Freemans Bay School / Waiatarau
Terms of Reference
Co-governance Working Group
Context:
As a Board, we acknowledge New Zealand’s cultural diversity and the unique position of Māori as
tangata whenua. The Board are on a pathway towards co-governance and have a desire to establish
this by the end of 2025. This working group will provide an example of co-governance in action,
acknowledging our responsibilities as treaty partners and enabling equal representation of Board
members and Whānau Ata members.
The strategic outcomes identified by the working group should be aligned to the school charter to
enable the board to give effect to the recommendations. Actions and outcomes identified that
currently sit outside the scope of the school charter will be used to inform the future development
of the school charter.
Purpose:
As part of their Strategic Plan 2023-2025, the Board of Waiatarau/Freemans Bay has identified an
ongoing commitment to establish a model of co-governance that is shaped by Māori whānau as a
strategic intent over the next three years. The goal for year one (2023) is to produce a draft model of
co-governance agreed between the Board and whānau. To support this outcome,the Board is
establishing a Working Group to explore models of co-governance, engage with the
Waiatarau/Freemans Bay school community and propose recommendations for consideration to the
Board of Waiatarau/Freemans Bay.
Members:
Working group members will demonstrate a partnership approach with members being selected by
the Board, and members being co-opted onto the working group from the Whānau Ata whānau
group. All members will have equal rights, roles and responsibilities within the working group.
Membership on the working group is voluntary. Members can leave the working group, and be
replaced by other suitable people.
Board Representatives
Whānau Ata Representatives
David King
Summer Wharekawa
Carel Smith
Ariana Foote
Hamish Hopkinson
Junelle Kunin
Contributors to the working group will include the Principal and Kaihautū.
Objectives:
The objectives of the working group are;
• To research and investigate models of co-governance both within and outside the education
sector.
• To engage with Waiatarau/Freemans Bay school community to share knowledge about co-
governance and seek the insights, ideas and support from our school community.
• To provide recommendations to the Board that will provide viable options for co-governance
to operate with the Waiatarau/Freemans Bay context.
Information shared with the working group by key stakeholders is done so with the objectives in
mind. However, it should be noted that for honesty and transparency purposes anonymity will be
provided to all key stakeholders. De-identified data will be shared with the Board in terms of
evidencing solutions and recommendations, but specific details pertaining to information shared by
participants will not be provided.
Timeframe:
The Working Group will be convened after the ratification of this Terms of Reference by the Board
and will be effective until the end of Term 4, 2023.
Roles and Responsibilities of members:
• The working group will develop a scope of works to be presented to the Board and approved
before work is implemented.
• The working group will provide updates to the Board regarding their progress at each Boad
meeting with format to be agreed.
• The working group will provide their draft recommendations to the Board at the final Board
meeting of the 2023 school year.
• The working group will provide an outline of proposed engagements to the Board. The
working group understand that they are representatives of the school and will act and
behave in accordance with our tikanga and values.
• The working group will facilitate appropriate engagement with Whānau Ata and the wider
school community as required.
Reasonable expenditure for koha or hosting events will be supported by the Board. The Working
Group access financial support through a request to the Principal.
