School Council

The School Council is the governing body of the school and may comprise people from all sectors of the school community - parents, teachers, the Principal, community and student representatives.

School Councils have assumed an increasingly important role in the school as government policies have vested in it more responsibility to determine the school’s education policy, goals and priorities which suit the needs of the school community, and to manage the resources available for meeting those goals.

The responsibilities of School Council include:

  • Representing the school community in compiling the School Charter - a formal documented agreement between the school and the Department of Education and Training outlining the school’s goals and priorities over a three-year period.

  • Formulating and maintaining documented education and management policies, including the student dress code and code of conduct.

  • Assisting the Principal in formulating and approving the school’s financial budget

  • Maintaining and improving the school’s facilities – i.e. buildings and grounds.

  • Reporting annually to the school community on the performance of the school in achieving its goals, its current financial status and outlining future plans

  • Making recommendations to the Department of Education on the appointment of the school’s Principal.

The School Council operates through regular meetings that provide the forum for issues to be discussed and decisions made. Annual minimums of eight meetings (two each term) are held and are generally convened on the third Monday of the month. Childcare is free for School Council meetings.

The workload of School Council is usually distributed to various committees with defined responsibilities; some of these are as follows:

  • Policy & Planning - Review and update existing policies and formulate new policies. Also address other education issues as and when considered necessary by School Council

  • Facilities - Our school is sited on approximately 4 Ha of land. Whilst the buildings & grounds are generally in good condition they do require regular attention. This is mostly achieved through regular working bees with the involvement of parents, teachers, children and other community members, though a contract exists for some general garden maintenance.

  • Finance - The finances of our school are under regular scrutiny to ensure spending is in accordance with the school budget. The formulation and recommendation of the annual budget is a major task for this committee toward the end of each year.

  • Public Relations & Fundraising - Makes recommendations to council in relation to special events and school publicity promoting all aspects of our school within our own community and beyond. All fundraising for our school is now overseen by School Council.

  • OSHC & VRQA - Reports on our council managed OSHC program including Vacation Care. VRQA is the assessment of our compliance in school matters.

  • Wellbeing - Monitor the wellbeing of our school community and make recommendations for improvement. The Wellbeing Team's purpose is to support and build the well-being of all children enrolled at Coldstream Primary School. This includes hearing and supporting many stakeholders in the children's lives, such as parents and teachers.

The School Council encourages all parents to become actively involved in their child’s education, whether it be in an official capacity as a member of one of the various school groups, assisting teachers with reading or at home.
All subcommittee meeting dates are noted on the calendar, support is always welcome.

It is important that every parent has the opportunity to express their concerns or their satisfaction with their child’s education - you are encouraged to approach a School Councillor, the Principal or your child’s teacher if you have a query.