Date 7 September 2015 |  Circular 2015/11 |  Category Industrial Relations

This circular is about Initiation of bargaining for a new Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement.

This circular replaces This circular does not replace any other.

The action needed is To bring the Initiation of Bargaining notice to the attention of all employees whose work may be covered by the collective agreement, within ten days of receipt of this notice.

It is intended for Chairpersons of Boards of Trustees and Principals of state or state integrated area schools.

The Notice of Initiation of Bargaining should be brought to the attention of all teachers employed in an area school.

For more information Contact the Industrial Relations Unit by email: email:industrial.relations@education.govt.nz .

All agreements will be available on the Ministry’s website; http://www.education.govt.nz/school/running-a-school/employing-and-managing-staff .

Introduction

Section 43 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (the Act) requires that, on receiving a notice of intention to initiate bargaining for a collective agreement under the Act, details of that notice are to be drawn to the attention of all employees who come within the coverage of the intended agreement within ten days of receiving that notice.

Notice of Initiation – area school teachers

On 4 September 2015 the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengaroa (PPTA) and the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI) wrote to the Secretary for Education to formally initiate bargaining for the renewal of the Area School Teachers’ Collective Agreement. The current agreement expires on 3 November 2015. 

The PPTA and  the NZEI propose that the Agreement entered into by the Secretary of Education, acting under the delegation of the State Services Commissioner, and the PPTA and the NZEI is intended to cover teachers (excluding principals) employed in state and state integrated area schools who are, or who become PPTA or NZEI members.

Issued by

Nick Kyrke-Smith, Senior Manager Industrial Relations, Education Workforce,
Student Achievement Group

Ministry of Education, National Office, 45 – 47 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, P O Box 1666, Wellington, New Zealand, Phone 04-463 8000, Fax 04-463 8001, Email industrial.relations@education.govt.nz

4 September 2015

Notice of Initiation of Bargaining

Area School Teachers 

On 4 September 2015 the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengaroa (PPTA) and the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI) formally notified the Ministry of Education that they intend to seek a collective agreement covering every employee who is employed as a teacher in a state or state integrated area school. 

For the purposes of this notice, “employer” means every board of trustees (or commissioner as appropriate) of a state or state integrated area school, as defined in the Education Act 1989.

The intended parties to the collective agreement will be the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengaroa, the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa and the Secretary for Education acting under delegation from the State Services Commissioner issued in accordance with the State Sector Act 1988.  The agreement sought will bind all employers and all members of the PPTA and the NZEI coming within the proposed coverage of the collective agreement as outlined above. 

Nick Kyrke-Smith, Senior Manager Industrial Relations
Education Workforce, Student Achievement Group

Types of school transport assistance we provide

• Daily buses/our school bus service , which are run for us by our service agents. Contact a service agent if you would like a school bus service for your school.
• Funding to direct resourced (DR) schools/networks if your school is going to provide its own school transport. This option is available in 2021.
• Funding to Māori-medium schools to provide your own school transport.
• A conveyance allowance for caregivers to assist with transport costs 
• SESTA for students with special needs.
• School transport service agent contact details

Eligible students

To be eligible for assistance, students need to meet these 3 criteria:

1. Type of school

For students to be eligible, the school they are attending must be the closest school that the student can enrol at and is one of the following:

• a mainstream state school
• a state-integrated school 
• a Māori-medium school
• a partnership school.

2. Distance between home and school

Students must live more than a certain distance from the school they are attending. The distance is over the shortest public road or pedestrian route from the student’s home roadside gate to their school’s front gate:

• students from Years 1–8 must live at least 3.2km from their school
• students from Year 9 or over must live at least 4.8km from their school.

3. Suitable public transport

If suitable public transport options are available for a student, we will not offer school transport assistance. To be suitable, a public transport service must meet all of the following criteria:

• the public transport service travels within 2.4kms of the roadside gate of the student’s home
• the public transport service travels within 2.4kms of the closest appropriate school
• the public transport service does not require the student to change transport services more than once on a journey
• the public transport service has a suitable timetable:
• • allows morning pickup no earlier than 7am and enables the student to arrive at school before the school’s start time
  • allows afternoon pick up no later than one hour after the school day’s official end

Special Education School Transport Assistance (SESTA)

SESTA is for students who have special educational needs and may have difficulty getting to the school that can meet these needs.  Go to the parents website for further information on SESTA .

SESTA is not for:

• students on ACC (the Accident Compensation Corporation). ACC may help students who are temporarily incapacitated because of an accident
• students boarding at residential schools who need transport to and from home for the weekend/holidays. 

Applying for SESTA

Caregivers will initiate the SESTA application, but there is a section on the application form that you must complete as well.

All requests for SESTA must be made using the SESTA application form .

Each year a group of exceptional Māori students is selected to continue the legacy of Victoria Cross winner Second Lieutenant Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu and the other members of the 28th (Māori) Battalion. There are usually at least 6 scholarships awarded - for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral studies. 

Read about the 2016/17 winners of the Ngarimu scholarships .

Māori Battalion! March to victory!
Māori Battalion! Staunch and true!
Māori Battalion! March to glory
Take the honour of the people with you ...

Background to the scholarships

In 1939, when New Zealand joined forces with the allies, Māori men and women volunteered and made a significant contribution in all areas of the defence forces and home services. Notable among them were the recruits who formed the 28th (Māori) Battalion. They fought with distinction in many engagements and perhaps the soldier whose deeds are best known among Māori is Second Lieutenant Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu, whose heroism and ultimate sacrifice were acknowledged by the highest military award the British Commonwealth could bestow: the Victoria Cross.

