan.
Ryan Keys
Board Chair