The Board of Management is acting on behalf of the patron and in accordance with the regulations of the Dept. Of Education and Skills. It operates as ‘one corporate body’. This means that:

·         The board acts as one unit in terms of its function in addressing the business of the school

·         The elected parents and teacher, once elected, do not act in a representative or communicative role

Two parents – one father and one mother – of children in the school are elected to the Board of Management either by postal ballot or a specially-convened meeting. The two elected parents are then the ‘nominees’ of the Parent Body on the Board of Management. As is the case with the one elected staff representative and the two co-opted community representatives, the two elected parents are now part of a ‘Body Corporate’ i.e. the Board of Management, whose function it is to manage the school. The two parent representatives contribute to and uphold the decisions and policies of the Board of Management. This means that, other than the agreed report from each Boards of Management meeting, all other matters must remain confidential.

They, the parent’s nominees, have no function in bringing individual parental complaints or the Parent’s Association’s issues to the Board. Such issues can be dealt with through the agreed complaints procedure or brought to the Board of Management either through the Principal or by a letter to the Chairperson of the Board of Management.

The Parents’ Nominees on the Board of Management are entitled to be members of the Parents Association however it is recommended that they should not hold any officer positions on the committee. This is to avoid any possible conflict of interest with their role as Board members. Their primary obligation is as a member of the management team of the school and as such their role does not include representing the Parents’ Association or individual parents.

At the end of each meeting the Board will agree a report that the Parent’s Representatives will bring to the Parents’ Association and what information (if any) is to be kept confidential

When a vacancy occurs among the Parents’ Representatives, the Board of Management having consulted with the Parents’ Association may recommend to the Patron either:

1.    The co-option as a replacement, the person with the next highest number of votes from among those not elected to the Board initially or

2.    The Board of Management may recommend a further election to replace the Parent Representative

The Board of Management will serve a 4 year term from its inception. The Board of Management provides leadership and ensures effective management of the school, within an agreed school budget and a framework of accountability. All eight members of the Board once appointed act together as a unit.