Fergusson Intermediate School
Board of Trustees Meeting
Held on Monday, 1st September 2025
Present : Paula Glen, Simon Kenny, Sandra Honey, Rachael Browne, Whaea Ange,
Phil ip Hartel , Natasha Margrain
In attendance : Anne McPhie (Secretary),
Apologies : Nil Declaration of Interest : Nil
Speaking Rights Given to:
Agenda Item
Discussion
Actioned
Approval of Previous
Tabled as read.
Motion : It was moved to
Minutes
approve the minutes for
Monday, 28th July 2025.
Moved : Whaea Ange
Second : Paula Glen
The board agreed.
Conflict of Interest
Nil
Principals Report
Conference Reflection
Motion : It was moved that
It was amazing. Aboriginal welcoming,
the 2026 Term dates be
equivalent to a karakia.
approved.
The conference was about connection and
Moved : Paula Glen
collaboration.
Second : Sandra Honey
The board agreed
.
Validating just around how we can work
around school - everybody wants to be seen,
heard and valued. It is a good tool to work
with. Lots of catch phrases.
Class placement tool called School Creator
or Pluto. The company will come in to do a
demo for this tool. Hope to start this year.
It is a social network tool for the classroom.
Enrolment
Still looking at the numbers, Amy and Simon
to look at. Simon will notify the board if a
ballot is required.
2025 Dates
Tabled. These dates are in consultation
with the Upper Hutt Cluster.
2026 Term Dates: Term 1: Mon 2 Feb to Thur 2 Apr - 86 half days
Term 2: Mon 20 Apr - Fri 3 Jul - 106 half days
Term 3 Mon 20 Jul - Fri 25 Sep - 100 half days
Term 4 Mon 12 Oct - Tue 15 Dec - 90 Half Days
Total 382 Half Days - this includes a Cluster TOD
23 October. (We are waiting on permission; if we
don't get permission, we wil finish a day earlier)
We don't have to make up the interim date.
TOD 23 Oct 2026 - need permission to have
this.
Confirmed all school start - 2nd Feb 2026
It would be helpful to have SLT meet the
new families individually. Would need to
think logistically. Simon is looking into this.
Presiding Members
Tabled as read.
Motion : It was moved to
Report
Transition to new Board.
co-opt Whaea Ange, Maori
- NEXT board to set new Complaints
Advisor to the Board.
Committee
Moved : Paula Glen
It is important to have procedures in
Second : Phil Hartell
place.
- Confirm New Roles on handover of
new board.
Terms of reference - Sandra to put
together.
The Board confirmed :
- Co-opting Cultural Advisor for next 12
months.
Everyone looks at their roles on the drive.
There is a lot of information to put together.
Policy and Procedure Tabled and read. Some alterations to be
Update - Sandra
made to policies via school docs following
reviews
Health and Safety
EOTC Sign Off
Motion : The Board moved
Update - Phillip
- William Pike Tramp -
that the overnight camp at
- Board approve - subject to Ed
Powell Hutt be approved
. All
updating extreme weather conditions.
agreed.
- Kickstart Bike and Adrenalin Forest
Moved : Paula Glen
Trip- paperwork completed this
Second : Natasha Margrain
afternoon. Great opportunity for the
6 students. Trip to Adrenaline Forest.
The only concern is the risk of the
zipline course etc, it is high risk.
Being aware and accepting the risk
and Board to sign off. No school staff
going. No cost to the school.Good
opportunity, Board approved.
- Phillip said that there is a lot of debris
being thrown over their fence at his
home.
- The back gate latch doesn't work -
Mitre Grove gate.
- Staff wellbeing - a lot of staff sickness
or staff with kids who are sick.
Finance - Phillip
Tabled and read.
Motion : The Board moved to
- Expecting some heavier expenditure
approve the July 2025
at the end of the year
Financial report.
- The budget is where it should be.
Moved : Phillip Hartell
- The biggest overage of expenditure
Second : Paula Glen
continues to be paper.
- No big variances to be of concern at
this stage.
- Annual budget - deficit by $98,000 by
the end of the year. Actuals we are
doing ok.
- Staffing will go down when Amy is
back.
Property Update
10YPP / 5YA AmendmentPaula signed off.
Additional roof on the hall southern veranda.
Cultural Advisor -
- Have received all the responses for
Whaea Ange
the Te Ora Atamira - 14 schools
involved, booked for 12th November.
- Upper Hutt Cultural Festival - the day
before - venue to be advised - 11th
November.
- Confirmation of the whole school
Friday mornings for powhiri etc.
- Had a great day with the 2
intermediates working together at the
Ōrongomai.
Review of Suspension
- Reflections - always room for
Motion : The Board moved to
Process
improvement but we are here for the
approve for payment of future
students and staff. The Board does a
suspension/ reconsideration
good job at being fair and looking at
meetings.
best interests moving forward.
Moved : Sandra Honey
- Guided pretty strongly by procedures.
Second : Phillip Hartell
- Learning each time after each
process.
- Paula talking to NZSTA - sent through
suspension guidelines. To do up a
guideline for the future suspension
process.
- NZSTA advised Option is To have a
suspension committee, hard for all the
board to be available. Don't need to
have all the members at the
suspension meeting. The board does
not agree with this.
- NZSTA advised Staff rep should not be
there, as it could be seen as a conflict
of interest. The board disagrees with
this too. Having a Staff Rep attend is
valuable.
- Simon's reports mention other
students' names, is there privacy
issues? Very hard to keep student A,
etc. Last names are not used. Simon
is mindful of this.
- Board to Set up a template checklist.
Simon follows a flowchart.
- Paula suggests having an Agenda for
each suspension meeting. Have an
expectation chart for parents. Setting
the tone for the meeting, what can be
expected from a suspension meeting.
- Having the student there but making
them aware that their behaviour is
unacceptable.
- NZSTA advise that good practice to
allow Board time with Suspension
meeting date, to allow Board to come
up with appropriate conditions to
return to school if needed.
- Discussed Board honorarium payments.
Board Agreed, Future suspension
meetings/ reconsideration meetings,
members to be paid. To notify Tina.
Board Work Plan
- Succession planning.
- Anything to hand over to Paula for the
new board - tips for their new roles.
- Presiding Member email account to go
to the new Presiding Member - not be
deleted.
- Health Curriculum - every 2 years,
consult with the community.
- Reviews, Strategic Planning with the
new Board and Amy.
- Budget Review
Correspondence
Resignation from Natasha
- Anne to contact Election Pilot.Paula to
check process on replacement
member
Actioned
Review
Paula thanked the outgoing board
Next Meeting
Monday, 20th October 2025 @ 6.15pm
Meeting closed
8.55pm
Carried Forward/Raised
Action
AI Policy - carried forward,
Simon to talk to Aaron - discussed.
complete by end of term 3.
On school docs that are being looked at.
Replacement Board Parent Rep
Anne and Paula to investigate
Communicate with Tina on decision Anne
for honorarium payments
Hand over roles to new Board
Paula/Board
Set up Suspension Agenda, Check
Paula
List
Update school policies with School Sandra
Docs
Electronically Signed :
Presiding Member - Paula Glen
Date : 07/10/2025
