School Boards

Under the Education Act (1998), each school must have a Board of Management. This Board must undertake to run the school according to the ethos determined by the Patron, in keeping with the Act and any regulations set by the Department of Education and Skills. The fundamental legal concept of Educate Together’s patronage is that the Board of an Educate Together school is bound to operate equality-based schools.

• Learn more about terms like ‘patron’, ‘ethos’ and ‘charter’ in our online FAQ section here
• Further information on the role of school Boards can be found on www.citizensinformation.ie
• The latest Departmental Circulars for Boards are available on www.education.ie

Support and resources for Boards and Principals

As patron, Educate Together offers training and support to Boards of Management, helping schools maintain high levels of leadership and governance. Below you can find out about services offered by the national office to Boards:

• Educate Together provides training to Board members and provides opportunities for them to network and to share solutions to in-school issues. Board members can find more information here
• Educate Together runs a confidential advice and support service to Principals and Boards through the member support team. The team prioritises queries on a case by case basis and will endeavour to answer your query within 5 working days. Member support can be contacted at schoolsupport@educatetogether.ie
• Legislation requires that admissions policies must be approved by Educate Together as patron. Information on Educate Together’s admissions can be found here
• Correspondence in relation to Garda Vetting for non-teaching posts and volunteers in Educate Together schools is channelled through the national office. More information on vetting can be found here
• Educate Together publishes its Education and Support Newsletter once every term. This is an invaluable source of up-to-date information on a range of issues of interest to Principals, teachers and Boards. The latest issues can be accessed here
• As patron, Educate Together gives approval for the appointment of Principals, teachers, SNA’s and approval for admissions policies, permanent recognition and schools generating a new stream. More information can be found here
• Board members and Principals can find advice and practical support on how to achieve improvements in school procurement processes, practices and outcomes here

Useful documents for board members:

• Governance Manual for Primary Schools 2023 to 2027
• Looking at Our Schools 2022: A Quality Framework for Primary and Special Schools
• Child Protection Procedures for Primary and Post Primary Schools 2023 
• Guidelines on the Use of School Buildings
• Guidelines on Developing a Code of Behaviour: Guidelines for Schools
• Supporting Boards of Management in Primary Schools and Special Schools – A Guide to Teaching and Learning 
• Guidelines on Managing Safety Health and Welfare in Primary Schools
• Revised Parental Complaints Procedure 2023