School Council
School Council Elections
There will be several positions (3) available on School Council this year. If you are interested, please give me a call 9802 8618 or see me around the school.
School Council nomination forms will be available from the front office from Monday Feb 9th, 2026. Our next and final school council meeting for the current membership is on Monday evening (9/2) via Webex from 5pm-6pm.
We are now calling for nominations for 2026 School Council. School Council meets twice each term (Monday from 5:00pm-6:00pm via Webex) to discuss and make decisions regarding many issues relevant to school life. These discussions include teaching and learning, finances, buildings, promotion of the school, policies, uniform, grounds and much more. All School Council members are asked to attend each meeting the first School Council meeting for the newly elected council will be on Monday March 16th.
What is a school council and what does it do?
All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within state-wide guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.
Who is on the school council?
For most primary school councils, there are several possible categories of membership:
-A mandated elected parent member category –members of this category generally comprise more than one third of the council’s total membership. Department employees can be parent members at their child’s school providing that they are not engaged in work at the school.
-A mandated elected school employee member category – members of this category make up no more than one-third of membership. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members.
-An optional community member category – members are co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experience. Department employees are not eligible to be community members.
Generally, the term of office for all members is two years. The term of office, of half the members expires each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.
Why is parent membership so important?
Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school.
Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying in itself and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.
Do I need special experience to be on school council?
Each member brings their own valuable skills and knowledge to the role, however, in order to successfully perform their duties, councillors may need to gain some new skills and knowledge.
It is important to have an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future.
Code of conduct for school councillors
School councils in Victoria are public entities as defined by the Public Administration Act 2004.
School councillors must comply with the Code of Conduct for Directors of Victorian Public Entities issued by the Victorian Public Sector Commission.
The Code of Conduct is based on the Victorian public sector values and requires councillors to:
Act with honesty and integrity – be truthful, open and clear about their motives and declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest and duty
Act in good faith in the best interests of the school – work cooperatively with other councillors and the school community, be reasonable, and make all decisions with the best interests of students foremost in their minds
Act fairly and impartially – consider all relevant facts of an issue before making a decision, seek to have a balanced view, never give special treatment to a person or group and never act from self-interest
Use information appropriately – respect confidentiality and use information for the purpose for which it was made available
Exercise due care, diligence and skill – accept responsibility for decisions and do what is best for the school
Use the position appropriately – not use the position as a councillor to gain an advantage
Act in a financially responsible manner – observe all the above principles when making financial decisions
Comply with relevant legislation and policies – know what legislation and policies are relevant for which decisions and obey the law
Demonstrate leadership and stewardship – set a good example, encourage a culture of accountability, manage risks effectively, exercise care and responsibility to keep the school strong and sustainable.
Indemnity for school council members
School councillors are indemnified against any liability in respect of any loss or damage suffered by the council or any other person in respect of anything necessarily or reasonably done, or omitted to be done by the councillor in good faith in:
the exercise of a power or the performance of a function of a councillor, or
the reasonable belief that the act or omission was in the exercise of a power or the performance of a function of a council.
In other words, school councillors are not legally liable for any loss or damage suffered by council or others as a result of reasonable actions taken in good faith.