The School Board – Botany Downs Primary School

All state schools in New Zealand are governed by a School Board. The Board is a Crown entity responsible for the overall governance of the school and is accountable for its performance.

The Board sets the strategic direction of the school, working in consultation with parents, staff, and students. It must also ensure the school provides a safe environment and delivers high‑quality education for every learner. In addition, the Board oversees the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance, and overall administration.

The Principal acts as the Board’s chief executive for the day‑to‑day operation and management of the school. While the Principal must follow the Board’s general policy direction, they have full discretion in managing daily school activities.

Who is on the School Board?

At Botany Downs School, our Board is made up of:

The Principal of the school
One elected staff representative
Five parent elected trustees
Co-opted trustees (as needed)

Trustees are elected by the parent community and staff members. Elections for parent and staff trustees are held every three years. A by-election can occur at any stage in the three-year election cycle if an elected trustee resigns from the Board and thereby creates a casual vacancy.

What does the Board do?

Every Board must prepare and maintain a School Charter. The purpose of a School Charter is to establish the mission, aims, objectives, directions, and targets of the Board in relation to the Government’s National Education and Learning Priorities (NELPs) and the Board’s local priorities.

The School Board has the overall responsibility for the school, including meeting certain legal obligations, responsibility for property, personnel, financial management, reporting to the Ministry and school community, and meeting national requirements set by the Ministry of Education.

The Board makes decisions that the Principal and staff then put in place. It must also monitor and report annually on its progress towards those goals.

Board Meetings

Boards typically meet once a month between February and December. Meetings are open to the public, however, they are not public meetings where everyone has the right to speak. Speaking rights can be granted in advance by the Presiding Board Member. Sometimes parts of Board meetings are closed to the public when the Board is discussing confidential matters. Board members are also involved in Board sub-committees which meet as required to discuss issues. Recommendations from these meetings are presented to the full Board for approval.

Can I get involved?

Standing for the School Board is a great way to get involved in your child’s education. Training and support are available to make carrying out this responsibility easier.

Elections are run every three years and in order to stand for the Board you must confirm that to the best of your knowledge you are eligible to be a school trustee. The website of the New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) has and excellent website with lots of great information for current or potential trustees. www.nzsta.org.nz

If you are interested in standing for election, a good idea is to talk to a current Board member. You may also like to attend a couple of Board meetings to get a better idea of what goes on at the meetings and about the responsibility involved.

Board Meeting Dates

Regular meetings are held in the school board room, and everyone from the BDS community is welcome to attend. Please see our school calendar for specific dates.

Meeting Minutes:

May 26

April 2026

February 2026