IPPN

Published: 05 September 2007

A Chara,

The Principal and the Board of Management

Circular 79/2007, dealing with the payment of an allowance to Principal Teachers who act as secretaries to Boards of Management, concerns the area of Pay and Conditions and as such IPPN was not a party to these negotiations. It is deeply disappointing that the level of the allowance in no way reflects the centrality of the role of the Principal Teacher in carrying out the executive function of the Board. The scaling of the allowance according to the size of the school contradicts the reality that the duties and responsibilities of the Secretary to the Board of Management are broadly similar in all schools. However, this circular is indeed a first step towards valuing the role of the Principal Teacher as the "Chief Executive Officer" of the Board of Management.

Recording Secretary vs. Secretary to the Board of Management.
There appears to be confusion between the roles of Recording Secretary and Secretary to the Board of Management. The term Recording Secretary (as referred to in previous Board of Management documentation) dealt only with the task of taking minutes of meetings, whereas Secretary to the Board of Management is a new term and is described below in the revised Constitution for Boards of Management 2007.

"The Secretary

In circumstances where the Principal Teacher acts as Secretary to the Board of Management and is in receipt of an allowance to act as Secretary to that Board, the requirement for a Recording Secretary will not apply. Duties of Principal Teachers acting as Secretary to Boards of Management are outlined in Circular 0079/2007.

However, in the circumstances where the Principal Teacher of a school does not take up the allowance payable for acting as Secretary to a Board of Management;

(a)The Board shall elect a Recording Secretary from amongst its members.

(b)It shall be the duty of the Recording Secretary to:

(i) Keep minutes of each meeting in an appropriate form to be retained in a safe place and to be available on request to representatives of the Patron, the Trustees and the Department of Education and Science.

(ii)Set the agenda for meetings in consultation with the Chairperson of the Board and the Principal.

(iii)Record in the minute's decisions reached at meetings including the numbers of those voting for or against a motion.

Points to consider

The dynamics of Boards of Management vary from Board to Board. Most Principals are already fulfilling the functions of Secretary to the Board of Management as set out in the circular with the possible exception of being the person who records the minutes at the meeting. The reason for this is that the Principal Teacher acts as the main source of information and chief advisor to the Board and, as such, must be in a position to contribute to each and every item on the Agenda. To fulfil these functions effectively and keep an accurate account of the meeting at the same time is demanding too much of the Principal. Many Principals are fortunate enough to have a Board member volunteer to record the events of the meeting thus leaving the principal free to contribute to the discussion on all items. Some Principals on the other hand have chosen to record the minutes themselves in order to protect the accuracy of the records.

Should a Board of Management insist on a Principal Teacher actually taking the minutes of the meeting in order to receive the allowance, the Principal has two options:

a)The Principal can reserve the right not to receive the allowance thereby necessitating the BoM to "elect" somebody else to take the minutes of the meeting. The elected person will not be paid the allowance in such an arrangement.

b)Under Circular 79/2007 the Principal can opt to be Secretary to the Board of Management including taking the minutes of the Board meetings and receive the allowance. It would be advisable for the Principal to have this Circular discussed at the first Board of Management meeting of the new school year.

Recording Minutes

Minutes, which can be recorded on a template, should only report topics discussed, decisions taken and actions required. Reporting the detail of discussions at meetings is neither necessary nor wise. To avoid unnecessary duplication it would be an advantage if the Treasurer's Report and the Principal's Report were presented in written format enabling them to become attached to the Minutes Template.

The following is a sample template of the minutes of a Board of Management meeting is available to download from the following link

Sample BOM Minutes Template

Is sinne le meas,

Seán Cottrell, Tomás O Slatara

Related documents

Sample Minutes of BoM Meeting

43 KB

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Published: 04 September 2007

Ag tús na scoil bliana nua gabhaim gach dea-ghu agus sláinte ort mar Cheannaire Scoile.

New Appointments

Congratulations to all Newly Appointed Principals and Deputy Principals. We wish you every success in your new leadership role and hope that you will find it rewarding and stimulating on both a professional and a personal level. This time of year also sees the appointment of a number of Acting Principals and IPPN acknowledges that this role, although not permanent, is equally challenging and in need of support. If you are aware of any new appointments, please advise those Principals and Deputy Principals to make contact with the IPPN Support Office as soon as possible (details below) to avail of IPPN's supports and services.