In June 1943, soon after Ngārimu had been killed in action, a gathering of Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Apanui and Pākehā East Coast people took place to consider how to best commemorate the bravery of Ngārimu, and the other members of the 28th Battalion, whose lives had been lost in World War Two. It was decided to establish a scholarship fund to support Māori education. The Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Scholarship Fund Board was established for the purposes of administering funds that promoted Māori education.

The scholarships support Māori excellence at tertiary level with academic merit being a high priority in the selection.

Ake ake kia kaha e!

On this page:

• Overview
• Support
• Stage 1: Initiate the procurement
• Stage 2: Identify the needs of the procurement and analyse the market
• Stage 3: Specify the Statement of Requirements
• Stage 4: Plan approach to market and evaluation
• Stage 5: Approach the market and select
• Stage 6: Negotiate and award

Overview

The processes set out on this page and in the associated guides and templates must be applied for all school property related procurement for projects including:

• boards of trustees acting as project managers when managing their own projects
• project managers managing projects on behalf of a board of trustees
• project managers engaged on Ministry-managed school property projects.

School property procurement includes procuring:

• property planning and project management services
• construction design, engineering and quantity surveying services
• construction works
• building services and facilities maintenance.

For each procurement, the person assigned the role of procurement officer (usually the project manager) is responsible for managing the procurement process.

Download the Quick Guide

You can also use this quick guide to procurement which is designed for anyone involved in school property procurement including project managers, property advisors, school principals and board of trustee members.

• Quick guide to school property procurement

Support

For procurement support, email the Ministry’s Education Infrastructure Service Commercial Procurement Team:

eis.procurement@education.govt.nz

Stage 1: Initiate the procurement

1. Confirm that you need to undertake a procurement.

• Is there a genuine need for the procurement?
• Is there an existing contract or supply arrangement that could be used? (such as supplier panels).

2. Confirm that you have written approval to undertake the procurement (for example a business case or the school’s 10 Year Property Plan and approved 5 Year Agreement).

3. Prepare a high level description of what is required. This is called a Statement of Requirements.

4. Determine the procurement value. This is the maximum value of all spending that may result from the procurement.

Stage 2: Identify the needs of the procurement and analyse the market

5. Allocate roles for the procurement:

• Procurement officer – manages the procurement, for example the project manager.
• Procurement owner – represents the buyer, for example the school principal (or Ministry Case Manager if it is a Ministry-run project)
• Procurement sponsor – has overall responsibility for the procurement. This is the person, usually a board member, with the Delegated Financial Authority.
• Evaluation team – evaluates and scores responses and selects preferred respondent.

6. Identify conflicts of interest:

• Value of $50,000 or more: everyone involved must submit a Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement
• Value of less than $50,000:  anyone with a conflict of interest must submit a Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement

Download:  Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Agreement

More information:  Conflict of Interest on school property projects

7. It is important to have a clear understanding of what is required so that the market can deliver value for money and a solution that is fit for purpose.

Conduct a needs analysis which may include analysing the market by:

• consulting with internal stakeholders
• conducting market research
• engaging with potential suppliers to encourage participation.

Stage 3: Specify the Statement of Requirements

Develop a more detailed Statement of Requirements describing the:

• outcome sought and deliverables required, such as classroom space for 30 students
• capability and capacity required of the supplier
• intended contractual arrangement, such as the type of contract and key contract terms and conditions.

Stage 4: Plan approach to market and evaluation

9. Reconfirm the procurement value based on the detailed Statement of Requirements.

10. Select an appropriate ‘approach to market’ method.

The diagram below sets out the minimum thresholds (based on the procurement value).

These are minimum requirements. You should use a higher than minimum approach to market method when warranted by the risk and complexity of the procurement.

You must get a procurement exemption if you want to use an approach to market method with a lower threshold (see: Procurement exemptions ).

11. For direct source and closed tender, identify the potential supplier or suppliers to be invited to submit a quote using a Request for Quote (RFQ).

12. For open tender, decide whether to use a:

• single stage open Request for Proposal (RFP), or
• 2 stage open Registration of Interest (ROI) and closed RFP to shortlisted respondents.

13. Draft the Procurement Plan, including the evaluation method to be used. You can download the appropriate Procurement Plan template at the end of this page. Send a copy of the Procurement Plan to the school’s property advisor not less than 2 business days before approval by the procurement sponsor.

14. Draft and get approval for your approach to market documents from the procurement owner, ie RFQ, ROI and RFP. You can download these templates at the bottom of this page.

15. The Procurement Plan and approach to market documents must be approved by the procurement sponsor before approaching the market (requesting quotes or advertising on GETS).

Stage 5: Approach the market and select

16. Approach the market:

• For open tender procurement, advertise the ROI or RFP on GETS website - www.gets.govt.nz . See the GETs Procurement Officer Guide at the end of this page.
• For direct source and closed tender procurement, invite the potential suppliers you have identified to submit a quote by sending each a copy of the RFQ and providing equal and sufficient time to respond.

17. Reply to any requests for clarification from potential suppliers. Update other potential suppliers with your response to ensure that all submissions are based on the same information.

18. Evaluate responses submitted by potential suppliers (respondents) using the Evaluation Workbook (download at the bottom of this page) and select a preferred respondent. For 2 stage open tenders, select a shortlist of respondents to be invited to take part in the subsequent closed RFP process. Download the Open Tender Evaluation Guide and the Works Price Evaluation Guide at the end of this page.

