Board member induction | GovHub Resource Centre

Te whakangungu mema poari houopen_in_new

Because board members come and go, all boards should be prepared to welcome new members at any time.

It doesn’t matter whether they’ve joined from an election (triennial, mid-term, or student), by-election, selection, appointment, or co-option.

Keep reading for ideas on bringing your new board members up to speed in their governance role.

Ensure new members complete the School Board Updatesopen_in_new form to notify us and the Ministry of Education that they have joined your board.

Also, remember to update your board member register. You may already have a register, or download our sample board member registeropen_in_new.

What could your induction programme look like?

Board members come from different backgrounds with different knowledge and experience.

Many new members will start from scratch with no experience of being part of a school board.

Existing members help them understand their new responsibilities to ensure things keep running smoothly.

When designing your induction programme, start by thinking about your past experiences:

What would you like to have known when you began?

What worked and didn’t work with your induction?
What do new members need to know immediately?
What information can be gradually released to them?

All board members should know that board duties remain the same regardless of membership change. That’s why it’s helpful to document your board’s induction process so anyone can understand it, and it’s always ready to use.

Your board may already have an induction process, or you can download our sample board induction processopen_in_new.

What information should you provide to new board members?

Begin by welcoming your new board member(s), whether through a letter, email, or a brief chat. Include a suggested induction date, details of your next board meeting, and contact information for the presiding member and principal.

This ensures they feel informed and valued from the outset.

Following this, provide an induction pack in a format that suits your board – either a paper folder or an online portal like Google Drive.

It should contain all the information new members need to get started:

Current board members and contact details
Board meeting schedule
The code of conduct for school boardsopen_in_new
Board committee structure and delegations
Your strategic plan, including the annual implementation plan
The last annual report 
All school policies – both governance and operational (or access to these policies if they are online)
Minutes and supporting documents from the last three board meetings
The current budget 
The latest ERO report for your school 
The board’s triennial review programme
Any other relevant material.

You can also download our community member guide to the role of school boardsopen_in_new booklet.

What else would be useful to a new board member?

The principal could organise a tour of the school to ensure that the new board members are informed about recent property developments, health and safety challenges, and other relevant matters.

New board members also need to be aware that if they miss three consecutive meetings without prior leave from your board, their position automatically becomes vacant.

Ensure your new members complete the School Board Updatesopen_in_new form, and that they know about our websiteopen_in_new, Resource Centreopen_in_new, and learning opportunities.

What happens after the triennial or mid-term elections?

Ideally, your board should get together as soon as possible. Your new board members take office either 7 days after the close of nominations (for a non-voting election) or 7 days after the close of the election.

The first gathering doesn’t have to be your first official board meeting.

Take time for whakawhanaungatanga, get to know each other, share stories, and build connections. This will help new members settle in and create a strong foundation for working together.

The following discussion points may be helpful:

Who are our new members, and where do they whakapapa to or come from?
What is their motivation for joining the board?
What skills, knowledge, and experiences can they share with us?
What can our board members commit to, and how does this align with what their role requires?
How can we ensure that our school’s values are the foundation for how our board governs?
Do all board members understand they must comply with the code of conduct?
Our strategic plan tells us where we are going – do all board members understand the journey to get here and what we need to do to achieve our current goals?

Getting together also allows members to get to know each other before they appoint a presiding member at the board’s first formal meeting.

When should you review the induction programme?

We recommend reviewing the process with new members after three months on your board.

The review could include the following:

Did you feel welcomed onto the board?
What could we change to make this a better experience?
Did you receive all the information you needed in time?
Did you find the induction with the principal and board to be effective?
Did the induction mean you could confidently step into your governance role?

Questions your board could ask

Do we have an induction process for new board members?
Have we documented it?
Do we collect and use feedback to review and improve our process regularly?

Templates, resources, and references

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Links from us

Ministry of Education