Scheduled reviews: Topics reviewed in term 3 2017

Child Protection

Child Protection

• Added: "We promote a culture where staff feel confident that they can challenge poor practice, or raise issues of concern without fear of reprisal."
• Added: "When addressing a formal complaint, the school does not use settlement agreements where these contradict a culture of child protection."
• Added "Children, Young Persons, and Their Families (Oranga Tamariki) Legislation Act 2017" under Legislation.

Care and Management of Students

• Updated 3rd bullet to: to read "Staff are aware that children who require learning support may have particular needs with regards to safety and supervision."

Staff Social Media

• Edited our examples of social media to try and keep current, and changed "teachers" to "staff".
• Added "Staff are vigilant about safe and appropriate out-of-school contact with students, including through social media, texting, and emails."
• Clarified that staff should use "a non-school email address for your personal social media interactions".
• Added sample text at end of bulleted list that schools can request. The default is to show nothing. Let us know if you'd like this wording, or a variation of it.

Contractors Working at School

• Added following statement to the end of the topic: "Whenever the board enters into a contract or funding arrangement with an independent person who provides children's services (e.g. speech language therapists, music tutors etc.) to the school, that person must adopt a child protection policy, which must be reviewed every three years." This is a requirement of the Vulnerable Children Act 2014 s 18 (c).

Appointment Procedure

Appointment Procedure

• Updated 3rd paragraph to: "The board delegates the recruitment and appointment process to the principal and senior management but may also be represented on the appointment committee.
• Action 1: added a note about considering reviewing the job description if the appointment is for the principal.
• Action 3: added: "Advertise all permanent full-time and permanent part-time positions of at least of one year's duration in the Education Gazette or other national publication."
• Action 8: removed "Contact referees for top applicants", and clarified the wording "to ensure all proper checks are undertaken before, during, and after the interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunities

• Added the Human Rights Act 1993 to the list of legislation.

Advertise a Position

• Updated 1st paragraph to "Advertise all permanent full-time and permanent part-time positions of at least one year's duration in the Education Gazette or other national publication."

Appointment Committee

• Added "may" to the first sentence introducing the bulleted list.
• Added wording about using the services of an advisor when appointing a principal.
• Added the green note about conflict of interest. Updated the wording in Conduct Interviews to match.
• Clarified the roles and length of appointment in the "Position" column of the table.

Eligibility for Appointment

• Added link to the Education Council's website for the purposes of checking a teacher's registration status.

New Employee Checklist

• Updated our current Employee Checklist with a Word version that includes a new item: "If the applicant is not a New Zealand citizen, has their visa status been checked?" See New Employee Checklist .
• Schools can edit this Word version, and have a school-specific version of the checklist on their site.

Catholic Appointment Procedure

Catholic Appointment Procedure

• Updated with changes to generic topic as above.
• Added references and steps related to tagged positions.
• Added link to the NZCEO Board Handbook.

Catholic Appointment Committee

• Updated with changes to generic topic as above.
• Added link to NZCEO.
• Clarified the roles and length of appointment in the "Position" column of the table.

Integrated Schools Advertise a Position

• Added content about "Advertising special positions".

Special Needs/Learning Support

Inclusive Education

• We added this topic to primary and intermediate schools. It was already a generic topic for secondary and composite schools.

Recognition of Personal Identity

• We added this optional topic developed by a school with input from Rainbow Youth and the Human Rights Commission.
• We recommend robust discussion around the decision to adopt the topic, and for schools to make contact with Rainbow Youth and the Human Rights Commission for guidance and support.

Learning Support (Primary)

• Updated terminology, including name of topic.
• Added sentences about Individual Education Plan (and link to topic); working within funding constraints; and initial sentence about valuing an inclusive culture.
• Added a link to the resource Success for All – Every Child Every School.

Further changes to the composite version:

• Added sentences about Success for All – Every Child Every School in Resources (and a link), also a sentence about the Special Education Grant and funding.

Further changes to the secondary version:

• Added a sentence about the Special Education Grant and funding.

Learning Support Coordination

• Updated terminology, including name of topic.
• Added more funding options.
• Added bullet points about monitoring school-wide support needs and trends, and responding to concerns raised by parents.

Identify Learning Difficulties

• Added "teacher observation" to the list of how learning difficulties can be recognised.
• Added a sentence about who parents should approach with concerns.
• Added "mental health concerns" to the list of what an assessment may consider.

The Teacher's Role

• Updated terminology, including the name of the topic.

Learning Support Staff

• Updated terminology, including the name of the topic.
• Added a bullet point about attending relevant training.

Individual Education Plan

• Updated terminology.
• Added a sentence about the frequency of an IEP review.

Learning Support Supervision

• Updated terminology.

English Language Learners

• Updated terminology.

Reading Recovery (Primary and Composite) and Literacy Support (Secondary)

Ongoing Resourcing Schemes

Perceptual/Sensory Motor Programme

Gifted and Talented Students

• Reviewed, no change.

Internal reviews

Travel Expenditure

Changed in generic topics and upon request for tailored topics: Use of private vehicles is approved on a one-up basis and reimbursement is at the rate specified by the relevant employment agreement. Previously referred to Inland Revenue Department rate.