Principal Responsibilities and Appraisal

Principal responsibilities and appraisal

Rationale

The Board of Trustees delegates the day-to-day management of the School to the Principal in the expectation that it will be ethically, lawfully and prudently managed in accordance with the School charter and policies. Unless instructed otherwise, the Principal has absolute discretion to manage the School as he or she sees fit.

Guidelines

1. Only decisions made by the Board of Trustees acting as a Board of Trustees are binding on the Principal. Decisions or instructions of individual Board of Trustees members or Board of Trustees Committees are not binding on the Principal except in circumstances when the Board of Trustees has specifically authorised these decisions or instructions.
2. The Board expects to be kept informed by the Principal on any matters creating risk to the current operation, the future operation or the reputation of the school.
3. The Principal will work to a job description and an annually negotiated performance agreement.
4. The relationship between the Principal and the Board is one of trust and support. Both parties work to ensure ‘no-surprises’.
5. The Principal will meet regularly with the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees outside Board meetings to ensure good communication and professional support for the Principal.

Reporting to the Board of Trustees

The Principal reports to the Board of Trustees at each monthly meeting.  This report keeps the Board of Trustees informed of trends, risks, programme and service outcomes, financial position and all matters having real or potential legal implications for the School.  Through the report, the Principal will: 

1. Inform the Board of Trustees of significant trends, implications of Board of Trustees decisions, issues arising from policy matters or changes in the basic assumptions upon which the Board of Trustees’ strategic goals are based
2. Inform the Board of Trustees when there is non-compliance in relation to a Board of Trustees policy or Ministry regulation.
3. Recommend changes in Board of Trustees policies as required
4. Limit public statements about the official position of the Board of Trustees on controversial social, political, or educational issues to what the Board of Trustees has formally adopted as positions of record.
5. Report on student academic achievement.
6. Provide data for the Board of Trustees to assist it in its role of monitoring goal implementation.
7. Inform the Board of Trustees of the extra- and co-curricular life of the School highlighting student achievement and success.

Principal’s performance appraisal

The Board of Trustees is required to appraise the Principal’s performance each year. The Board may engage an independent consultant or form a Principal’s Appraisal Committee to conduct the performance appraisal. The Principal’s Appraisal Committee will normally consist of the Board of Trustees Chairperson and at least one Board other member. Where an independent consultant is engaged, he or she will conduct the appraisal on the Board of Trustees’ behalf reporting to the Board of Trustees through the Chairperson.

 In either case, the annual appraisal will be based on: 

1. the annually negotiated Principal’s performance agreement
2. an agreed and documented process
3. a range of data sources.

 Good practice suggests that no single approach to appraisal, or independent appraiser should be used for more than two successive years. An external independent appraisal should be conducted at least every second year.

 Whether the appraisal is conducted by a Board Committee or an independent consultant, the Board of Trustees will receive a formal summary report to be tabled in a closed session at a Board of Trustees meeting.