RATIONALE

 1          The College undertakes to treat all employees and applicants for employment fairly according to the principles of EEO and the match of their qualifications, skills, abilities, attitudes, and aptitudes to the job required to be performed.  This is a part of the process of ensuring that the College secures or retains the person best suited to deliver the services needed by the College.

GUIDELINES

1          All personnel policies, procedures and practices shall value and apply EEO principles; this  includes the areas of recruitment selection, promotion, career development, staff training and development, and conditions of service.

2          The Board is committed to providing for all staff a safe and sensitive working environment which is free from biased or prejudiced ('discriminatory') practices.

3          Any staff member, present or prospective, who feels that they have experienced prejudice or bias, shall be encouraged to bring a Complaint as per the Board’s Complaints Policy.

4          A College employee may choose any person to represent them concerning an EEO grievance.
5          The Principal shall institute Procedures pursuant this Policy.

RATIONALE

 1          The College recognises and accepts that an employee may occasionally believe some serious wrongdoing has occurred, is occurring, or may occur, at the College or concerning its affairs.

2          To make an effective complaint or protest, such an employee may feel that disclosure may breach their employment contract or ancillary conditions, or even risk discrimination or victimisation.

3          The College acknowledges the right of employees to make such disclosure in those circumstances.

4          Such disclosures are protected by the Protected Disclosures Act 2000.

5          It is appropriate that the College have a policy specifically acknowledging such protected disclosure and the conditions for protection, and outlining a Procedure for making those disclosures.

GUIDELINES

 1          Staff shall follow the procedures for making a protected disclosure under the Protected Disclosures Act 2000.

2          A would-be complainant shall make a protected disclosure to the Principal, unless it concerns, or circumstances make it inappropriate to disclose it to,  the Principal, in which case it shall be made to the Chair of the Board of Trustees.

3          The disclosure may be done orally or in writing.

4.1       The person disclosed to shall then decide if the disclosed matter constitutes a serious wrongdoing, and whether the allegation/s need/s investigating.  That person may:

4.2     The College shall advise the complainant within 20 working days of receipt of the complaint whether it is being or will be investigated.

5          The complainant can approach an external "appropriate authority" (as defined in the Act) directly if:

5.1       it is believed that either the Principal or Board Chairperson (or both) is/are believed also to be a party to the wrongdoing, or has an association with the person committing the wrongdoing, which would make it inappropriate for either of them to investigate the complaint; or
5.2      the matter needs urgent attention, or there are other exceptional circumstances; or

5.3       after 20 working days the complainant has not received written notification of action or recommended action on the matter to which the disclosure related.

6          If even the appropriate authority does nothing, the disclosure may be then made to the Ombudsman (unless they were the authority already disclosed to) or a Minister of the Crown.

7          The Act does not protect a complainant if information is disclosed to the media, or to a Member of Parliament other than a Minister of the Crown, or if the disclosure is made in the circumstances other than those referred to above.

8           The Principal shall institute Procedures pursuant to this Policy.

RATIONALE

1          Leave is time off work. It may be as of right specified by statute or employment contract/agreement, or may be at the employer's discretion.  It may be paid or unpaid.

2          In considering specific requirements for leave to be taken or requests for leave to be granted, the employer has a prime responsibility to balance staff absences so as to maintain the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the College, noting that most leave is taken during gazetted school holidays.

3          In fulfilling that prime duty, the College shall comply with relevant statutes and employment agreements and shall be guided by the requirements of a good employer.

4          Leave is agreed between the employer and worker in total time off, the timing of the leave and any special circumstances. The particular time off granted for leave is, in general, established by the employer consulting with the worker, although the employer retains the right in the event of disagreement to specify when leave shall be taken.

GUIDELINES

1          Within the legal and contractual boundaries, all applications will be considered on their   merit, objectively balancing staff request reasons against the College’s prime
  employment responsibility (Rationale 2).