19. Draft the Recommendation Report to summarise the evaluation and recommend entering into contract negotiation with the preferred respondent. You can download the Report at the bottom of this page. A copy of the Recommendation Report must be sent to the school’s property advisor not less than 2 business days before approval by the procurement sponsor.

20. The Recommendation Report must be approved by the procurement sponsor before awarding a contract and/or notifying respondents whether they have been successful or unsuccessful.

Stage 6: Negotiate and award

21. As soon as practical, notify respondents whether they have been successful or unsuccessful. For procurement of $100,000 or more, you must notify respondents in writing and provide or offer a debrief. You may want to provide debriefs after the contract is awarded. Download a Preferred/Shortlisted Respondent Letter template and an Unsuccessful Respondent Letter template at the bottom of this page.

22. Negotiate a mutually acceptable contract with the preferred respondent. There are standard contract templates to use for different procurement types and values (see: Contracts for construction works and professional services ).

23. Get written approval from the procurement sponsor for the final form of contract.

24. Execute the contract:

• the preferred respondent and procurement sponsor must sign 2 copies of the contract.
• one copy of the signed contract is held by the buyer (the school or the Ministry) and one copy is returned to the preferred respondent.

25. For procurements with a procurement value of $100,000 or more, post an award notice on GETS.

26. Contract starts.

27. Provide debriefs as appropriate.

28. Keep all procurement documentation for 7 years on the project file (see: Project files and briefs ).

The Minister of Education as Chair of the Ngārimu VC and 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship Fund Board is seeking expressions of interest from people wanting to be considered for one of the board vacancies. Expressions of interest close at 12 noon on Friday 10 February 2017.

There are 5 vacancies on the board. Four positions will represent each of the Māori Battalion companies (A, B, C and D company) and one position is open to a past recipient of the Ngārimu VC & 28th (Māori) Battalion Memorial Scholarship.

Who should apply

We’re looking for people who:

• have an understanding of effective governance and strategy
• have experience in a professional discipline, for example education or public policy
• understand government policy and processes
• have strong relationship management and communication skills
• are committed to Māori achievement in education
• have an understanding of Māori language and protocols, and the actions and accomplishments of the 28th Māori Battalion.

For more details about board member competencies email ngarimu.scholarship@education.govt.nz. 

How to apply

Send your expression of interest, including your CV, to Paula Mato, Ngārimu Secretariat, Ministry of Education, P.O. Box 1666, Wellington 6140 or email ngarimu.scholarship@education.govt.nz by midday, 10 February 2017.

The landmark heritage building dates back to 1926 and was later extended in 1935 and again in 1965. A timber-framed hall was built in 1939.

The $26 million redevelopment is to convert the main block to an innovative learning environment, and structurally strengthen the hall.

Only minor structural works were initially envisaged but it soon became clear that more seismic strengthening work was needed, and this has now been carried out as part of the project.

Recently a charming archway with plaster detailing has been discovered hidden behind a timber-framed plasterboard lined wall. The archway is being restored and will add character to the school’s main hall.

The striking exterior of the historic building will be retained, so that once the project is complete the school will look the same from the street, but much of the interior will be new, with extensive steel reinforcing throughout.

The contract works began in April last year and strengthening work is well advanced in two thirds of the building.

The forecast completion date is July 2018.

Find out about the specific details of each our study awards and scholarships, including:

• application dates
• what the scholarships and awards offer
• criteria for applying
• applying online.

You can apply for the awards and scholarships from 1 August 2016 .

• National mentoring service for Māori and Pasifika students
• Bullying prevention and response
  
• ReportingGuidelines for reporting child abuse and neglect
• Education service for youth courts
• Information on international and exchange students
• Supporting young people with stress, anxiety or depression

National mentoring service for Māori and Pasifika students

The National mentoring service for Māori and Pasifika students is aimed at supporting young Māori and Pasifika students to achieve NCEA.

Bullying prevention and response

Bullying prevention and response is a guide for schools providing practical advice on how to prevent bullying and respond effectively when it does occur.

ReportingGuidelines for reporting child abuse and neglect

See the Reporting Abuse Protocols in the Useful Resources section of Preparing for and dealing with emergencies and traumatic incidents .Go to the  reporting child abuse guidelines to help set up an agreed approach for reporting child abuse and neglect.

Education service for youth courts

The Ministry of Education's education services to youth courts throughout New Zealand.

Information on international and exchange students

• International student visitors
• Student exchange approvals
• Exchange Programmes which meet the Code of Practice for International Students

Supporting young people with stress, anxiety and/or depression

The guidelines for supporting young people with stress anxiety or depression will help you to support a young person who may be suffering mild to moderate mental health issues.

These guidelines have been developed as part of the Youth Mental Health Project .

• Out-of-school access for students and teachers
• Broadband access for the community
• Do not compromise the school’s own internet
• How to set up a digital hub
• Retain the right to change the agreement

Out-of-school access for students and teachers

Your school’s wireless services reach beyond the school boundary, via equipment that a broadband provider installs at the school. Through a login, your students and staff access your network from anywhere, any time.

They can, for example, do homework and collaborate after hours. Schools nearby can overlap their networks too; your school authorises which content they have access to.

This service suits urban areas whereworks best in urban areas where the cost of broadband is too high for the student’s family. In remote or rural areas it’s unlikely to be useful because students and teachers are likely to live too far apart for the network to reach them.

Broadband access for the community

Your school shares the fibre connection with a broadband provider, a retail service provider (RSP) such as Chorus.

