Focused on

IMPROVING OUTCOMES

Our Board of Trustees have resigned and Auckland Normal Intermediate School is now governed by a commissioner, Mr James Thomas.

From the ANI Commissioner: Please see linked here a letter that was sent to the ANI community Friday 19th May 2023.

Reports

The Ministry of Education are working with our Commissioner and Senior Leadership Team to meet the requirements and recommendations of the recent ERO report.

Key School Policies / Procedures

ANI COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE

General complaints can be sent to ani@ani.school.nz OR for Year 7, Bryce Mills (bmills@ani.school.nz); OR Shane Devery (sdevery@ani.school.nz) for Year 8

Purpose: To provide a process for all school personnel to deal with complaints that may arise whether in relation to students teaching and non-teaching staff, leadership or in relation to school policies and systems.

All complaints received will be treated so that:

Wherever possible issues, concerns or complaints can be dealt with as close to the source and as early as possible
Complainants feel they have been fairly heard
The person who is the subject of the complaint is given the opportunity to respond and take advice
Confidentiality is maintained
The principles of natural justice are complied with
Staff, students and parents are informed about the complaint procedures annually
All complaints received will be systematically dealt with in order to maintain a school culture of openness, honesty and fairness
All complaints shall be recorded in a complaints register to be maintained by the Principal’s PA and kept confidential to the Board
All complaints will be acknowledged within seven days and records kept of the investigation
Where complaints are formally investigated, minutes of all meetings will be taken.
Agreement and decisions made will be recorded in writing. These documents will be held by the Principal, Board or on the employees file as deemed appropriate
All other complaints relating to Board decisions and policy, Board members, the Principal, Health & Safety issues not specific to an employee, should be directed to the Presiding Member in writing.

Issues (low level issues)

In the first instance, an issue (or a concern) should be discussed confidentially with the classroom teacher or employee involved.

If the problem is one related to a teacher and remains unresolved, the Team Leader or Deputy Principal of the team should be approached (in the case of a complaint against the Principal, the Presiding Member Should be approached).
If the issue/concern is not resolved to the satisfaction of the complainant, the matter should be reported to the Principal.

Concerns (Issues brought to attention of DPs or Principal)

For concerns related to normal day-to-day matters at school that are of concern but not serious enough to trigger a formal investigation and disciplinary process. The Principal or DP will:

Follow up with the concern and document the details of the concern. Provide the employee concerned with all information pertaining to the concern raised.
Undertake to resolve the matter in such a way as that complainant is satisfied that it has been dealt with and ensure a record of the concern is logged with the outcome documented.

Formal Complaints

Wherever possible, complaints should be received in writing stating the specific nature of the complaint and where and when the incident/matter giving rise to the complaint occurred.
A copy of the complaint must then be given to the person cited in the complaint. The Principal should be kept informed of all complaints. In the case of a complaint against the Principal, the Presiding Member will be informed.
Many complaints will be able to be resolved by discussion between the Principal and the parent/caregiver/employee concerned without the need to take the matter any further. In such cases, the Principal will appropriately document the concern and resolution of the concern.
Where appropriate, an opportunity to deal with a concern or a complaint in a Maori context may be provided. All parties i.e. complainant, employee and Board, must all agree to this process.
A record of all concerns and complaints to the Principal or Presiding Member will be kept.
In the event that a matter becomes difficult to resolve, the Principal will inform the Presiding Member.
Complaints against the Principal will be referred directly to the Board.

NOTE: Disciplinary Investigation

The Principal may, as a result of information gathered in an initial inquiry phase into a formal complaint, recommend:

Disciplinary procedures for the Board to implement if he/she believes there is a case of misconduct or serious misconduct to be answered.
In conjunction with advice from an approved advisor when it is a matter relating to the professional standards, implement remedial performance processes or the provisions of the competency clauses of the relevant collective agreement. In any event the staff member will be reminded of their right to representation at any stage of the process.
If the Principal is unable to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of the complainant, then the complainant has the right to report the complaint to the Board of Trustees. The Board will “receive” a complaint and resolve that it be put to the employee concerned in writing. A copy of the complaint will be attached, including any other statements or information that allows the employee to make a well-informed response.
Complainants and those having complaints made against them will be informed of the investigation process and any subsequent action being taken. The outcome of a formal investigation and disciplinary process or remedial process under the competency clauses of the employment agreement will be recorded in writing, and a copy placed on the employee’s personal file.
In each case the employment agreement requirements will be adhered to.
The staff member who is the subject of the complaint or performance concerns will be informed that he/she is entitled to attach a statement to the record.
All participants to the action of a complaint are to maintain confidentiality of information and documents

ANI CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

This policy outlines our commitment to child protection. The board is committed to the prevention of abuse and to the well-being of children and young people under our care. In line with section 15 of the Children, Young Person and Their Families Act, any person in our school/kura who believes that any child or young person has been, or is likely to be, harmed (whether physically, emotionally, or sexually) ill-treated, abused, neglected, or deprived may report the matter to a social worker or a constable. The board delegates responsibility to the principal to ensure that all child safety procedures are implemented and available to all staff, contractors, volunteers and parents. Therefore, the principal must:

Develop appropriate procedures to meet child safety requirements as required and appropriate to the school.
Comply with relevant legislative requirements and responsibilities giving consideration to the guidelines, further information and sample child protection templates that are available in the Children’s Action Plan guideline Safer Organisations, Safer Children: http://www.childrensactionplan.govt.nz/assets/CAP-Uploads/childrens-workforce/Safer-Organisations-safer-children.pdf
Make this policy available on the school’s internet site or available on request
Ensure that every contract, or funding arrangement, that the school enters into requires the adoption of child protection polices where required
Ensure the interests and protection of the child are paramount in all circumstances
Recognise the rights of family/whanau to participate in the decision-making about their children
Ensure that all staff are able to identify the signs and symptoms of potential abuse and neglect and are able to take appropriate action in response
Support all staff to work in accordance with this policy, to work with partner agencies and organisations to ensure child protection policies are understood and implemented
Promote a culture where staff feel confident they can constructively challenge poor practice or raise issues of concern without fear of reprisal
Consult, discuss and share relevant information in a timely way regarding any concerns about an individual child with the board or designated person
Seek advice as necessary from NZSTA advisors on employment matters and other relevant agencies where child safety issue arise
Make available professional development, resources and/or advice to ensure all staff can carry out their roles in terms of this policy
Ensure that this policy forms part of the initial staff induction programme for each staff member
Ensure that we report annually to the board of trustees on progress, implementation and compliance with any funding/contracting requirements (refer no. 4 above)