175 
09 278 9763SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES
28th October 2025
Meeting held in the Papatoetoe Intermediate School Meeting Room
| Time | 6.00 p.m. |
| Present | Kimiora Parata [Presiding Member], Peter Cann, Leigh Manukau, Oriana Avei-Suaesi, Kulbir Kaur, Namrata Kumar, [Parent Elected] Jeremy Nicholls [Co-opted member] and Melanie Willis [Staff Elected] and Pauline Cornwell – [Principal] |
| In Attendance | Donna Young, DP Curriculum and Pedagogy.
Nawinta Prasad, DP Technology and Arts Leader, Relievers and Release. Sanjeev Kumar, DP Rehua Team, Ururangi Whanau and Mathematics Curriculum Leader. Tamara Gersbach Cluster Manager, RTLB Cluster 10 |
| Apologies | Gareth Fletcher, DP Puanga Team, Waita Whanau, PE and Health Curriculum (including EOTC, Camps and Sport) and Health and Safety (including RAMs and Evacuations) |
| Resignation | Swati Kukreti has resigned from her elected position on the School Board. Welcome to Jeremy Nicholls who was the next highest candidate. |
| Welcome and Karakia | Thank you to Leigh for leading the Karakia |
| Conflict of Interest | Members declared that according to the printed agenda no one had a conflict of interest with any business to be discussed at this evening. – Moved Kimi Parata Carried Unanimously |
| Ratification of August minutes | Moved that the minutes of 25th August 2025 are a true and correct record of the meeting. – Moved Kimi Parata – Carried Unanimously No matters arising – Principal’s goals covered in Principal’s Report |
Welcome to :
- Donna Young, DP Curriculum, Attendance and Pedagogy
- Nawinta Prasad, DP Technology, Food Tech and Arts Leader, Relievers and Release
- Sanjeev Kumar, DP Rehua Team, Uru Rangi Whanau and Mathematics Curriculum Leader
- Donna, Nawinta and Sanjeev introduced themselves and explained what they oversee in the school.
- Donna, Sanjeev and Nawinta left the meeting at 6.10 p.m.
- Tamara Gersbach Cluster Manager, RTLB Cluster 10
- Tamara explained how the RTLB Service works
- Papatoetoe Intermediate is the host school and Pauline Cornwell is the Lead School Principal
- Tamara explained how the RTLB Service works
- Tamara encouraged members to read through the report that had be shared prior to the meeting, and to feel very welcome to ask questions.
- Tamara explained how the funding works
- Staffing
- Administration grant
- Travel grant – mileage claims
- Learning Support Fund
- Repairs and Maintenance request and explanation.
- Toilet refurbishment
- Board approval
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- Moved Kimi Parata
Seconded Oriana Avei-Suaesi
Carried Unanimously
- Moved Kimi Parata
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- Board approval
- Finances
- Tamara explained to the members how to read the financial document and how the funding agreement works.
- Draft budget presented
- Accepted the draft budget and report
- Moved Pauline
Seconded Peter
Carried Unanimously
- Moved Pauline
- Accepted the draft budget and report
- Tamara left the meeting at 6.35 p.m.
Principal’s -Report
Pauline’s Principals report had been shared with all members
- The Principal’s Report to the Board reports against items as follows?
- Board functions
- The ‘businesses of the school including
- Finance and Risks
- Principal Performance Management
- Government priorities
- Board members all had a copy of the report prior to the meeting
- The Board has now returned to a ‘normal’ constitution from a ‘hybrid’ constitution
- Pauline explained how this had worked and that the Ministry approved the Board return to a ‘normal’ constitution in August 2025.
- Uniform update – photos shared with Board members. Board to approve the concept and Gareth will then get samples made up and shared with the Board.
- Moved Kimi Parata
Seconded Namrata Kumar
Carried Unanimously
- Moved Kimi Parata
- School docs – policies. Board members are encouraged to access these on the website.
- Letter of concern – to Regional Ministry Leader – Deidre Alderson, Seretary of Education – Ellen MacGregor-Reid, Minister of Education, Erica Stanford, MP for Otahuhu/Papatoetoe – Jenny Salesa and Associate Minister of Education – David Seymour. re deliberate and growing inequitable provisions fort our school.
- Jeremy suggests the Board also write regarding this concern
- Namrata will draft a letter to the Ministry [Deidre Alderson], and share it with Kimi and Jeremy for all the Board members to sign.