The RSP installs equipment at your school to transmit the signal to the community.

Through the shared fibre the RSP provides the local community access to commercial ultra-fast broadband.

If your school provides remote access via a login, you can provide this through the network.

This suits rural areas

Rural and remote areas, where there’s no broadband service, are the most likely to benefit from this kind of sharing.

Do not compromise the school’s own internet

Becoming a digital hub must not compromise your school’s internet. Your school must have access to the full data capacity and speed that it requires. Your school’s cyber security and filtering must also not be compromised.

How to set up a 'digital hub'‘digital hub’

The process is similar to setting up other kinds of 'third-party occupancy'‘third-party occupancy.’.

1. Read the details of the policy on digital hubs

Ultra-fast broadband in schools – Schools as digital hubs for communities – Guidelines for School and boards of trusteesGet more information on digitals hubs.

2. Get approval in principle

Talk to your local Ministry of Education office to seek approval in principle. Then complete an ‘Approval in principle’ form and a ‘Information required with application’ form in the 'Get approval for specific situations' section of:form.

Leasing or hiring land and buildings to third partiesTo download these forms, go to Leasing to third parties .

3. Complete the correct third party agreement

Your local Ministry office will give you the correct third party agreement to complete.

Retain the right to change the agreement

You must be able to change the arrangement with the RSP or withdraw from the arrangement with no penalty if the school’s circumstances change.

The provisional staffing round provides your board of trustees with a minimum level of entitlement staffing for the following year.

• Your provisional entitlement staffing notice
• How we calculate your provisional staffing entitlement

Your provisional entitlement staffing notice

Before the end of term 3, we send your board of trustees a notice with our prediction of your school’s roll for the coming year and your provisional entitlement staffing.

For primary, special and intermediate schools , your provisional staffing is an assured minimum for the coming year (also known as assured staffing).

If your entitlement notice identifies a reduction in staffing then your board of trustees may need to conduct a needs analysis before disestablishing a position(s).

For area, composite and secondary schools , your provisional staffing is a guaranteed minimum for the coming year (also known as guaranteed minimum formula staffing).

If your entitlement notice identifies a reduction in staffing then your board of trustees may need to conduct a curriculum and pastoral needs analysis before disestablishing a position(s). Go to staffing entitlement reductions for more information.

How we calculate your provisional staffing entitlement

To calculate your provisional staffing entitlement, we use a provisional roll, which is a prediction of your school’s roll for the following year (your predicted resourcing roll).

The main aim of the provisional roll is to predict the roll for the following year as accurately as possible.

We use the lesser of our prediction and your board of trustees’ prediction, including any expected new entrants between March and October, submitted on your school’s 1 July roll return. For full and contributing primary schools , your provisional roll is an estimate of the roll at 10 October. For all other school types , your provisional roll is an estimate of the roll at 1 March.

How we predict resourcing rolls

The following sections detail how we make the initial roll prediction at each year level for each type of school. We may adjust your provisional roll following this initial prediction to make sure that the predicted roll is as accurate as possible based on the latest available information.

• For secondary schools
• For composite schools
• For restricted composite schools— years 7 to 10
• For primary schools
• For intermediate schools
• For special schools

For secondary schools

Entrant year : the same proportion of available enrolments from each contributing school as the school received in the current year

All other year levels and students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the school’s latest March to March progression rates for each year level applied to the latest March enrolments.

Adult students : the lesser of the school’s last 2 years’ actual March adult enrolments at each year level

For composite schools

Entrant year : the same proportion of available enrolments from each contributing school as the school received in the current year

All other year levels and students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the school’s latest March to March progression rates for each year level applied to the latest March enrolments

Adult students : the lesser of the school’s last 2 years’ actual March adult enrolments at each year level

Year one, and year one Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the same number of year one students the school had enrolled at March

New entrant adjustment : based on an adjustment of eleven twelfths times the number of year one students and Māori immersion levels one and 2 calculation above, rounded up to the nearest whole number, to make provision for the number of new entrants likely to be enrolled between 1 March and 10 October

All students year 2 to 8, and year 2 to 8 students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the latest 1 July enrolments, the same number of students at each year level moved on one year level

All other year levels and students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the school’s latest March to March progression rates for each year level applied to the latest March enrolments

Adult students : the lesser of the school’s last 2 years’ actual March adult enrolments at each year level

Restricted composite schools — years 7 to 10

Year 7 and 8 students, and year 7 and 8 students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 : using the latest 1 July enrolments, the same number of students at each year level moved on one year level

Year 9 and 10 students, and students in year 9 and 10 Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the school’s latest March to March progression rates for each year level applied to the latest March enrolments

Primary schools

Year one, and year one Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the same number of year one students the school had enrolled at March

New entrant adjustment : based on an adjustment of eleven twelfths times the number of year one students and Māori immersion levels one and 2 calculated above, rounded up to the nearest whole number, to make provision for the number of new entrants likely to be enrolled between 1 March and 10 October

All other year levels and students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the latest 1 July roll, the same number of students at each year level moved on one year level

Note : For contributing primary schools, the year 7 roll is based on the board of trustees’ prediction and the year 8 roll is set to nil (except where the board of trustees has permission from the Minister of Education to retain its year 7 and 8 students for the purposes of bilingual education).

