BOSTES 49/16

Who needs to read this notice:
Principals and proprietors of non-government schools
Representatives of systems of non-government schools

Effective from 1 January 2017

The Minister for Education has approved amendments to the Registered and Accredited Individual Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual and the Registration Systems and Member Non-government Schools (NSW) Manual ('the Manuals’).

The amendments follow the passing of legislation to establish the NSW Education Standards Authority (‘the Authority’), including changes to the legislation underpinning school registration.

 The amendments relate to:

• replacing the good character requirement with a fit and proper person requirement (section 3.9.1 of the individual schools manual / 5.9.1 of the systemic schools manual)
• a new financial viability requirement (section 3.9.4 of the individual schools manual / 5.9.4 of the systemic schools manual)
• a greater focus on the quality of teaching and student learning (section 3 of the individual schools manual / 5 of the systemic schools manual)
• the risk based approach of the Authority (section 2.4.2 of the individual schools manual / section 2.3.6 of the systemic schools manual)
• changing references from 'the BOSTES' to 'the Authority' and other minor edits (various sections of the Manuals).

The Manuals are amended on a transitional basis to cover the period 1 January 2017 until the Board of the Authority meets in 2017 and either confirms the amendments or requires changes.

Schools with a registration period expiring at the end of 2017 have been notified of these changes and the renewal process to be implemented in 2017.

Further information about the changes will be published early in 2017, particularly in relation to certification of financial viability.

The Manuals constitute the rules of BOSTES which, under legislated savings and transitional arrangements, continue to apply when the Authority commences on 1 January 2017.

The amended Manuals are available to download from the Registration and Accreditation of Non-government Schools (RANGS) website.

Please note that the web versions of the Manuals are the most up-to-date Manuals at any time.

Tracked changes of the amended Manuals areavailable in the ‘Reference Documents section’ of the RANGS website.

The following support materials are also available:

• Proformas for Document Audits for Individual Schools
• Proformas for Document Audits for System Member Schools.

For more information, contact:
Anita Yates
Senior Board Inspector, School Registration and Accreditation Standards
anita.yates@bostes.nsw.edu.au
(02) 9367 8214