2          Applications for leave are to be made in the first instance to the Principal and then to the Board of Trustees if required.  The Principal may grant leave of up to 3 days, with or without pay, as per the employment agreement.

3          Unless an employment agreement or contract provides for the contrary:

            3.1       Leave for less than 1 year may be granted at the discretion of the Board of Trustees. Leave for a year or more may be granted in exceptional circumstances.

            3.2       Requests for annual study leave shall be submitted to the Board of Trustees by      the August meeting of the preceding year. Each application shall be judged on its        merits and in relation to the needs and requirements of the College.

4.        Any other requests for leave of more than 5 days should, where possible, be made at least 3 months prior to the commencement of leave.

5        The Principal shall institute Procedures pursuant to this Policy.

RATIONALE

Newlands College provides filtered internet access to staff for appropriate and school-related purposes. The reasons for the internet restrictions are to:

1        Meet our legal obligations to provide a Safe Working Environment.  

2        Meet our legal obligations to (and protect us from the consequences of not doing so) minimise the likelihood of staff  viewing, downloading, accessing, sharing, disseminating or using inappropriate materials, including copyright material, such as music or movie files, as well as pirate copies of copyright software.

GUIDELINES

Any filtering system is never all encompassing, so users need to take reasonable precautions to avoid accessing inappropriate material. Any attempt to avoid the college internet filters may be considered enough to warrant disciplinary action.

1        All staff will be provided with an individual Login User Name and Password to allow access to the computer network and internet.  This must be kept confidential and not shared with anyone else; any illegal and/or inappropriate use of the Newlands College computer, network or internet facilities will be able to be traced by means of this login information. If the security or confidentiality of a password or login user name has been or may have been compromised, the staff member shall immediately advise the school and a new password and login user name will be provided.

2        All users (including all staff) need to be aware that any incident involving material which is deemed "objectionable” and could constitute criminal misconduct necessitating police action.  Teaching staff also need to be aware that involvement (which includes but is not limited to accessing, using, viewing, saving, downloading or printing) with any material which is detrimental to the safety of the school environment or contrary to the employee’s employment obligations, may constitute professional misconduct serious enough to require disciplinary response by the school and also the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.

3        Every user (including staff) shall avoid any and all harmful digital communications, intimate recording and harassment, and to take all reasonable steps to prevent such activities occurring.

4        All staff also need to be aware that inappropriate material viewed, accessed, downloaded, stored or disseminated outside the college via a college-owned or leased computer is still considered to fall under this use Policy, as well as under the jurisdiction of the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.

5        The Principal shall institute Procedures pursuant to this Policy.

RATIONALE

1. The Board delegates responsibility to the Principal on all matters relating to the management of staff in the expectation that they will be managed in a sound, fair, and respectful manner in accordance with the current terms of employment documents and identified good practice.

2. The Board ensures the quality of staff appointments through its policies for Equal Employment Opportunities (POL 3.0.1), Child Protection (POL 5.2.4) and by requiring that appointment committees with expertise relevant to the vacancy are selected to carry out the appropriate appointment procedures.

GUIDELINES

1 The Principal must ensure:

1.1 that all employment related legislative requirements are applied

1.2 that all employees retain their rights to personal dignity and safety

1.3 that matters are resolved in an appropriate and fair manner

1.4 that employment records are maintained and that all employees have written   employment agreements

1.5 that employee leave is effectively managed and reported so
1.5.1 that the risk of financial liability is minimised, operational needs are met, and the needs of individual staff are considered.
1.5.2 Board approval is sought for any requests for discretionary staff leave with or without pay of longer than 3 days

1.5.3 Board approval is sought for any requests for staff travelling overseas on school business

1.5.4 the Board is advised of any staff absences longer than 5 school days

1.6 that staff engage with the Professional Growth Cycle annually

1.7 a suitable professional development programme, which takes into consideration the requirements of the strategic and annual plans, is available to support the staff

1.8 the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2016 are met

1.9 legal advice is sought as necessary where employment issues arise

1.10 that appointment committees are assembled according to the schedule outlined below:

• Appointment of a member of the senior leadership team, will involve an appointment committee consisting of the Principal, the Board Chair, the staff representative, student representative and others as selected by the Board at the time.
  