Intermediate schools

Year 7, and students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 in year 7 : the same proportion of available enrolments from each contributing school as the school received in the current year

Year 8, and students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the school’s latest 1 March to 1 March progression rate for year 7 to year 8 or immersion levels, applied to the latest 1 March year 7 enrolments or immersion levels

Special schools

Year one, and year one Māori immersion levels one and 2 : the same number of year one students the school had enrolled at 1 March

All other year levels and students in Māori immersion levels one and 2 : using the latest 1 July roll, the same number of students at each year level moved on one year level

Note : Some special schools have a notional roll. Please refer to the Education (School Staffing) Order in Council schedules for information about the staffing of these schools. The order is available at www.legislation.govt.nz under the ‘regulations’ section.

You will find information about:

• Te Whāriki , the Ministry of Education's early childhood curriculum framework

  Te Whāriki , the Ministry of Education's early childhood curriculum framework

• Updating Te Whāriki
• Leadership in early childhood education (ECE)

  Leadership in early childhood education (ECE)

• Assessment for learning in ECE : Kei tua o te pae and Te whatu pōkeka.

  Assessment for learning in ECE : Kei tua o te pae and Te whatu pōkeka.

• Transitioning children with special education needs from ECE to school

Anything in particular you would like to see here? Let us know what you think we should add.

Abdirizak Abdi, Lead Advisor Migrant and Refugee Education (National)
Phone +64 7 858 7148
Email abdirizak.abdi@education.govt.nz

Asma Shah, Northern Region Senior Advisor: Refugee and Migrant Support
Phone +64 9 632 9506
Email asma.shah@education.govt.nz

Adel Salmanzadeh, Northern Region Senior Advisor: Refugee and Migrant Support
Phone +64 9 632 9360
Email adel.salmanzadeh@education.govt.nz

Afat Xiao, Central North Region Senior Advisor: Refugee and Migrant Support
Phone +64 7 858 7305
Email fatlianto.xiao@education.govt.nz

Gina Gonzales, Central South Region Senior Advisor: Refugee and Migrant Support
Phone +64 4 463 8678
Email gina.gonzales@education.govt.nz

Maureen Zaya, Central South Region Senior Advisor: Refugee and Migrant Support
Phone +64 4 439 4609
Email maureen.zaya@education.govt.nz

Mastura Abd Rahman,Hassan Ibrahim, Southern Region Senior Advisor: Refugee and Migrant Support
Phone +64 3 378 7756
Email mastura.abdrahman@education.govt.nzhassan.ibrahim@education.govt.nz

This funding circular is about the requirements for all schools using, or intending to use, an electronic attendance register (eAR).

Date December 2010 | Circular number 2010/19 | Category Funding

This circular is about the requirements for all schools using, or intending to use, an electronic attendance register (eAR).

This circular replaces 2006/10.

The action required is schools must:

• apply to the Ministry of Education for approval before replacing E19/1 manual registers with an electronic attendance register
• comply with the requirements for using electronic attendance registers, as outlined in this circular.

It is intended for boards of trustees and principals in all state and state-integrated and registered private schools.

For further information
Further information about electronic attendance registers is available on the Ministry website .

For information about roll returns, record keeping requirements and resourcing audit visits refer to:

• Circular 2007/17: Auditing of Roll Returns: 1 March and 1 July
• Chapter 5 of the Funding, Staffing and Allowances Handbook.Chapter 5 of the Funding, Staffing and Allowances Handbook .

For more information contact the Resourcing Division Contact Centre, Ministry of Education:

Resourcing Division Contact Centre, Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140.
Phone 04 463 8383 Fax 04 463 8374
Email resourcing@education.govt.nz

Introduction

This circular explains:

1. the application and review process for all schools using or intending to use an electronic attendance register (eAR)
2. the requirements for using an eAR as an alternative attendance register to the E19/1 manual attendance register
3. how the electronic attendance register calculates attendance.

Legislative requirements

The Education Act 1989 ("the Act") and the Education (School Attendance) Regulations 1951 ("the Regulations") impose legal obligations on school boards of trustees, principals, teachers, and parents that relate to students' enrolment and attendance at school.

Every person who is required to be enrolled at a registered school must attend the school whenever it is open unless they are exempted from attendance in accordance with the Act.

The Regulations require that all schools must:

• maintain accurate daily attendance registers for all students enrolled in the school
• use an attendance register in the approved form to record student attendance.

School attendance registers are legal records which may be used in court proceedings. These registers must be retained for at least seven years from the date of the last entry. After seven years, the attendance registers may be destroyed with the approval of the board of trustees in the case of state and state integrated schools, or with the approval of the manager in the case of private schools.

Applying to use an eAR

Schools must apply to the Ministry of Education for approval before replacing E19/1 manual attendance registers with electronic attendance registers.

Schools apply to use an eAR by completing the  Electronic Attendance Register Application Form and sending it to the Resourcing Division of the Ministry of Education for approval.

The application requires schools to:

• identify the attendance marking system (de-centralised, centralised or mixed) that they will use
• state the position of the person in the school who has responsibility for specific attendance process tasks
• declare that appropriate attendance processes will be implemented.

When the application has been approved, schools will be advised in writing that they have approval to use the electronic attendance register and no longer need to use the E19/1 manual attendance register.

Schools with provisional or full approval to use an eAR

Under the process described in  Circular 2006/10 schools that applied to use an eAR were initially granted provisional approval. Full approval was granted following a satisfactory attendance management review by a Ministry Resourcing Auditor.

The Ministry no longer grants ‘provisional’ or ‘full’ approval to use an eAR. Schools with provisional or full approval:

• are now approved to use an eAR under the process outlined in this circular
• do not need to reapply for approval to use an eAR
• are not required to use E19/1 manual attendance registers.

