Upon Appointment

• Meet with Manager of Schools Change Project to formalise role outcomes for allocated school(s)
• Meet with Specialist Senior Advisor, Senior Financial Advisor, and Residual Agent to discuss roles and responsibilities, timelines, reporting requirements, etc.

Before Closure

Planning

• Ensure that all significant matters are planned by or with the Principal/Board such as:

–        ensuring support for parents and students

–        ensuring targeted support for priority groups

–        supporting staff during the pre-closure period though this does not include giving employment advice.

–        understand and document context of school in terms of additional programmes and student support and work with appropriate people to transition these services

–        drafting a timeline of activities needing to be completed and corresponding deadlines (e.g. mailing of redundancy notice letters, etc) as dictated by the Collective Agreements (CAs), Individual Employment Agreements (IEAs) and ensuring the Board is aware of other relevant industrial relations regulations(in conjunction with NZSTA)

–        identifying the role of the Board in the closure process and the tasks it needs to complete

–        ensuring NZSTA brief the Board on the process for identification of surplus staffing options for staff (working with the Appointed Board to ensure the wider school community is informed of the decision (key messages developed) if this hasn’t already happened

–        student enrolments in their new schools

–        work with client technology schools (if relevant) to ensure they are informed about technology provision post-closure. This does not include giving employment advice.

–        Helping to organise any closing ceremony

–        provision of NAG 2A data to the Ministry

–        finalising and signing the EDI Memorandum of Agreement.

–        Negotiating with the Board secretarial support, if any, for the change manager

Parents, children and whānau

• Support the Principal/Board to communicate with families/students by explaining processes, time-lines etc.
• Work with the Principal/Boards to ensure the families of all students are aware of the schools that they can enrol at and have taken steps to be enrolled at them.
• Work with the Education Wellbeing Response team to implement agreed support plan and ensure that comprehensive support plans for each school community are implemented.
• Liaise with NGO resources which are required to support families in the school community
• Work with school / RTLB / special education to ensure transition plans are developed for students, including those with special education needs, which are comprehensive and include all aspects of care for the child and their family.
• Consider access to mental health services and other social services such as Right Services Right Time as necessary.

Employment

• Support the Principal/Board of the closing school to ensure that it has accurate and current employment documentation for its staff including:

–        years of service

–        current salary

–        annual leave entitlement

–        other entitlements or potential liabilities.

• Support the Board, NZSTA, NZEI, PPTA, and/ or other relevant organisations to ensure all employment processes are properly followed and all deadlines met in order to minimise risk of employment-related disputes.

–        Obtain copies of each of the relevant Collective Agreements for the school’s teaching and non-teaching staff

–        Complete all relevant forms/ letters to staff (e.g. staff notices, etc.) pertaining to the employees of the school

–        Ensure documentation is made available on behalf of the employer to support employees’ preferred surplus staffing options but avoiding giving employment advice.

–        Ensure Resourcing Division of the Ministry is provided with evidence of the teachers and principal’s preferred staffing option(s).

–        Ensure Ministry of Education’s Education Service Payroll Unit is advised of any pending payroll costs prior to closure and within timelines set out in each Collective.

–        Liaise with the Financial Service Provider/ Residual Agent as required to:

a)       Ensure access to information relevant to the employees of the school.

b)       Share information regarding all payroll liabilities.

c)       Ensure there are sufficient cash balances to meet payroll obligations.

• If appropriate, on behalf of the Board, support individual employees to:

–        identify and apply for a suitable alternative permanent position

• NZSTA staff are available to provide all the relevant industrial employment advice about the change process.  You will be expected to follow this advice.

Change Managers should not provide industrial advice of any kind to staff or Board

Enrolment of learners

• Work with the Specialist Senior Adviser, Principal and Board to ensure all families with children / students in the school are aware of the schools they can enrol in, and have taken action to be enrolled in other schools.
• Survey parents about their intentions for enrolment in this school year, and for the year in which the school closes.
• Get current roll at date of announcement, and compile a list of siblings and addresses of students enrolled at that date.

Property/ Assets

• Identify outstanding property issues (e.g. painting, repairs, health and safety concerns, etc.)

• Work with Residual Agent to ensure that the school’s asset register is up to date (including any school monuments, time capsules, plaques, furniture and fixtures, etc)

–        take photos of capital assets of high value and included this in the updated asset register.

• When the asset register is complete, provide a copy to the Residual Agent.

–        take photos of capital assets of high value and include this in the updated asset register.

• Work with the Board to:

–        agree, in writing, on which assets will be transferred to which school (this could include inviting the Boards of neighbouring schools to view the school’s assets).

–        agree, in writing, the date that the transfer will occur.

–        For any assets that are not to be transferred to another school, work with Board to decide on disposal (e.g. sale, donation to local group etc).  This should be included in the EDI Memorandum of Agreement. Ensure funds generated from any sales are forwarded to the Residual Agent.

• After the transfer date, ensure that the Boards receiving the goods have appropriate information about them to update their asset registers.

• If the community is to take over responsibility for part of the site (e.g. the swimming pool) ensure that the appropriate documentation is developed and signed.
• Identify and arrange for the transfer of any material that should go to Archives or the Genealogical Society.

• Work with Residual Agent to ensure

–        final water/ utility readings are scheduled as at closure date.

–        sufficient funds are available for payment of future mowing / gardening / maintenance / security contracts until day of closure, as required.

Progress Reporting

• Meet regularly with the Board to discuss progress, identify concerns and issues.

• Meet as required with the Project Manager, Specialist Senior Advisor and Regional Financial Advisor to discuss progress, identify concerns and issues.

Day of Closure

Keys

Work with the Residual Agent to ensure:

• A set is held by a nominated person in the community.
• A set is lodged with the local/regional Ministry office.
• Contact details of all key-holders are left with the local/regional Ministry office

Assets

Work with the Residual Agent to ensure:

• That all assets are safe and secure (particularly in the case of high value assets where the closure is not supported by the Board and/ or community).
• That the transfer of these assets to other schools is overseen by the residual agent or the change manager.
• The school pool(s) is/ are empty and the area is secure (gate is locked with a new padlock if required).
• Walls are stripped of student work, posters etc and the school is reasonably clean and tidy.
• Whiteboards and blackboards cleaned etc.

Mail

Work with the Residual Agent to ensure:

• mail is redirected to the Residual Agent, if not already done and any website is disabled.

Post-Closure

Property

• If the property is to be used for educational purposes, work with the Ministry to determine the tasks to be undertaken before it is handed over (use list below).
• If the property is not required for education and is being put into the disposal process, work with Ministry to ensure tasks for disposal are completed. These may include ensuring:

–        The mowing contract is in place for grass.

–        Gardens are maintained.

–        New locks are fitted to doors where appropriate.

–        The water supply is turned off unless it is vital for school house.

–        Power is turned off and switchboard rewired for security lighting and water pump.

–        Phone is disconnected.

–        Floors swept/mopped and carpets are vacuumed.

–        All furniture and chattels removed.

–        Bins emptied and secured and incinerator is emptied.

Students

• Work with the Ministry to ensure all students from the closed school are taken off ENROL for that school.  Work with the Ministry to check that they are enrolled at another school (which will enter them onto ENROL).

Other tasks

• School records are sorted, labelled and relocated (as per the School Records Retention and Disposal Schedule).

• AA sign is removed from roadsides (they may be needed for a period after the day of closure).

• Work with the Residual Agent to ensure that if the site is not being used, that the school gates and site are secured.

• Ensure school email accounts are discontinued.