Retirements

It is also timely to congratulate our colleagues who have retired recently and are beginning a new phase of life. Given that many Principals take early retirement, for them it is more a change in career direction and we wish them every success in their new endeavours.

Ciall Ceannaithe - Sound Advice and Borrowed Wisdom for Newly Appointed Principals

This is IPPN's latest publication supporting Newly Appointed and Acting Principals. It contains a wealth of practical strategies, useful tips and advice in the critical first year of school leadership. If you have not received your copy of Ciall Ceannaithe, please contact the IPPN Support Office.

Principal's Information Management System (PIMS) 2007/2008

PIMS is IPPN's desk diary for Principals and their Deputies and is an invaluable resource in enabling effective planning and prioritising on a daily, weekly, monthly and termly basis. If you are a new Principal you should have received a copy of PIMS along with Ciall Ceannaithe during the summer. If not, please contact the IPPN Support Office. There is a small number of PIMS diaries available for those Principals who did not place their order last June. These will be issued on a first-come first-served basis to those who contact the Support Office.

New IPPN President

Congratulations to Mr Larry Fleming, Principal of Ballinamere National School, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, who has taken up the role of President of IPPN from 1st September 2007. The presidency of IPPN is a two-year term during which Larry will be seconded from his school to fulfil a key leadership function on behalf of Principals. This involves leading the IPPN Executive and National Committees, consulting with IPPN members nationwide, developing policy as well as representing IPPN at meetings with the Education Partners. Larry is a founding member of IPPN and has been a leader in the establishment of special units for children with Autism in the Midlands. He has also been Editor of Leadership+ for three years and has played a significant role in IPPN's Principals' Conferences to date. I look forward to working closely with Larry in his new role and wish him every success.

IPPN Past President

Mr Tomás O Slatara completed his term as President on 31st August 2007 and has returned as Principal of Grange National School, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary. Tomás has given exemplary service to Principals since the foundation of IPPN but particularly in the last two years. His passionate commitment to the role of Teaching Principal and smaller schools was instrumental in getting the Department of Education and Science to begin to focus on the needs of small schools. IPPN's publication, Breacadh Ré Nua - New Horizons for Smaller Schools and Teaching Principals is the key reference point now for policy-makers on 'small school' issues and is testimony to Tomás' vision and commitment in this area. Tomás also contributed significantly to the development of strong North/South links between school leaders and policy-makers in both jurisdictions through the North/South Seminars and Exchange Programmes. Gabhaimid Ár mbuíochas do Thomás ar an méid a rinne sé ar son Príomhoide na hEireann. Rath Dé air agus ar a chlann.

IPPN Assistant Director

Responding to the growing needs of Principals and their Deputies, IPPN has appointed Ms. Virginia O'Mahony as Assistant Director for Membership Services. Virginia is well known to you as Conference Coordinator (2001, 2002) and President of IPPN (2003-2005). Her role will focus mainly on developing and delivering the supports and services required by members, ranging from professional development events to Principal Advice - the various ways in which individual members can learn from the experience of others. Virginia has 25 years' experience of school leadership in Scoil Chaitríona Senior School, Renmore, Galway. She has a remarkable track record of supporting fellow Principals both locally in Galway and nationally and her appointment enhances IPPN's capacity in delivering quality supports and services to our members.

Is mise le meas,
Seán Cottrell

IPPN Support Office, Glounthaune, Co. Cork 1890 21 22 23 info@ippn.ie

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Published: 02 August 2007

It is evident from calls to the IPPN Support Office that many Principals and Boards of Management are now in the process of making permanent and temporary appointments.

The procedures governing all teaching appointments in a primary school can be found in Appendix D, Pages 45 to 49 of the Board of Management Members' Handbook 2004.

All appointments of teachers in the school shall be made by the Board of Management in accordance with the Rules for National Schools and subject to the prior approval of the Patron.

For your convenience you will find below a summary of the essential steps which are required to be taken in appointing a teacher. It is essential that all procedures are followed with great care.

Le meas,

Virginia O'Mahony
Assistant Director

STEPS FOR FILLING A TEACHING VACANCY

Note: These steps apply to both permanent and temporary vacancies

1.Notify the Board of Management of the vacancy and the reason for it.
2.Check the following:

• That the Diocesan Redeployment Panel is clear
• With the Department if your enrolment is falling
• If vacancy occurs after 1st June, vacancy is filled on a temporary basis until September 1st.