Although schools previously granted provisional or full approval do not need to reapply to the Ministry for approval to use an eAR, they should still read this circular to ensure they understand the updated requirements for using an eAR.

Requirements for using an eAR

Schools using an electronic attendance register must:

• be using a Student Management System (SMS) which is Ministry of Education approved to be used for electronic attendance registers
• have attendance processes that ensure timely and accurate collection, recording, monitoring and reporting of student attendance
• have attendance processes which provide the required information to meet the legal requirement to provide accurate roll returns
• at the end of each term print and archive (for seven years) a paper copy of the Term Attendance Registers for each homeroom, or form/tutor/whānau group.

Schools must comply with the following attendance management requirements when using an eAR:

• students must be marked absent or present during the course of every school day as required by the Act and Regulations (attendance must be marked mornings and afternoons for students taught in homeroom situations and period-by-period for students who move from teacher to teacher during the course of a day)
• attendance must be marked during class time by the teacher with the students in front of them (either by marking attendance directly into the SMS or by manually marking a full class list to use as the basis for later data entry)
• all absences must be appropriately coded in the SMS (entering an explanation in the comment section of the SMS is good practice)
• all unexplained absences must be followed up and reported to parents and caregivers as soon as possible
• as soon as an unexplained absence is resolved, the SMS must be updated with the appropriate code (entering an explanation in the comment section of the SMS is good practice)
• school management must follow up instances where attendance is not marked by the teacher responsible and address the matter in an appropriate and timely manner
• students with continuous and/or regular absences must be identified and monitored.

eAR incentive payment

All state or state-integrated primary, special, intermediate, secondary and composite schools granted approval to use an electronic attendance register are eligible for a one-off incentive payment of $500 plus GST. Schools will automatically receive the $500 incentive payment in an operational funding instalment following the approval of their application.

Review of attendance management processes

Schools’ attendance management processes will be reviewed by a Ministry Resourcing Auditor as part of a resourcing audit. School must provide a computer, with access to the school's SMS, for use by the Ministry’s Resourcing Auditors during a resourcing audit.

Schools should have documented attendance procedures defining roles and responsibilities which are clearly advised to staff (teaching, administration and management), with regular monitoring to ensure that the attendance procedures are being followed.

The Resourcing Auditor will report to the school’s board of trustees and principal on how the school is complying with the attendance requirements. The Resourcing Auditor will also advise the school on how to improve the attendance processes if the school has:

• inadequate attendance processes
• inadequate monitoring of attendance
• attendance or monitoring processes which lack accuracy and/or completeness
• the inability to produce an accurate roll return.

The school will then be subject to further Ministry audits to verify that the school's attendance and roll return processes have been amended to meet the requirements.

How the electronic attendance register calculates attendance

The school's Student Management System creates the electronic attendance register which records the daily attendance of each student. Each student is recorded on the register as being present for zero, one or two ½ days.

The following points outline how attendance is recorded:

• zero half days - no attendance or less than two hours attendance for tuition in a school day
• one half day - attendance for tuition for more than two hours but less than four hours in a school day
• two half days - attendance for tuition for at least four hours in a school day.

Students will almost always be required to be at school for longer than four hours. The Act requires students to attend school whenever it is open and this is generally for more than four hours.

Issued by

John Clark, Group Manager Resourcing Division, Te Wāhanga Whakarato Rawa
Ministry of Education, National Office, 45 – 47 Pipitea Street, Thorndon, P O Box 1666, Wellington, New Zealand
Phone 04-463 8383, Fax 04-463 8374
Email resourcing@education.govt.nz

What is proposed?

The Government is investing an extra $359 million over the next four years to help raise student achievement.

The Investing in Educational Success initiative creates Communities of Schools to strengthen collaboration between principals, teachers and schools in order to raise student achievement.

The Government is working with the sector to introduce three new roles within schools to help Communities of Schools identify and address common achievement challenges.

There will also be an extra allowance to attract highly capable candidates to principal vacancies at schools that have the greatest challenges.

The new roles will:

• share expertise across schools and among teachers and principals
• help recognise highly-capable teachers and principals with proven track records
• keep good teachers in the classroom.

Inquiry Time will be provided for teachers to benefit from the expertise of their colleagues across their Community of Schools.

In addition to the new roles, a $10 million Teacher-Led Innovation Fund will be established to foster new and effective teaching practices which can be shared across the system.

What consultation has there been with the education sector?

A representative Working Group chaired by the Secretary for Education has been working on details of Investing in Educational Success, and has now provided its advice in a report.

The Working Group comprised unions, secondary and primary principals’ associations, parent/employer association, Māori and Pasifika education representatives, and an early childhood sector representative.

The Government has welcomed the report, and the Ministry of Education will do further work with the education sector on the design of Investing in Educational Success.

Working Group members have been invited to join a new Advisory Group, to remain involved in developing Investing in Educational Success. A number of education academics have also been invited to join the Advisory Group.

What is in the Working Group’s report?

The  Working Group’s report provides support for:

• establishing communities of schools to work together to raise student achievement, and to encourage greater collaboration between schools on shared achievement objectives
• introducing new teaching and principal roles to support collaboration and effective practice and to provide clearer pathways for teachers and principals
• involving external and independent expertise in appointments to the new teacher and principal roles and establish professional standards for these roles
• providing additional Inquiry Time to all schools in Communities of Schools to allow teachers to access the expertise that the new roles would make available
• funding teachers to work on innovative projects and practices that will raise student achievement within, and across, schools
• introducing an allowance to help the boards of trustees of some of most high need schools to broaden their recruitment pool and assist them to recruit a high quality principal.

