Parkville College School Council
Parkville College School Council was established under Ministerial Order 634, on 31 July 2013 by the Victorian Minister for Education.
School Councils operate under the legislative framework of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 within the Victorian government school system. The general aims of School Councils are to:
Meet the expectations of Victorians for well governed schools;
Reflect local and state-wide values; and
Meet the needs of local communities served by particular schools.
The vision set by the School Council is that Parkville College’s students are supported to create better lives for themselves through access to inclusive education. The School Council commits the whole school (Council included) to act with unconditional positive regard and in the best interest of our students within the context of a collaborative interdepartmental environment. The School Council commits the whole school to: enhance the expectations of every student and their wider communities; and engage students in a journey of lifelong learning with a view to reducing recidivism and building positive citizenship.
The Parkville College School Council aspires to demonstrate exemplary governance by:
Always acting in the best interests of students;
Ensuring compliance with government policies and legislative requirements;
Developing best interest policies and strategic direction;
Providing robust financial oversight and sustainability;
Evaluating and implementing continuous improvement; and
Identifying the need for change and advocacy for solutions.
School Strategic Plan
The School Strategic Plan draws on information gathered and identified through the Improvement Cycle of the Framework for Improving Student Outcomes (FISO). It is formed with extensive consultation both within the school and the broader school community..
Annual Implementation Plan
The Annual Implementation Plan details how the key objectives from the School Strategic Plan will be implemented.
FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE
Subcommittees are advisory bodies to the school council and assist council with work that needs to be done. The Finance Subcommittee meet as directed by the council and report, in writing, to the council. This committee report at school council meetings providing advice and making recommendations to the council on routine financial responsibilities including the development of the annual budget. The school council has the final responsibility for decisions. As subcommittees are open to non-school council members, members of the school community have an opportunity to be involved in school planning and council matters.
YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
Our Parkville Campus has a Youth Leadership Council, a formal sub-committee of the School Council. Meetings take place weekly with an agenda and documented minutes. In this forum, students have a voice, and are encouraged to suggest changes around the school and to their life within the precinct. The Youth Leadership Council helps to develop students’ ability to feel confident in speaking in a large forum, with guests from DJCS, DFFH, DET, and The Commission for Children and Young People. This program is also to be implemented at the Cherry Creek.
Elders Advisory Council
The role of the Parkville College Elders Advisory Council (EAC) will be to promote the welfare of students and provide strategic support and guidance to the school and its staff on matters relating to students and their connections to community and identity. The aim of the EAC is to support an enhanced educational experience for students by listening to the voices of students and facilitating community engagement for the benefit of students. The EAC membership will comprise up to 15 Elders (or their nominees) of the communities of students within the school. These members will hold all decision making authority for the council. The EAC is not a sub-committee of the school council and has no operational functions or formally prescribed powers or duties within the school. It will provide its advice to the Executive Principal and Director of Cultural Education Teams.
The EAC is accountable for:
maintaining a focus on the best interests of students
fostering collaboration with Parkville College school leaders and staff to support learning opportunities for students
building effective partnerships between Elders and students who attend or have left Parkville College
building effective partnerships between Elders and staff of Parkville College
advising the school of community issues that may affect the success of the students and the school
Parkville College Consultative Committee
The consultative committee at Parkville College has been established as a forum in which staff members are involved in influencing the decision making within the school. This committee comprises of staff that have been elected to represent the voice of all staff. These elected members will provide important information to the Executive Principal to enable the Executive Principal to make informed decisions. Areas of discussion can include programs, time fraction changes, roles and responsibilities, employment and recruitment, allocation of duties, special payments, excess, leave policy and workforce planning.