  
• Appointment of senior positions, i.e. 3 Management Units or more, will involve an appointment committee consisting of the principal, the Board Chair (or Board delegate),the staff representative and the student representative plus the relevant Deputy Principal.
  
  
• Unless determined otherwise by the Board, appointment of all other teachers, part time teachers, long term relieving teachers, and non teaching staff will be the responsibility of the Principal in consultation with the Board Chair, or delegate where deemed necessary.

1.11 that school procedures are in place and fully implemented that meet all legislative       requirements regarding safety checking, police vetting and screening of all staff.

2         Appointment of the Principal is the responsibility of the Board which will determine the process.

3        The Principal shall institute Procedures pursuant to this policy.

RATIONALE:

1          The Board is to establish a performance agreement with the Principal each year and to review the Principal’s performance on an annual basis with the objective of ensuring that every student at the school is able to attain his or her highest possible standard in educational achievement.

GUIDELINES:

1          The review process is to occur annually, providing a written record of how the Principal has performed as per the terms of the performance agreement and identified professional development needs.

2          The performance of the Principal is to be formally reviewed on an annual basis by a Principal Performance Sub-Committee of the Board which is hereby formed and delegated full Board powers for that purpose.

3          The Principal Performance Sub-Committee is to comprise the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Board along with any other Board members the Chair and Deputy Chair decide to include from time to time.

4          The Principal Performance Sub-Committee can, with the Principal’s agreement, engage the services of a suitably qualified and independent consultant to assist with setting the annual performance agreement and/or conducting the annual review.

5         The annual review cycle is to be for the year from Term Two through to the end of Term One the following year so that NCEA results can most closely be included in the year to which they relate.

6          There are to be three interim reviews (at the end of terms two, three and four) and an annual formal review (at the end of term one).

7          The Principal is to be reviewed on the criteria set forth in the performance agreement which is to be agreed at the commencement of each annual review cycle. The criteria are to include performance objectives, professional standards, learning and development objectives and fulfilment of additional duties which require concurrence payment.

8          If the Principal and the Board disagree on the performance objectives, the Principal Performance Sub-Committee, after considering the Principal’s input, can amend the disputed objectives or confirm the unchanged objectives.

9          The Principal Performance Sub-Committee may gather information from staff, parents, or any other relevant members of the larger school community who can provide feedback on how the Principal has performed. Evidence may include surveys, self-review, teaching observation (if relevant), interviews, focus groups or documentary evidence.

10        The Principal and the Principal Performance Sub-Committee is to meet annually for a formal interview to discuss whether the performance agreement has been satisfied. The Principal is to be given the opportunity to discuss and comment on each criterion before a rating is given. The Principal Performance Sub-Committee are to then prepare a draft report on the results and share it with the Principal. The Principal can then accept or dispute the report. If the report is disputed, the Principal Performance Sub-Committee is to consider the Principal’s views before deciding to either amend the report or let the report stand but with the Principal’s comments attached.

11        The Principal Performance Sub-Committee is to present a summary of the final report to the full Board along with an indication of the extent to which there was agreement or dispute during the review.  The Principal can be present at the presentation and is to have the opportunity to address the Board. The Principal will then exit the meeting and further discussion may continue among the Board. The Chair is to then inform the Principal personally and in writing of the final outcome.

12        The performance agreement and results of the review are confidential to the Principal, the Board and their agents unless both parties agree to wider distribution.

RATIONALE

 Teacher’s performance will be managed in accordance with the following guidelines.