The Working Group’s report suggests:

• changing the names of the roles to make clearer the collaborative aspects of the initiative
• rebalancing the allocation of existing funding between allowances for the new roles and the provision of Inquiry Time
• allocating the Teacher–led Innovation Fund over three years, rather than two years
• linking the number of new roles and amount of Inquiry Time to demographic changes.

What is the Government’s response to the report?

The Government has welcomed the report. It has carefully considered the advice in the report and the Minister has tasked the Ministry of Education with continuing to work with the sector to finalise the details.

What happens next?

The report is a vital next step towards IES implementation.

More work is being done on the details. Work streams have been set up to look in further detail at how best to support Communities of Schools to set themselves up, how best to support selecting the new teacher and principal roles, and at how selection criteria and/or professional standards can best support these roles.

There will also be work, in consultation with the sector, to establish the Teacher-led Innovation Fund, the recruitment of principals for high-needs schools, and the process and setting of the achievement challenges for the new communities of schools.

The Ministry will hold discussion with union groups to confirm those elements of IES that will be the subject of industrial bargaining, before bargaining actually begins.

Further information

FurtherRead more questions and answers about the proposed changes for further background information on Investing in Educational Success .Investing in Educational Success.

Early Intervention Study Award

The Early Intervention Study AwardEarly Intervention Study Award can support you to study the University of Canterbury’s Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Teaching: Early Intervention.

TeachNZ Māori-Medium Bilingual Education Study Award

This award is for teachers and principals. It lets them take study leave to improve their te reo Māori and their skills as a bilingual or immersion teacher.
The award pays for relief while the person is on study leave, and it contributes to the course fees.
Go to the TeachNZ website to find out more.

TeachNZ scholarships

Scholarships are available in a variety of fields. These generally cover fees and pay an allowance for the study period.
Go to the TeachNZ website to find out more.

Linking Minds Scholarship

This is an international award. It’s for teachers who are under 35 and in their first 5 years of teaching. If you see yourself as a future leader, this scholarship can help you build your knowledge, skills and confidence and give you international experience.
Go to the TeachNZ website to find out more.

• Use assistive technology at school
• Get started with assistive technology
• Management plan
• Community of support
• Monitor and review
• Loss, repairs and maintenance
• What to do when a student changes schools
• Complete a transfer form
• What to do when a student leaves school
• Get help
• Learn more

Use assistive technology at school

Using assistive technology to best effect in the classroom takes a management plan, a community of support and a process of ongoing monitoring and review.

Schools need to set up a process for regularly checking the technology works as it should and for managing loss, repairs and maintenance.

You also need to develop a process for what to do with the technology when a student changes or leaves school.

Get started with assistive technology

As soon as a student is allocated a piece of assistive technology, you (on behalf of the school) should:

• take full ownership of the technology
• list the technology on the school’s asset register so that it is covered by the school's insurance
• organise for school software like MS Office and any antivirus software to be loaded onto the technology and for the technology to be linked to the school’s networks 
• keep a record of relevant serial and asset numbers, warranties and proof of purchase (and share these with the Ministry, where needed)
• ensure the technology is used appropriately 
• file items related to technology maintenance and use (eg, any original software, manuals etc)
• create a management plan (if required).

Management plan

Sometimes an assistive technology management plan is a useful tool to share information about how a student’s assistive technology should be looked after, stored, carried from place to place and any necessary maintenance required (eg, keeping batteries charged).

It will also clarify if the assistive technology can be taken home. Technology can be taken home with the principal’s permission (that is because the technology is owned by the school and covered by the school's insurance).

A management plan template is available to download and use.

Community of support

A community of support, in this context, is the group of people who will make sure a student's technology continues to work well and is used to support the student’s learning.

Usually, the group is made up of the student's teacher, teacher aide, family or whānau members and any relevant special education or technology specialists.

Each person should have a different role and be responsible for different things. For example:

• the teacher will be responsible for designing learning tasks and the way technology is used to support learning
• a teacher aide, a student's peers and parents may help with operating the technology (in the technical sense)
• the school's information technology (IT) specialists or Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO) may be responsible for trouble shooting, repair and maintenance.

Monitor and review

Setting up a process for monitoring and reviewing the way a student is using their assistive technology to complete learning tasks and access the curriculum is another key responsibility - and one best carried out by the classroom teacher or Special Education Needs Coordinator (SENCO).

It is the teacher's role (in collaboration with other members of a student’s community of support) to monitor and record student achievement and to adjust the student's learning goals and associated tasks as the student progresses.

Other members of a student’s support community need to review the assistive technology itself to make sure it is working and still meeting the student’s needs as expected.

This should occur within six months of the student's first use of the technology and continue on a regular basis after that.

A review form to guide you through the process is available to download and use.

Loss, repairs and maintenance

Schools are responsible for regularly checking the technology works as it should.

This means:

• keeping warranty and insurance details on file
• applying to the Ministry for funding to cover any costly repairs or to replace technology that is obsolete or broken (using the replacement and repair form)
• applying to the Ministry for funding to cover technology that is lost, stolen or damaged (using the replacement and repair form).

Download an  insurance and repairs information sheet to learn more.

Replacement and repair form

What to do when a student changes schools

Students with assistive technology who are changing schools, should take their technology with them.

Whenever possible, the transition to the new school should be planned and information about the technology's purpose and use shared with the new school.

Ask for permission from the student’s family and whānau before sharing information.

With permission, share information using some or all of the following tools.

