School Council

A warm hello to our ENPS Community! 

Our first School Council meeting will be held on Monday 19th February and we are looking forward to a great year ahead supporting our school. 

The Purpose of School Council 

The School Council of Essendon North Primary School plays an important role in assisting with the efficient governance of the school. Being a member of the School Council is a rewarding and challenging experience. Acting as a team, council supports the Principal to provide the best possible educational outcomes for all students. 

School Council operates under a framework provided by the: 

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 
• Public Administration Act 2004 
• Education and Training Regulations 2007 

It is important that School Councillors understand the key features of the legislation because it affects all aspects of their work: how they interact with the community, consider options, make decisions and generally how they conduct themselves. This strengthens community confidence in the school and helps to protect and build the school’s reputation. 

The Roles and Responsibilities of School Council 

The role of School Council is outlined in the ​Education and Training Reform Act 2006. ​In essence, the role of School Council is to support the Principal in setting the long-term future for the school. The types of responsibilities for School Council include: 

• Participates in the development of the school strategic plan 
• Approves the strategic plan which is then signed by the president 
• Monitors the progress of school strategic plan against the goals 
• Approves the annual budget 
• Ensures appropriate internal controls are in place 
• Monitors school expenditure 
• Approves requests for voluntary contributions and school fees 
• Approves and monitors investments 
• Develops the broad direction and vision for the school using guidelines provided by DET 
• Develops, monitors, reviews and updates policies 
• Develops Student Engagement Policy and Student Dress Code 
• Consults with the school community before adopting changes to these policies 
• Approves employment of some staff (e.g. casual replacement teachers and support staff) 
• Allocates contract for school cleaning 
• Enters contracts for building and grounds improvements 
• Promotes the school to the wider community 
• Works with school community to stimulate interest in the school 
• Makes a recommendation to the Secretary regarding Principal selection. 

School Council does not: 

• Manage the day to day running of the school that includes all operational processes and procedures
• Discuss individual issues relating to teachers, staff or parents 
• Represent specific interest groups or permit special interests to dominate the agenda of the council 
• Purchase land, buildings or motor cars, and it cannot enter into hire purchase agreements or obtain credit or loans, unless it is given permission by the Minister. 

The Role of a School Councillor 

Parent members on School Council bring their experience as parents at the school and the views of the wider school community to School Council meetings. 

DET employees bring their educational expertise to School Council meetings. 

Community members, if they are on School Council, most often bring a particular skill or area of expertise. 

How to get involved? Upcoming School Council Election

At the start of each year, it is time to welcome some new members on to the council. This year there will be four positions available for a parent electorate representative requiring a two-year tenure, and up to two positions available for a community representative requiring a one-year tenure.

This is a brilliant opportunity for parents/carers to have a significant impact and insight into the decision-making and day-to-day running of the school. As a council, we all agree that being a member has been a great experience. The Call for Nominations will be communicated via Compass next week and nomination forms will be available at the office and attached to the Compass message. Nomination Forms will be due to the office within 14 days. Please note, once the new council has been elected there will be further opportunities for parents/carers to join sub-committees which may be more suited to those wanting to take on a lesser commitment. 

As a council, we would like to take the opportunity to let our community know that we are here for any questions, concerns or queries you may have. We plan on making ourselves known to you and will always endeavour to represent the parent/carer cohort to the best of our abilities. Always feel free to come and say hi! And on that note, we hope to see you all at our first community event for the year, our annual school picnic at Woodlands Park on 23rd February from 3:30pm. We look forward to connecting with you all.

With warm regards,

The ENPS School Council

School Council Sub-Committees

Sub-committees are a great way to get involved and help out. There is so much we want to do with and for our school, and we really do need the help of our parent community to make this happen. 

Is there a sub-committee you could lend your skills or interest to? We actively invite parent and staff members to join in on our sub-committees:

If you would like to be involved (remember many hands make light work!), please contact the office on 9379 3979 or email essendon.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au.