Respect
Integrity
Excellence

School Council

School Council Members for 2025

To contact School Council parent and community representatives please email the school: aberfeldie.ps@edumail.vic.gov.au marked Attention: School Council

Objectives, Functions and Powers of School Councils

The Aberfeldie School Council consists of individuals from the Department of Education and Training (DET), Parents and Community Representatives. Aberfeldie’s School Council generally meets once a month during the school term, twice per term.

The Aberfeldie Primary School Council operates through a number of sub-committees. Sub-committees provide advice and make recommendations to the School Council, reporting regularly at school council meetings. Sub-committees are open to all Aberfeldie Community Representatives and therefore provide opportunities to get involved. Sub-committees generally meet every month.

Functions of school council

The key functions of school council with regard to the school are:

• to establish the broad direction and vision of the school within the school's community
• to arrange for the supply of:
  • goods
  • services
  • facilities
  • materials
  • equipment
  • other things or matters required for the conduct of the school, including the provision of preschool programs
• to raise funds for school related purposes
• to regulate and facilitate the after-hours use of the school premises and grounds
• to exercise a general oversight of the school buildings and grounds and ensure they are kept in good order and condition
• to provide for the cleaning and sanitary services that are necessary for the school
• to ensure that all money coming into the hands of the council is expended for proper purposes relating to the school
• to provide meals and refreshments for the staff and students of the school and make charges for those meals or refreshments
• to inform itself and take into account any views of the school community for the purpose of making decisions in regard to the school and the students at the school
• to generally stimulate interest in the school in the wider community
• to prepare the School Strategic Plan and review the Annual Implementation Plan — to be signed by the president and the principal
• to report annually (the Annual Report) to the school community and to the department on:
  • the school’s financial activities
  • the School Strategic Plan, and
  • any other matters that are determined by the Minister
• to manage the hire, licence and shared use of school facilities
• to determine the dates for the school’s student-free days:
  • in accordance with the number of student-free days each calendar year specified by the Secretary of the department
• to perform any other function or duty, or to exercise any power conferred or imposed on the council by or under:
  • the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, or
  • any regulations made under that Act
  • a Ministerial Order made, or direction issued, by the Minister under the Education and Training Reform Act.

Information on the role and responsibilities of the various school council officer bearers (such as the principal as Executive Officer and the school council president) is available on School Councils – Composition and Officer Bearers.

Powers of school council

For the purpose of meeting its functions and objectives, and in accordance with any conditions or limitations set out in the Education and Training Reform Act, the Education and Training Reform Regulations, Ministerial Order or the school council’s constituting Order, school councils may:

• enter into contracts, agreements or arrangements
• form sub-committees
• sell property acquired for use in the school
• for primary schools, provide preschool programs
• use any funding provided to the school, for any purpose related to the school, provided the funding was not provided for a specified purpose
• establish trusts and act as trustee of them
• employ staff (noting the exception in relation to the employment of teachers)
• charge fees to parents for goods, services or other things provided by the school to a child of the parent:
  • subject to section 2.2.4 of the Education and Training Reform Act, and
  • in accordance with any Ministerial Order made under that Act
• conduct programs in or use, or allow any other person or body to conduct programs in or use, any of the school’s buildings or grounds for the purpose of educational, recreational, sporting or cultural activities for students, the local community or young persons, but only when the buildings or grounds are not required for ordinary school purposes
• with the applicable approval from the Minister, construct or carry out any improvements to any school building structure or school grounds
• do any other thing that is necessary or convenient to be done for, or in connection with, meeting its objectives or performing its functions or duties
• do anything else conferred on it by or under the Education and Training Reform Act, or any regulations or a Ministerial Order made under that Act.

Important: A school council does not have the power to:

• employ a teacher for longer than twelve months or with no date fixed for the termination of that employment;
• purchase or acquire for consideration any land or building; or
• unless authorised by or under the Education and Training Reform Act or any regulations or a Ministerial Order made under that Act:
  • license or grant any interest in land, including school lands or buildings;
  • enter into hire purchase agreements;
  • obtain loan or credit facilities;
  • form or become a member of a corporation;
  • provide for any matter or thing outside Victoria unless it is related to an excursion by students from the school or the professional development of staff of the school;
  • purchase a motor vehicle, boat or plane.

2024 Sub-Committees for Aberfeldie Primary include:

• Finance
• Learning & Wellbeing
• Fundraising
• Building & Grounds