- Principal Performance Management Goals for 2026:
- Improve student achievement results in core subjects (Reading, Writing and Mathematics) in keeping with established Targets and the Curriculum refresh
- Improve Teacher Capability aligned with MoE Led Curriculum Refresh – Structured Mathematics, Structured Literacy, and Science (2026 TBC)
- Complete Property projects: Classroom conversion (3 classrooms) / 6 New Classroom spaces/ 5YA projects – Toilets/ Roof/ SEN Property modifications/2 Science Labs
- Prepare for retirement and transition to a new principal including: Papers for the information pack, budget clarity, transition and support personnel responsibilities
- Application for Attendance Provider funding application ($24,000) – approved and funding will be available in Term 4 2025
- Finances
- Reports were all shared with Board Members
- Draft budget will be available for the November meeting
- Renewal of NZSBA Membership
- Property
- Cyclical maintenance is pretty much on track
- Jeremy suggests the Board also write regarding this concern
Pauline moved the Board accept Principal’s report and any recommendations.
- Recommendations
- Accept the RTLB Report and recommendations
- Approve all the Finance Reports for PIS and RTLB and related recommendations
- Approve credit card spending
- Accept Property reports (Watershed, Finance Managers and Principals) and any associated recommendations and related finances listed in the reports
- Ratify all the employment actions for the previous month: appointments, advertising and contract terminations (resignations)
- Approve 0.8 FTTE overstaffing for counsellors and an additional 1 FTTE overstaffing for leadership release in 2026 (1.80 FTTE overstaffing in all)
- Approve the Cyclical Maintenance plan and allocated budget for 2026
- Approved the ‘draft’ Attendance Management Plan
- Approve RTLB Funded project – toilet upgrade up to the value of $50,000
Accepted Peter Cann
Seconded Kimi Parata
Carried Unanimously
Events – Board members all welcome
- Market Day – Thursday 30th October – 2.00 p.m.
- Indian Fono – 6th November at 6.00 p.m.
- Dinner – Tuesday 2nd December at Big Fish – 6.30 p.m. [Please confirm your attendance with Barb]
- Supreme Prize Giving – Wednesday 10th December at 11.00 a.m. [Please confirm your attendance with Barb]
At 7.55 p.m. Kimiora Parata moved that the Public be excluded from discussion of confidential items relating to personnel matters because of their sensitive nature.
Carried – Unanimously.
In committee discussion closed at 8.35 p.m. and the regular meeting resumed.
The Board Chair and Principal agreed to carry out the actions outlined in the ‘in-committee’ meeting.
Correspondence
Outward
– Letter of ‘concern’ Erica Stanford, Deidre Alderson, Ellen MacGregor – Ministry of Education,
David Seymour – Associate Minister of Education and Jenny Salesa – MP Otahuhu/Papatoetoe
- Board Members also decided to write a separate letter to Deidre Alderson, MoE, Botany Branch re reductions in Learning Support Funding.
Inward
- In-School Attendance Provision [Attendance Service] signed document
- Board Members Study Awards – NZSBA
- 2026 School Insurance Renewal – AoG
- 2026 Board meeting dates
- New uniform styles – shared with Board
- Pasifika Whanau Feedback Summary – shared with Board Members
- Auckland Council submission re Proposed Plan Change – Housing Intensification and Resilience
- NZSBA Membership renewal – approved
Correspondence
Moved Jeremy
Seconded Pauline
Carried Unanimously
Other Business
- Election of Deputy Board Chair
- Peter nominated Jeremy
- Seconded Leigh
- Carried unanimously
- As there were no other nominations Jeremy accepted the position.
- Farewell and welcome to new Board members dinner – Tuesday 2nd December – Big Fish/Stonefields at 6.30 p.m.
- Supreme Prize Giving – Wednesday 10th December at 11.00 a.m. All Board Members are invited. Confirmed – Jeremy, Kimi, Leigh and Namrata. [Please let Barb know if you will be attending as Members present may be invited to present a prize] – TBC Oriana, Peter and Darryl.
- Board Training – finance/ Governance vs Management/ Disciplinary hearings/ Managing Complaints
- NZSBA have offered to come to our school to run training sessions
- Conference – The conference is in Auckland in July 2026
| Meeting closed | 8.45 pm |
| Next Meeting | Monday 24th November at 5.30 p.m.
[Anna Rutherfurd [SAJ Services – finance] will be available from 5.30 for members who would like Anna to share with them how to read the financial papers and answer any questions] If there is time we will have a walk around the school prior to the meeting. |