Governance: School Council
The School Council
The School Council is made up of a diverse range of professionals who work for the advancement of the School. Council meets each month from February to November. An annual planning day is held each year to continue long-term strategic planning as we look to the future of the School. This is when the future strategies of the School are revised to ensure that the School continues to provide a high quality, comprehensive curriculum (academic, pastoral, co-curricular) to all students, delivered by experienced, caring and highly qualified teachers with small class sizes and well-resourced learning environments.
The School Council is the “Board of Directors” of The Hills Grammar School (The Company) and is made up of four office-bearers and up to eight ordinary members. All councillors serve in a voluntary capacity and receive no financial or other benefits from the School.
The task of the Council is to provide governance functions (in accordance with Standards Australia’s AS 8000 Good Governance Principles) and its work includes-
- The development, review and monitoring of governance policies to achieve the School’s Mission. These policies express the Council’s overarching values and perspectives as contained in the Constitution.
- The stewardship of the School to ensure the achievement of Mission through the protection of assets, prudent and efficient use of resources (financial, human, and physical) and by avoiding unacceptable actions and situations.
- The selection, appointment and support of the Principal and CEO of the School including his or her performance against Ends and Executive Limitations Policies.
In exercising good governance, the School Council strives to ensure that its work is characterised by:
- service, integrity, accountability, trust and personal responsibility;
- establishing overarching policies rather than administrative detail;
- a focus on the future and being proactive; and
- a clear distinction of Council and Principal roles.
All members of Council are aware that as councillors their role has statutory requirements and is subject to development in common law. The School Council has therefore committed itself and its members to a strict code of conduct, which clearly focuses on ethical, businesslike and lawful behaviour.
In accordance with the School’s Constitution, the Council elects four office bearers to assist Council in its work. Membership is by invitation and under the constitution the members of the Council elect the office-bearers.