GUIDELINE

 1     Any teacher employed by the College must be a registered teacher, or have a Limited Authority to Teach.

2        All teachers must be registered with the Teaching Council (or its successors).

3        All Teachers will meet the registered teacher’s criteria and will comply with the conditions laid down in the PPTA Collective Agreement, or their Individual Employment Agreement (which reflects the Collective Agreement).

4        All teachers will comply with the Board’s Policy of 5.2.4 Child Protection

RATIONALE

 1          Support staff are all College employees who are not employed as teaching staff.
2          Support staff are employed under an employment contract separate from that of the teachers, either collectively or individually.

3          The need for support work may change or disappear according to the demands of teaching styles and technologies and organisation structures within the College, which may require changed position or job descriptions.

4          The College commits itself to being a good employer.
GUIDELINES

 General

1          All employment decisions shall be made with reference to the relevant employment agreement, applied under the current employment.

2          Support staff shall work according to a schedule of regular hours per day per week during contracted employment time, set reasonably in advance by and after consultation with, Principal or Principal’s delegate.

• Extra one-off work outside that stipulated by the employment agreement shall be additionally remunerated under a collateral agreement which shall specifically define the extra work, after remuneration and the period of time for which the extra work is available.

Appraisal
 4          Support staff performance appraisal shall be carried out as per the College’s appraisal cycle by the Principal or the Principal’s delegate. .

5          Further training may be required for individual staff following appraisal.

Recruitment Appointment, and Induction
6          Prospective staff members shall be given a copy of their job description and this Policy.

7          Appointments shall be:

7.1       Made by the Principal or the Principal’s delegate.
7.2       Confirmed in writing by the Principal or the Principal’s delegate to the new staff member.
8          Appropriate induction to each Support position shall be provided.

• The Principal shall institute Procedures pursuant to this Policy.

Reference:   ERA 2001

Rationale

 A school timetable is developed annually to reflect how the school offers the curriculum, the learning needs and academic pathways of students and available staffing resources.  The Secondary Teachers Collective Agreement (STCA) sets out particular requirements for non-contact hours and average class sizes that are to be incorporated into the timetabling process.

Purpose

1. To ensure the needs of students is the first and key priority in the timetable development.

2. To ensure fairness and transparency in the timetabling process.

3. To comply with the conditions of the STCA.

 Guidelines

1. The Principal determines the allocation of staffing for the school annually using the GMFS and any Board of Trustee staffing contribution as a basis.

2. The Principal determines the number of classes that will operate at each level and in each subject using student enrolment data and subject choice information gathered from students.

3. HOFs, in consultation with their staff, other TICs and the Principal, allocate classes to staff.

4. A timetable team constructs a timetable in readiness for the start of the new year that meets the needs of the school and its students and is based on the allocations made to allocations originally given.

5. The timetable team consults with HOFs and the Principal, should changes need to be made with allocations originally given.

6          Non-Contact Time
6.1       Non-contact time is based on an individual teacher’s timetable classroom   teaching hours comprising a total of 25 hours or a combination of periods   of time equivalent to 25 hours per week.

6.2       Each full time teacher shall have a minimum of five hours non-contact time           within each school week.

6.3       Minimum part time allocations for part time teachers shall be those in the table with clause 5.2.6(b) in the Secondary Teachers’ Collective Employment agreement.  The school will endeavour to give those part time teachers who work more than 12 hours per week non-contact time proportional to that provided to full time teachers.
6.4       Total weekly non-contact time may be a combination of periods less than one hour.
6.5       Trained, full time beginning teachers in their first year are a charge of 0.8 FTTE against the staffing allocations and must have no more than 15 hours of timetabled contact each week.
6.7       Trained, full time beginning teachers in their second year are a charge of 0.9 FTTE against the staffing allocation and must have no more than 17.5 hours of timetabled contact each week.
6.8       One hour per unit for the first three permanent units shall be allocated for permanent unit holders who are required to carry out specific management responsibilities.  The school will endeavour to provide additional non-contact time for senior management staff to allow them to carry out their particular duties.

