Rationale:

Avonside Early Childhood Centre is governed by a volunteer community Board of Trustees who ensure that the Centre meets the necessary guidelines and regulations and focuses on ensuring the service meets the needs of the community and is sustainable over time. The governing body has the responsibility for the long-term health and prosperity of the service. It includes: designing and putting into words a vision of what the service will be like in the future; making sure the service will provide high quality early childhood education for children in two years, five years and beyond; to manage long-term projects or issues rather than day to day matters.

Purpose:

·         To ensure that those involved in providing early childhood care and education understand their roles and responsibilities and ensure transparent procedures.

·         To know what is required and expected to ensure that people taking on the different roles have the knowledge and skills required.

·         To ensure that the Board of Trustees are supported in undertaking their roles and responsibilities.

·         To ensure the Finance Manager is supported whilst undertaking the management and administration of the day to day running of the business and that the service’s reporting and requirements are met. The Finance Manager reports directly to the Board of Governance.

·         To ensure the Centre Manager is supported whilst undertaking the responsibility for: the delivery of quality teaching and learning programmes for children; positive communication with parents/caregivers and whānau; including the care, comfort, education, health and safety of the children and are responsible for supervising other staff as they work with children.

·         To ensure that families and the community are informed about what is happening at Avonside Early Childhood Centre, ensuring the service keeps families and the community informed and involved.

·         Setting the direction for the service with performance targets and exercising control by measuring performance against the targets you have set

·         Making sure the service has the capacity by way of staff, premises/equipment and money to fulfil things the centre needs to operate.

·         Understanding what risks the service might incur and having a plan to minimise them

·         Regular reporting.

·         Do not use your position for advantage (your responsibility is to Avonside Early Childhood Centre and you must not try and gain a personal benefit)

·         Comply with legislation and the Ministry of Education’s requirements

·         Making sure the service provides quality education for the children so that families will choose Avonside Early Childhood Centre

·         Making sure the service meets the needs of families, both now and in the future, the community, staff, the Ministry, the Education Review Office and other interested parties

·         Meet all your responsibilities on time and at all times act in the best interests of the service

·         Defining the purpose, values/beliefs and aims of the Centre by developing written policies and procedures, preparing and reviewing the Statement of Philosophy developing and following through on policies

·         To set and follow the short- and long-term goals of the Centre through annual, strategic and financial planning.

Reviewing progress and responsibilities as described

·         Person Responsible/ Senior Teacher is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Teaching at the Centre this includes the care, comfort, education, health and safety of the children.

·         To maintain confidence and trust and ensure the privacy of all personal information collected, used and retained is protected at all times in a professional confidential manner.

·         A Management group who will be able to attend meetings regularly, assist with decision making and help manage the service.

·         The management group is formed at the Annual General Meeting and includes the Centre Manager, Finance Manager and a Board of Trustee/Chairperson

·         Exercise a ‘duty of care’ and act honestly