Code

CODES OF PRACTICE

The school is engaged in developing Codes of Practice for –

• School Council/ Parent Committee
• Principal
• Staff
• Community

Because the school is only recently established, has limited resources and has an existing close connection and communication with the parents and the community it has developed only two strategies. One is an educational strategy, which is how best to educate the children in the Thai language in a manner which is interesting and involving for the children, and the second is a marketing strategy to increase the number of students and so reduce costs per student. The school has a very strong emphasis on student teacher interaction. Thus it has 4 teachers and two parents working with 20 to 25 students.

It has a volunteer administrative structure appropriate to its size and present growth projections. It has access to legal and accounting resources.

The school operates through three organs. A Council which is set up and run by the parents headed by a Chairperson, a management team which is responsible for management and administration of the school which is headed by a President and a Teacher body headed by the School Principal.

The role of each organ is clearly defined and allocates accountability and responsibilities.

It is the role of Management to consider and propose strategic initiatives to both the Council and the Teachers. It is however the role of Council and the Teachers to consider and if agreed to adopt those initiatives.

The school is aware of the principles of good governance.

Thus it will aim to proceduralise and adopt five principles of good governance –

• Clear delineation of governance roles;
• Effective governance processes;
• Effective governance controls;
• Governance improvement; and
• Community awareness.

The School also wishes to engage in a program of professional development for the School Council and to increase the presence of Thai community and business leaders on the Council.

CODE OF PRACTICE

It is understood that all Victorian government funded schools should develop and function within a Code of Practice that reflects the values of the community and the education policies of the Victorian government.

It is understood that the Code of Practice should reflect a commitment to the continuous improvement of student achievement and that it should be developed within a legal, ethical and values based framework that includes compliance to legislation and government regulations, and the equitable treatment of all stakeholders.

The Code of Practice should embody integrity; respect; responsibility; accountability; compliance; transparency; honesty; effectiveness; innovation; and responsiveness to the needs of students, teachers, staff and the extended community.

The three organs of the school have still to proceduralise their understanding of good governance and adopt a final code of conduct. However in practice they already adopt the principles set out above.

Because the school is driven by the need to grow, it has separated the management function from the teaching function and the Council function and its structure is therefore distinct from that existing in many schools.

Effective governance controls are intended to be supervised by the Council. The Council must therefore have in place clear, understood and effective controls in order to monitor school performance and the implementation of the strategic plans.

Thus the Council must be able to access and analyse up-to-date information and use data to identify strengths and weaknesses in order to determine progress towards targets.

CODE OF CONDUCT FOR STUDENTS

At our school we have constant contact with the whole student body both in class and in the playground in both of which both teachers and parents are always present. We provide all students with a individualised and orderly learning environment that will encourage them in their learning and provide support for any students experiencing learning or behavioural difficulty.

The principle is that the teaching environment must be one of order and co-operation, that students treat teachers and each other courteously and with respect.

The students are expected to do their personal best, always display attentive listening and be punctual and co-operative.

The school is committed to develop the full potential of all its students of all genders and cultural backgrounds. All children are treated as equally important with regard to ability, personality and behaviour. All children are given equal opportunity and encouragement to participate in all aspects of the school program.

The school must strive to provide all students with a safe and orderly learning environment that will encourage students in their learning and work towards achieving their potential. The teaching staff has an obligation to support the school in its efforts to maintain a productive teaching and learning environment.