On 1 January 2023, the National Education Goals (NEGs) and the National Administration Guidelines (NAGs) ceased to have effect.
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A charter sets the direction for the school and identifies the priorities the board expects the principal to be leading.
Every school's board of trustees needs to:
Your charter is the key-planning document for your school. It includes strategic aims and annual plans which:
The board has overall responsibility for developing and reviewing your school's charter. It plays an active role in setting the strategic direction.
As principal-trustee you will participate in developing the charter. As principal-manager you will be the person responsible for implementing it.
The Professional Standards for Principals, Partnership and Networks part, reinforce the governance-management partnership needed to develop and implement a charter.
As principal, you play a key part in making your charter a "living" document and a shared document for the school community.
To give your charter life, look at how you can intentionally link the structures and systems in your school to progressing and reviewing your school's strategic aims.
A charter has three sections:
In your strategic plan, and thus each year's annual plan, focus on what is most important to achieve your school's vision or mission and the government's priorities.
Most schools use a 3 year timeframe for their strategic plan. It pays not to have too many strategic aims, as you will need at least one annual objective and target for each strategic aim.
Use the evidence you generate from gathering and analysing data and undertaking self-review to set your aims, objectives and targets.
The annual section of the charter does not have to contain all management planning for the year, but it does have to link to and align to everything that is happening in the school. That is, to policies, plans and programmes, including those for curriculum, assessment and staff professional development (NAG 2).
For example, school property should be able to provide for the curriculum, the school's educational aims and its administrative requirements. There need to be links between the 10YPP and the key activities you plan for.
The Ministry of Education expects you to review and update your charter as part of an annual planning and reporting cycle, in accordance with the National Administration Guidelines.
The board, principal, school leaders and teachers all have roles and responsibilities in the school's annual planning and reporting cycle.
In your charter include a plan for when and how you will consult with your community about your school and your charter.
It is important to stand back from time to time and check that the hopes and aspirations contained in your charter are still relevant to your school, students and community.
Plan how you will engage parents, whānau, iwi, the students themselves, and others in the school's community. It's a good idea to develop a list of others you might involve. Think about such things as:
Consider what it might be useful to find out from them, for example:
Update your charter before the school year is underway. It is key to your school's annual planning and reporting process and provides valuable information for you and your community.
Communications from the Secretary for Education have underlined this expectation. It is good practice and it helps the Ministry work with you to identify any additional support the students or your school may need in that year. This could be professional learning and development for teachers or resources for students.
Send your reviewed and updated charter to the Ministry of Education by 1 March each year.
Submitting your documents – Ministry of Education website