Governance
Our School Board
The governing body at The Hills Montessori School is the School Board, which consists of the Principal, Assistant Principal, Business Administrator, a staff representative and five other members who are elected from the parents of the school. Board elections are held annually in May at the Annual General Meeting. The School Board has the responsibility to ensure effective management and development of the School at the strategic, policy, corporate and financial level. The Board has a number of Standing Committees; i.e. Finance, Facilities, Policy and OHS&W. Within this structure many people can become involved in the management and support of our school.
One of the responsibilities of the school Board is to ensure legal and financial obligations, and government accountability requirements are being met and effective risk management is in place.
Strategic Plan
PLANNING AHEAD 2022-2027
In August, the 2022-2027 Strategic Plan was unveiled, with Meg Barker chairing the committee. The year-long planning process was a true collaboration, encompassing input from the parent community, staff, and students, as well as SWOT analyses for each school committee, and dialogue at Board level. The resulting document reflects where the school is currently at and establishes a series of key initiatives for the future, divided into five strategic priorities: values and culture, learning and engagement, space and place, business and governance, and connection and communication. These priorities, along with their corresponding goals and actions, will shape the school’s focus over the next five years, reinforcing our operations, culture, and overall strength. We express our gratitude to all those who contributed to this Strategic Plan, including parents, staff, and students.
Master Plan
IMAGINING OUR SCHOOL’S FUTURE
JPE Design Studio who were engaged in 2021 to develop a Master Plan for Yultiwirra, undertook the majority of the work in 2022. Staff, students and parents were surveyed as part of the consultation process. A consultation session was held with the Board executive, Infrastructure and Planning committee chair and school leadership team. An additional consultation session was held with class parent reps and any other interested parents. Preliminary concept plans were presented to the School Board with further feedback being provided. The final Master Plan was completed in November 2022. A huge thank you to Ivano Cavuoto (Board member) who led and provided guidance and expertise throughout the process. We now have an ambitious Master Plan for Yultiwirra that will enable facilities to be modernised and refurbished to meet our changing needs. Prioritising the many aspects of the Master Plan and future capital works is now to be undertaken with this important document helping to guide the School Board’s decisions.
School Building Fund
The Hills Montessori School raises funds to continue to improve facilities for our students at both campuses.The Building Fund is used for a variety of purposes such as the funding of new buildings, additions, painting, general maintenance and fixtures. These funds are particularly important in times of growth to assist in the provision of school facilities from which all students in the school benefit. They are important at all times in maintaining the quality of the students’ learning environment.
The school makes plans based on receiving a minimum Building Fund donation of $200/family/year. We ask all families to contribute, and for those who can, to contribute more generously. The school Building Fund is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient. All donations are tax deductible. A receipt is provided before 30th June each year for tax claim purposes.
We are very grateful to individuals for contributions of any size.
School Performance Report
As part of our funding agreement with the Commonwealth Government, one of the accountability requirements is to ensure that specific “School Performance Information” is made publicly available to the school community.
This information has been provided to the school community in a variety of formats. What follows is a collated version of this information under the headings specified by the Australian Government. The information relates to the 2023 school year.