3.Advertise in a National Paper - closing date must not be less than two weeks from the last date the advertisement appears in the paper. Sample advertisements available in BoM Handbook page 45.
4.Notify the other members of staff if vacancy is for the Principalship by placing the advertisement on the Staffroom notice board. A vacancy for Principalship cannot normally be advertised in the months of July or August except in special circumstances and with prior approval of the Patron.
5.Teachers on approved leave should be notified by post.
6.Request the Patron to appoint a Selection Board.
7.Record full list of applicants.
8.If the vacancy is for a Principalship, ensure that applicants fulfil criteria set down by the Department of Education and Science for appointment. (See Circular 02/02 - also on DES website).
9.Submit list to the Selection Board.
10.Shortlist for interview according to criteria established by the Selection Board. (See www.ippn.ie Resources/ Management Resources for Sample Criteria and Marking Scheme which can be adapted).
11.Notify the candidates of date and time of their interview, giving at least one clear week's notice. Ask for confirmation of attendance.
12.Assemble documentation - CV, References, etc.
13.With the Chairperson, arrange a suitable comfortable venue, with an appropriate person to act as receptionist for the interviews.
14.After the interview the chairperson retains:

• Record the Applicants
• Record of Interview Criteria
• Record of Selection board's recommendation including marking scheme and marks allocated to each candidate.

15.Submit Selection Board's Recommendation to the BoM in writing.
16.Submit the Board of Management's decision in writing to the Patron for sanction.
17.Notify the successful candidate and confirm acceptance in writing. Chairperson and teacher fill relevant DES Appointment Form (available from www.education.ie for either permanent or temporary appointments).
18.Notify all unsuccessful applicants in writing and return documentation.
19.File and secure all relevant documents securely.
20.Send completed Appointment Form to DES [Primary Payments], Athlone. Contract forms will be sent out, with a letter of appointment, by the DES.
21.Sign Contracts with Chairperson and Newly Appointed Teacher as soon as possible, and retain copies of all contracts.

Appointments Procedures

For your convenience you will find below a number of resources useful in filling of a vacancy in your school and the related documents - Contracts, marking matrix, interview strategies etc.

Professional Guidance E-scéal 2007 - Appointments Procedures
CPSMA Board of Management Handbook 2004
Circular 02/02
Sample ads for teaching vacancies
Interview Strategies
Sample Criteria and Marking Scheme

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Published: 29 June 2007

Newly Appointed Principals

Congratulations to all those who have been appointed Principal for September 2007. If you have been appointed Principal recently or if your school is about to make an appointment, please contact the IPPN Support Office with the new Principal's contact details. This will help us offer three key supports and services before the beginning of the new school year.

• Sound Advice & Borrowed Wisdom - a resource pack for Newly Appointed Principals
• Mentoring - confidential support and advice from an experienced Principal

2007principals@ippn.ie - an group e-mail for discussion, questions and answers

Retiring Principals

We wish all those Principals embarking on this new stage in their lives a happy and fruitful retirement from the 'front line'. We are aware that some retired Principals like to remain in contact (from a safe distance) and within 'the loop'. If you wish to continue to receive IPPN's Newsletter 'Leadership+' and other publications, please contact the Support Office by phone or e-mail with your school roll number, home address, mobile phone number & e-mail address.

Membership Renewal

Membership renewal forms will be sent to your school at the beginning of the new school year.

Summer Holidays

The IPPN Support Office will be closed from July 13th until August 17th. However, if you are in need of urgent advice ie something that cannot wait until the end of August, please send it by email to support@ippn.ie. Members of the IPPN Executive have kindly volunteered to respond to urgent enquiries during the holiday period.

This is the last E-scéal you will receive before schools reopen. We have asked the DES again not issue circulars during the official summer holidays in recognition of a Principal's entitlement to official leave.

Buíochas

Finally, it must be said that the year gone by has been extremely challenging for school leaders as the demands based on your time and energy continues to grow. We would like to thank all those of you who have given so much time and expertise for the benefit of fellow school leaders through service on the National and Executive Committees. Our deepest appreciation also goes to the tremendously dedicated staff who work at the IPPN Support Office who continuously serve above and beyond the call of duty. Lastly, we wish to thank you as a member of IPPN for your support and belief in the vision and mission of IPPN.

We trust that you will take a well deserved break during the summer holidays to fully relax, renew and rejuvenate.

Is sinne le buí­ochas,

Tomás Ó Slatara & Seán Cottrell

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