Operations
School council operations, meetings and processes
To achieve the important role of setting the long term future for the school and maintaining oversight of the school's operation, school councils need to operate in an effective and professional manner. Council meetings and approval processes are key operational processes of school council.
Council meetings
The proper planning and professional running of a school council meeting ensures that the meeting achieves its purpose, that people are treated fairly and get an opportunity to have their say.
To support the running of council meetings, the following training and support materials are provided:
- Effective Meetings - School Councils (PPT - 863Kb) provides school councillors with tips on how to prepare and run effective school council meetings.
- School Council Meetings (PDF - 44Kb) provides an overview of effective meetings and answers to frequently asked questions.
- Agenda & Minutes template (PDF - 143Kb) provides a structure for running and reporting on school council meetings.
- Example Standing Orders for School Councils (PDF - 60Kb) provides guidelines to help school councils run their meetings in a productive and efficient manner.
- The sample School Council Code of Conduct (PDF - 43Kb) is intended as a guide. Schools are encouraged to develop their own school council code of conduct.
- Good Practice: Guiding Principles for School Council (PDF - 37Kb) is an example of protocols developed to facilitate effective meetings.
- Avoiding or Dealing With Conflict on School Councils (PDF - 61Kb) supports councillors to manage and resolve conflict.
- Good Practice: Helping to Organise School Councillors (PDF - 43Kb) provides additional ideas.
Approval processes
School councils are responsible for approving overnight excursions, camps, adventure activities, interstate and overseas trips, excursions involving sea or air travel, and excursions involving weekends or vacations. In approving a camp, excursion or trip, school councils must be satisfied that adequate planning and preparation has been taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the students involved. The following document must be completed by the teacher in charge of the activity and submitted to school council for approval.
- Pro forma for activities requiring school council approval can be found at http://www.education.vic.gov.au/management/schooloperations/edoutdoors/planning/approval.htm
Guidelines and advice related to camps, excursions and adventure activities provided by the Department of Education can be found in the Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide (http://www.education.vic.gov.au/management/governance/referenceguide/).
Schools councils may also wish to develop additional approval forms such as this example Good Practice: Computer Use Form (PDF - 31Kb).
Performance assessment
Councils are asked to assess and monitor their overall effectiveness by completing the School Council Evaluation Matrix (PDF - 26Kb).