School Records Retention and Disposal
St Joseph's School preserves 
schools records as valuable assets for the short- and long-term operation of our school. We have effective records management systems to meet the requirements of the Public Records Act 2005, which includes complying with other relevant legislation. The Public Records Act provides a framework for ensuring accurate record keeping of public records, including school records.
A school record includes most information that is created and/or received as part of the school business. Examples may include correspondence, accounts, reports, minutes, and class photographs. This includes school/student information in any format, including paper-based and electronic (e.g. emails, social media, and information held in our student management system). Metadata such as dates and identifiers are also managed as a record.
Information and items from other educational institutions or associations for reference purposes are not considered school records.
School Records – Retention and Disposal Schedule 
(Ministry of Education)
We comply with the guidelines set out in the School Records – Retention and Disposal Schedule (the Schedule) and any instructions from Archives New Zealand (e.g. temporary protection order). The Schedule covers most records at schools and provides details about how long to keep records, why records need to be kept, and what happens to them when they are no longer useful to our school. See School Records – Retention and Disposal Schedule .
We also follow the standard issued by Archives New Zealand. If a record type is not covered in the retention and disposal schedule, or for any reason we are unsure, we take advice from NZSBA or our legal advisors before disposing of records.
The Information and Records Management Standard outlines key obligations for regulated organisations including public offices such as state and integrated schools. The standard sets out the minimum level of compliance that the school must meet.
The standard is based on three principles:
- responsible management of information and records (e.g. allocating the oversight of the records management to a designated person)
- information and records management systems that support the organisation (e.g. safeguarding information and records of long-term value)
- information and records that are well managed (e.g. ensuring that school information is reliable, identifiable, retrievable/accessible, usable, and shareable).
The standard also upholds the rights of Māori, under te Tiriti o Waitangi, to access, use, and reuse information that are taonga.
Archives New Zealand: Information and records management standard 
As a state-integrated school, the Schedule does not cover school records from before integration or archival material related to our special character. Most property documents relating to land and building plans belong to the proprietor. These records are retained by the proprietor and do not need to be transferred to Archives New Zealand.
Responsibilities
The board and senior management are responsible for maintaining and monitoring our school records in keeping with relevant legislation, regulations, and New Zealand standards. The board delegates the oversight of our school records to the records officer, who informs staff of their responsibilities and works with the board to ensure that the school follows records management processes. At St Joseph's School, the records officer is the office manager. The records officer consults with the board as needed.
We regularly monitor our records management systems to ensure processes are followed correctly and meet the needs of our school. This also involves addressing any issues and working with Archives New Zealand on compliance.
Classes
The School Records – Retention and Disposal Schedule divides records into the following classes and states the minimum retention period for each type of record. St Joseph's School may keep a record longer if needed. If this is the case, we consider any possible issues involved in doing this (e.g. privacy regarding digital information).
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Class
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Record type and examples
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For detailed information about the retention period for each record type, see the School Records – Retention and Disposal Schedule.
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1
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Student records
- All enrolment forms, admission and withdrawal registers, attendance records, enrolment scheme ballot administration documents, individual student records or work, disciplinary records, aggregated student data, and residential care records.
- Any record of physical restraint is kept for a minimum period of 10 years from the date of last action.
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2
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Governance records
- Governance documents including school policies, procedures, bylaws, rules, and codes of practice, operational and routine procedures and guidelines, board minutes and agendas, strategic plans/goals, annual reports, board election material, and correspondence.
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3
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Personnel records
- Employment records, staff management and professional development, and health and safety (e.g. incident management, safety checks, and police vetting) information.
- Any record that contains personal or classified information is protected in line with privacy guidelines.
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4
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Financial records
- School accounting and other financial transactions, and records about financial reporting, budgeting, funding, insurance, auditing, and fraud/theft.
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5
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Property records
- Records about the acquisition, maintenance, management, and disposal of school property and equipment owned, occupied, or controlled by the school. Building security and hazardous substances records, and tender reports and documentation.
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6
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Administration records
- School administration records including IT software, services, and databases, library services, food safety, teaching materials, records management, and other routine administrative records that do not fall within any other class in the Schedule.
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7
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Significant events and milestones
- Documents and memorabilia collected by the school to showcase its history, such as photographs and newsletters. This class also covers records related to special or designated character, if applicable.
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Policies and procedures provided by SchoolDocs
SchoolDocs policies and procedures that were used by our school in the past can be requested from SchoolDocs.
Destroying and discharging school records
The Schedule identifies methods for destroying and discharging school records, and those which must eventually be transferred to Archives New Zealand.
A school record may be disposed of by destroying or discharging it.
Destroying
- Records that are no longer required may be destroyed in a manner that ensures the record is completely destroyed (e.g. shredding or permanently deleting an electronic file). Extra care is taken when destroying sensitive or confidential records/information.
Discharging
- A school record may be discharged into the care of an organisation (e.g. library or marae) or individual after the minimum record retention period has been reached, and it is no longer needed by the school.
- Only some school records can be discharged (e.g. major school publications/newsletters).
- If any school record is discharged, additional steps are followed such as completing a Discharge Authority Form and obtaining authorisation by the Chief Archivist. After the records have been discharged, they are no longer public records; they are not the responsibility of the board and are not covered by the Public Records Act 2005.
See School Records – Retention and Disposal Schedule
We do not destroy or dispose of any school records without Archives New Zealand’s authorisation except in accordance with the Schedule. If any school records must be destroyed or disposed of, we:
- follow the standard process for authorising the destruction or disposal of the records, and check the Schedule to ensure the records can be legally destroyed
- ensure the retention period has expired and check that the records are not needed for school administration or reference purposes
- request sign off from the board chair, who is responsible for ensuring this is done securely (any delegation of this authority is minuted in board records)
- keep a record (e.g. agreed in the board minutes) of documentation and records to be destroyed or disposed of
- seek support from , Archives New Zealand, and/or the Ministry of Education (Records Services team) as appropriate if we require further advice (e.g. closing or merging schools, transferring records to Archives NZ).
The principal assures the board that the school has complied with the Public Records Act 2005 in relation to the retention and disposal of school records. See Review Schedule and Board Assurances.
Related policies
Legislation
- Public Records Act 2005
- Education and Training Act 2020
- Privacy Act 2020
Resources
- Ministry of Education | Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga: Managing school records
- Archives New Zealand | Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga:
: Term 1 2025, Term 4 2024, Term 1 2024, Term 2 2023
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