• A written report and copy of the assistive technology application.
• A meeting involving people from both the student's former school and new school.
• A video or multimedia presentation showing the student or their team explaining why the assistive technology is needed and how it is used
• An e-portfolio with specific examples of the technology's use and purpose.

Visit the Inclusive Education Online Knowledge Centre for more ideas and resources on what to do when a student changes schools.

Complete a transfer form

As part of the process, schools also need to complete a transfer form (on the student's behalf) to formally transfer the technology (and the ownership, care and maintenance responsibilities) to the new school and remove it from your asset register.

A transfer form to guide you through the process is available to download and use.

What to do when a student leaves school

When a student is leaving school, contact your local Ministry office to arrange the next step.

Your next step may be one of three options depending on the situation:

• returning the student’s assistive technology to the Ministry (to reallocate to another student)
• gifting it to the student (for technology valued at less than $5,000 only)
• transferring it to the Ministry of Health (for technology valued at more than $5,000).

Talk to a local district technology coordinator before transferring assistive technology to the Ministry of Health.

Get help

For more information about any of these topics, contact your local Ministry office .

• The Interim Response FundInterim Response Fund Principal’s Manual is managed by the Ministry to assist schools when a student’s behaviour has reached crisis point. Contact your local regional office and ask to speak with the development officer managing the Interim Response Fund
  
• Information about Special Education
  
• The Ministry of Health website has Education for learners with ASD of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline (March 2008), which aims to provide best-evidence guidance for professionals who work with children and adolescents with ASD in educational settings
• The New Zealand Schools Trustees Association (NZSTA) represents and provides services to boards of trustees across New Zealand. NZSTA provides governance support services, industrial relations and advice free of charge. Boards of trustees can access the NZSTA National Office Trusteeship helpdesk for all matters relating to trusteeship. The Helpdesk is staffed five days a week during office hours, 8:00am to 5:00pm. 0800 STA HELP (0800 782 4357), fax (04) 473 4706, email helpdesk@nzsta.org.nz

National Office

School Management Systems (SMSs) are compatible with modules for different aspects of running your school. Here’s a table of SMSs and the modules compatible to each. Read more about each module by clicking its link.  [DN: Links within the table need to be supplied by business owner]

Contacting vendors of SMSs (school management systems)

• Employment agreements
• Your pay
• Pay increases
• Leave

Employment agreements

Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu specialist and support staff are covered by:

• the Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement, or
• an individual employment agreement, with similar terms and conditions as the collective agreement.

You are covered by the collective agreement if your work is covered by this agreement and you’re a member of the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa (NZEI) or E tū.

You need to sign an individual employment agreement if your work is covered by the collective agreement but you are not a member of one of the unions. The Ministry of Education develops and publishes the individual employment agreement. The terms and conditions of your work are similar to the collective agreement.

• Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Collective Agreement– terms and conditions of employment for specialist and support staff at Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu. Effective 24 September 2014 to 24 December 2016. 
• Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu Specialist and Support Staff Individual Employment Agreement– published 6 March 2015.

Your pay

Your pay is set out in clause 4.2 of the collective agreement. Your salary scale depends on the type of work you do and which pay level (A, B, C or D) it fits into. Clause 4.2 describes the characteristics of the work done at each level and gives the pay scale for each one.

Pay increases

Each pay level has steps within it and you can move up those steps based on your performance review each year. This is explained in clause 4.4 of the collective agreement.

You can also qualify for a bonus payment if you make an outstanding one-off contribution or are at the top of your salary range and perform exceptionally well. This is covered in clause 4.5 .

If you achieve a qualification that is equivalent to level 6 or higher on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority framework and is relevant to your work, you will get a pay increase. This is covered in clause 4.7 .

You will be paid extra if you carry out duties at a higher level for a time. This is a higher duties allowance and is set out in clause 6.2 .

Leave

The different types of leave you are entitled to are covered in part 5 of your collective agreement.agreement .

Annual leave

You get 4 weeks’ annual leave each year, which is on top of the normal public holidays. You can carry forward up to 5 days of your annual leave to the next year.

Sick leave

Your sick leave allocation is 10 days each year ( clause 5.3 ), and you can use this to care for a sick family member (this is called domestic leave, clause 5.4 ). You can accumulate unused sick leave up to a maximum of 150 days.

Other leave

You are entitled to bereavement/tangihanga leave, as set out in clause 5.6 .

If you have worked at Te Aho o te Kura Pounamu since 22 December 1993, you may be entitled to long service leave and retirement leave.

This is explained in schedule A of the agreement.

Parental leave

You are entitled to parental leave, as set out in the Parental Leave and Employment Protection Act 1987 .

Parental leave covers 4 types of leave.

• Maternity leave– mothers can get up to 16 weeks off work from around the time of birth or from the time you start caring for an adopted child.
• Partner/paternity leave– if your partner has had a baby or you have adopted a child together, you can take up to 2 weeks off.
• Extended leave– you may be able to extend your maternity leave for an extra 52 weeks.
• Special leave– while you are pregnant, you can have up to 10 days’ pregnancy-related leave.

You need to apply to your employer before taking parental leave. The usual notice required is 3 months but this can be reduced in some circumstances, such as if an adoption is arranged in a short time. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website explains how to apply for parental leave.

Parental leave payment

If you qualify for the parental leave payment, it is paid through Inland Revenue, so you need to apply for this payment and your school must confirm that you are entitled to parental leave. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website explains how to apply for parental leave payments.

If you work part time, the  Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website can help you work out your parental leave payment.