7          The school will provide 1 hour extra non-contact time for any member of staff      responsible for beginning teachers as described in the STCA.

8          In special circumstances and where a genuine reason exists, teachers may be asked to temporarily forego their minimum entitlement to non-contact time.  These would be in times of emergency when no day reliever can be found and teachers holding more than the minimum non-contacts are unavailable, compensation will be given.  Situations where teachers volunteer to cover for their colleagues whilst on leave for ‘non-contract’ reasons are not included.

9          Where teachers are requested to work hours in excess of those described in the contract, every attempt will be made to redress the situation at another point in the school year.  A range of ‘off-set’ mechanisms can be employed.

10        In allocating classes to teachers, the Principal will use reasonable endeavour to achieve, for each teacher who has two or more classes, an average size of 26 students.

11        To allow for a settling down period, to cater for new student enrolments and student option changes, the average class size for teachers will be based on 1 March numbers.  There will be on going monitor of average sizes.

12        Where a teacher has an average class size that exceeds the 26 student threshold, then an agreed (between the teacher and Principal) compensatory mechanism will be provided that may include provision of extra non-contact time or reduction of other duties.  

13        Other Duties

• All teachers will have some pastoral responsibility, either as Form Teachers or Deans, except as negotiated with the Principal.
• Part time teachers will have pro rata pastoral responsibility.
• Part time teachers will be scheduled for duty on a pro rata basis.
• Compensatory Mechanisms

14.1     Teachers may only be asked to temporarily forgo their minimum entitlement to non-contact hours when:
14.1.1  All reasonable options have been investigated and no alternative to             a reduction in entitlement non-contact can be found.

14.1.2  The request is made on an individual basis, and a blanket request for          agreement to reduction in non-contact entitlements shall indicate need to review timetable structures and operation.

14.1.3  There is a sudden emergency that requires supervision of a class for           its ongoing safety.  All efforts will be made to find a day reliever.

14.1.4  No day reliever can be found after timely and appropriate efforts    have been made.

14.1.5  On a longer term basis, and after all reasonable endeavours have     been exhausted, the timetable can only be made to operate if a     teacher teaches for a term, semester, module or a year, at a higher          level of contact than their minimum non-contact indicates.

14.1.6  Teachers holding more than the minimum non-contacts have first   been asked to forgo one or more of those additional non-contacts.

14.2 Where by virtue of demonstrated timetable or other constraints the allocation identified of non-contact hours or an average 26 students per class limit for any individual teacher cannot be implemented the teacher         will be offered the opportunity to review the timetable and suggest changes           that would allow the allocation of their non-contact entitlement or average             class size entitlement.  If it is subsequently agreed that there is genuine   reason why it is not possible to provide the non-contact or average class       size entitlement within the timetable then the principal and the teacher may    mutually agree to compensate the teacher with:

14.2.1 An equivalent increase in the allocation of time for non-contact             teaching duties at another point in that school year; or

14.2.2 An equivalent reduction in non-teaching or supervisory duties             outside the school’s timetabled teaching periods; or

14.2.3 Compensatory relief cover for the teacher later in that school year; or

14.2.4 Some combination of the above or other mutually agreeable             mechanism

14.3 Where by virtue of genuine and demonstrated temporary constraints the allocation of non-contact hours to which an individual teacher is entitled        cannot be met within any week, then the principal and the teacher may, on       each occasion, mutually agree to compensate the teacher with:

14.3.1 An equivalent increase in the allocation of time for non-contact             teaching duties at another point in that school year; or

14.3.2 An equivalent reduction in non-teaching or supervisory duties             outside the school’s timetabled teaching periods; or

14.3.3 Compensatory relief cover for the teacher later in that school year; or

14.3.4 Some combination of the above or other mutually agreeable             mechanism

15        The Principal shall institute Procedures pursuant to this Policy.