All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally formed bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within centrally provided guidelines. In doing this, a School Council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

The School Council plays a key role in enhancing the educational opportunities for all students and strengthening community bonds.

School Council Responsibilities

  1. Finance – approving the annual budget and monitoring expenditure
  2. Strategic Planning – participating in the development and monitoring of the school strategic plan
  3. Policy Development and Review – developing, reviewing and updating policies that reflect the school’s values and supports the school’s broad direction outlined in its strategic plan

There are also a number of other governance functions that the School Council has responsibility for.

School Council Members 2024

Parent Members: Kate Lomas (President), Noriko Yamazaki (Vice President), Lorne Franks (Treasurer), Penny Hewson, Julian Rodrigo, Achila Yiu, Rachel Pu

School Employee Members: Sarah Nightingale (Principal, Executive Officer), Adrienne Maisano (Secretary), Tom Drummond, Kim Ryan, Shaun Andrews

Sub-Committees

All School Councils are encouraged to have a number of sub-committees to assist in their work. Sub-committees provide advice and make recommendations to School Council.

The sub-committees formed for North Melbourne Primary School are listed below with School Council membership:

Buildings and Grounds: Noriko Yamazaki (Convenor), Tom Drummond, Kate Lomas, Sarah Nightingale

Finance: Lorne Franks (Convenor), Achila Yiu, Tom Drummond, Julian Rodrigo, Sarah Nightingale

Biz-E-Kidz: Julian Rodrigo (Convenor), Kate Lomas, Adrienne Maisano, Sarah Nightingale

Education: Kim Ryan (Convenor), Adrienne Maisano, Rachel Pu, Penny Hewson, Shaun Andrews

Parents and Friends Association

NMPS also has a Parents and Friends Association, which is accountable to the School Council.

We encourage non-school council members to join the Parents & Friends Association to continue to strengthen our community engagement. If you are interested in joining, please contact the school or reach out to Penny directly.