Shearwater, the Mullumbimby Steiner School
Ph (02) 6684 3223
349 Left Bank Road, Mullumbimby, NSW 2482
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What happens at a Board meeting?

25/2/2021

 
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Every six weeks or so, the Board meets with the Head of School and the School Business Manager. In this meeting, the Head of School and Business Manager give the Board an update on what is going on within the School. Policies, major decisions and challenges are discussed, and typically, the Board members ask questions and, where relevant, share any recommendations.

Sometimes the Head of School or Business Manager require the board to vote on a decision. In 2021, we are working toward there being a regular College of Teachers representative attending these meetings.
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From time to time, the Board also meets on their own to discuss governance matters. To understand more about governance, refer to the previous Ask the Board, What does the School Board do? 

Deputy Chair Olga Bruvel

Who are the people behind our Board?

11/2/2021

 
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Cristina Rubsamen, Waldorf/Steiner education experienced Board member

​Have more questions about the School Board? Click here to see all Ask the Board questions to date.

At the time of writing, the School Board consists of eight members, and we are actively looking for a ninth. Constitutionally, the Board may have five, seven or nine members and this year, we have chosen to work with nine.

The Board members are referred to as the Board of Directors. Director roles are to be held by volunteers, not currently in employment at the School, with various professional backgrounds and expertise. This includes Waldorf/Steiner education, school management, law, planning, financial and business management, human resources and industrial relations management, building and project management and communications, fund-raising and marketing.

At this point, our Board members cover the expertise areas which appear in bold above, and we hope to find a final Board member who can cover one or more of the other areas. You can see the current Board make-up here. If you are interested in becoming part of the School Board and can support in a missing expertise area, please let us know.

What does the School Board do?

10/12/2020

 
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Board members after their last meeting for 2020 (absent Josh Rushton)

Ideally, if all is going well, the Board doesn’t need to actually DO all that much within the School. Instead, the Head of School and the Business Manager are responsible for orchestrating the doing within the School and it is the Board's responsibility to oversee that.

The Board’s main role is to employ the Head of School and the Business Manager, and then monitor the performance of both. This governance role ensures that what is happening within the School is in alignment with the school’s
mission, strategic plan, values and objectives, and also that it is financially viable, and educationally and legally compliant in accordance with the various regulations incumbent upon all registered schools and not-for-profit organisations.


To fulfil this role, the Board meets with the Head of School and Business Manager regularly throughout the school year. The Board also has representatives on various school committees, including the Finance Committee and the Planning and Development Committee. In a practical sense, the Board also does a fair amount of reading, reviewing of financials and asking of questions, as all new and amended School policies, as well as all major decisions within the School, whether strategic or financial, need to be approved by the Board.

Have more questions about the School Board? Click here to see all Ask the Board questions to date.

Why do we have a School Board?

17/11/2020

 
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Painting by Year 8 student Tex O'Donnell 

​Generally speaking, a school board is responsible for the Governance of the School.  Basically, this means the board oversees the performance of the school including the school’s management and the school’s financial performance. A school board is also responsible for maintaining the school’s mission, values and objectives.

The Shearwater School Board guides the School management to ensure decisions made are aligned with the School’s mission, values and objectives, whilst ensuring financial viability, educational and legal compliance. Last but not least, as Shearwater is an i
ncorporated not-for-profit organisation, it must by law have a constitution (aka rules) and the Shearwater Constitution requires our School to have a Board.  

Have more questions about the School Board? Click here to see all Ask the Board questions to date.
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